SB 72

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
  Act 93 of the Fiscal Session
1 State of Arkansas
2 95th General Assembly  A Bill
3 Fiscal Session, 2026  SENATE BILL 72
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5 By: Joint Budget Committee
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8For An Act To Be Entitled
9AN ACT TO REAPPROPRIATE THE BALANCES OF CAPITAL
10IMPROVEMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
11COMMERCE - ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION;
12AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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14
15Subtitle
16AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE -
17ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
18REAPPROPRIATION.
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21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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23SECTION 1. REAPPROPRIATION - MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS LOAN
24 MOBILIZATION.  There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of Commerce,
25 to be payable from the Minority and Women-Owned Business Loan Mobilization
26 Revolving Fund, for the Department of Commerce - Arkansas Economic
27 Development Commission the following:
28(A)    Effective July 1, 2026, the balance of the appropriation provided
29 in Item (A) of Section 2 of Act 78 of 2025, for promoting the development of
30 minority business enterprises in the State, increasing the ability of
31 minority business enterprises to compete for state contracts, and sustaining
32 the economic growth of minority business enterprises in the State, in a sum
33 not to exceed ......................................................$129,082.
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35SECTION 2. REAPPROPRIATION - CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, GRANTS AND
36 PROGRAMS.     There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of Commerce, to be
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1 payable from the Development and Enhancement Fund, for the Department of
2 Commerce - Arkansas Economic Development Commission the following:
3      (A)   Effective July 1, 2026, the balance of the appropriation provided
4 in Item (A) of Section 3 of Act 78 of 2025, for the purpose of providing
5 grants and/or loans to state agencies, cities, counties, community-based non-
6 profit organizations and other entities determined by the Department of
7 Commerce - Arkansas Economic Development Commission to be eligible to: (1)
8 undertake public works projects and/or job training efforts which support
9 private sector job creation opportunities; (2) alleviate conditions which
10 constitute a threat to public health and wellbeing; (3) partially defray the
11 cost of providing access to publicly owned industrial parks, and/or
12 technology parks; (4) provide for the expansion of the aircraft and aerospace
13 industry; (5) provide for port, rail and waterway economic development
14 projects; (6) provide for technology based economic development projects; (7)
15 provide for industrial site development costs (including, but not limited to
16 land acquisition, construction, renovation, and equipment acquisition); (8)
17 provide for development of intermodal facilities (including, but not limited
18 to port and/or waterway projects, rail spur construction and/or road and
19 highway improvement); (9) pay the costs of environmental mitigation projects;
20 (10) provide for construction and/or improvement of water and sewer systems,
21 in a sum not to exceed ...........................................$3,000,000.
22      (B)   Effective July 1, 2026, the balance of the appropriation provided
23 in Item (C) of Section 3 of Act 78 of 2025, for grant matching funds and/or
24 loans to state agencies, cities, counties, community-based non-profit
25 organizations and other eligible entities applying for consideration with a
26 granting organization that requires matching funds for projects, to maximize
27 contributions, provide cash assistance, or match contributions to ensure
28 grant funding or contract, in a sum not to exceed .................$189,757.
29      (C)   Effective July 1, 2026, the balance of the appropriation provided
30 in Item (D) of Section 3 of Act 78 of 2025, for the purpose of providing
31 grants and/or loans to state agencies, cities, counties, community-based non-
32 profit organizations and other entities determined by the Arkansas Economic
33 Development Commission to be eligible to: (1) undertake public works projects
34 and/or job training efforts which support private sector job creation
35 opportunities; (2) alleviate conditions which constitute a threat to public
36 health and wellbeing; (3) partially defray the cost of providing access to
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1 publicly owned industrial parks, and/or technology parks; (4) provide for the
2 expansion of the aircraft and aerospace industry; (5) provide for port, rail
3 and waterway economic development projects; (6) provide for technology based
4 economic development projects; (7) provide for industrial site development
5 costs (including, but not limited to land acquisition, construction,
6 renovation, and equipment acquisition); (8) provide for development of
7 intermodal facilities (including, but not limited to port and/or waterway
8 projects, rail spur construction and/or road and highway improvement); (9)
9 pay the costs of environmental mitigation projects; (10) provide for
10 construction and/or improvement of water and sewer systems, in a sum not to
11 exceed .............................................................$375,000.
12      (D)   Effective July 1, 2026, the balance of the appropriation provided
13 in Item (E) of Section 3 of Act 78 of 2025, for allocation by the Executive
14 Director of the Economic Development Commission for activities associated
15 with the implementation of the State's strategic plan for economic
16 development, in a sum not to exceed ................................$80,100.
17
18      SECTION 3. DISBURSEMENT CONTROLS. (A)   No contract may be awarded nor
19 obligations otherwise incurred in relation to the project or projects
20 described herein in excess of the State Treasury funds actually available
21 therefor as provided by law.   Provided, however, that institutions and
22 agencies listed herein shall have the authority to accept and use grants and
23 donations including Federal funds, and to use its unobligated cash income or
24 funds, or both available to it, for the purpose of supplementing the State
25 Treasury funds for financing the entire costs of the project or projects
26 enumerated herein.   Provided further, that the appropriations and funds
27 otherwise provided by the General Assembly for Maintenance and General
28 Operations of the agency or institutions receiving appropriation herein shall
29 not be used for any of the purposes as appropriated in this act.
30      (B) The restrictions of any applicable provisions of the State
31 Purchasing Law, the General Accounting and Budgetary Procedures Law, the
32 Revenue Stabilization Law and any other applicable fiscal control laws of
33 this State and regulations promulgated by the Department of Finance and
34 Administration, as authorized by law, shall be strictly complied with in
35 disbursement of any funds provided by this act unless specifically provided
36 otherwise by law.
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2      SECTION 4. LEGISLATIVE INTENT.   It is the intent of the General
3 Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations
4 contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for
5 which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive
6 Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget
7 manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or
8 summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative
9 Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption.
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11      SECTION 5. EMERGENCY CLAUSE.   It is found and determined by the General
12 Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits the
13 appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the
14 effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2026 is essential to the operation of
15 the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in
16 the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the
17 effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2026 could work irreparable harm
18 upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental
19 programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act
20 being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health
21 and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2026.
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24APPROVED: 4/27/26
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