Arkansas Senate Approves Pawn Shop Data Bill

The Arkansas Senate has given final approval to a bill requiring all pawn shops in the state to electronically send law enforcement their records of who is selling property.

By a 34-0 vote, the Senate approved the bill requiring pawn shops to upload on a daily basis the data they already collect about purchases and sales to a centralized online database chosen by local law enforcement officials.

Pawn shops currently are required to keep detailed records of transactions that include the name, age, address, race, sex, height, weight and driver's license number of the person pawning property.

The state pawnbrokers association has said the vast majority of its membership already submits its records online.  

The measure has already passed the House. It now heads to Gov. Mike Beebe's desk.