SB 73

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
  Act 141 of the Fiscal Session
1 State of Arkansas
2 95th General Assembly  A Bill
3 Fiscal Session, 2026  SENATE BILL 73
4
5 By: Joint Budget Committee
6
7
8For An Act To Be Entitled
9AN ACT TO MAKE AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE COMMUNITY
10ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
11COMMERCE - ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
12WHICH SHALL BE SUPPLEMENTAL AND IN ADDITION TO THOSE
13FUNDS APPROPRIATED BY ACT 608 OF 2025; AND FOR OTHER
14PURPOSES.
15
16
17Subtitle
18AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE -
19ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
20SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION.
21
22
23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
24
25SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION - RURAL SERVICES DIVISION - COMMUNITY
26 ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of
27 Commerce - Arkansas Economic Development Commission - Rural Services Division
28 - Community Assistance Grant Program, to be payable from the paying account
29 as determined by the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State, for community
30 assistance grants which shall be supplemental and in addition to those funds
31 appropriated in Section 25 of Act 608 of 2025, the following:
32
33 ITEM  FISCAL YEAR
34  NO.  2025-2026
35 (01)     COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM  $10,000,000
36
*CJW034*  04/14/2026 2:54:12 PM CJW034
  SB73
1      SECTION 2. SPECIAL LANGUAGE.     NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS
2 CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL, AND TEMPORARY LAW.      FUND
3 TRANSFER.   Immediately upon the effective date of this act, the Chief Fiscal
4 Officer of the State shall transfer on his or her books and those of the
5 Treasurer of State and the Auditor of the State the sum of ten million
6 dollars ($10,000,000) from the General Revenue Allotment Reserve Fund to the
7 paying account as determined by the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State to
8 provide funds for community assistance grants.
9
10      SECTION 3. COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS.     Disbursement of funds
11 authorized by this act shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency
12 and funds made available by law for the support of such appropriations; and
13 the restrictions of the State Procurement Law, the General Accounting and
14 Budgetary Procedures Law, the Revenue Stabilization Law, the Regular Salary
15 Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, and other fiscal
16 control laws of this State, where applicable, and regulations promulgated by
17 the Department of Finance and Administration, as authorized by law, shall be
18 strictly complied with in disbursement of said funds.
19
20      SECTION 4. LEGISLATIVE INTENT.    It is the intent of the General
21 Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations
22 contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for
23 which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive
24 Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget
25 manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or
26 summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative
27 Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption.
28
29      SECTION 5. EMERGENCY CLAUSE.   It is found and determined by the General
30 Assembly, that funds provided by the General Assembly for the operations of
31 the Department Of Commerce - Arkansas Economic Development Commission are,
32 due to unforeseen circumstances, insufficient for the Department Of Commerce
33 - Arkansas Economic Development Commission to continue to provide essential
34 governmental services; that the provisions of this act will provide the
35 necessary monies for the Department Of Commerce - Arkansas Economic
36 Development Commission to continue such services; and that a delay in the
204/14/2026 2:54:12 PM CJW034
  SB73
1 effective date of this Act could work irreparable harm upon the proper
2 administration and provision of essential governmental programs. Therefore,
3 an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act being necessary for the
4 immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety shall be in
5 full force and effect from and after the date of its passage and approval.
6      If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, it shall
7 become effective on the expiration of the period of time during which the
8 Governor may veto the bill.   If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the
9 veto is overridden, it shall become effective on the date the last house
10 overrides the veto.
11
12
13APPROVED: 4/29/26
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
304/14/2026 2:54:12 PM CJW034