LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT) – A new year means new laws will take effect in the Natural State. As of Jan. 1, the following laws will be in effect in Arkansas:. Act 659, also known as the Protect Arkansas Act, states that those who commit a certain felony and are convicted after 2024 must serve their full sentence and will not be eligible for early release due to good behavior. Those felonies include capital murder, first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and rape.