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HB1041
Arkansas HB1041: Funding for the Secretary of State in 2026-2027
Last scannedAug 22, 2026, 3:15 AM
In one sentence
This law provides money to the Arkansas Secretary of State's office to pay staff, run daily operations, maintain buildings and monuments, support election systems, and issue specific refunds during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027.
What it does
- Sets a maximum limit on the number of regular employees for the Secretary of State's office at 187 people and lists their maximum salary rates.
- Allows up to 45 temporary or part-time workers when needed during the fiscal year.
- Provides $25,699,646 from the State Central Services Fund for salaries, operating expenses, election costs, and building maintenance.
- Allocates money specifically for Capitol Police operations ($849,597), monument preservation on state grounds ($77,456), and restoring the Capitol buildings using cash funds ($25,000).
- Sets aside $550,000 to refund corporate filing fees and franchise taxes paid by businesses.
- Provides $11 million in grants from a specific fund for counties to buy or upgrade voting systems and equipment.
Who it affects
- The Arkansas Secretary of State's office and its employees, including the Capitol Police.
- County governments that receive money to upgrade their voting machines and software.
- Businesses in Arkansas that may get refunds for corporate filing fees or franchise taxes.
Limits and unknowns
- The official text provided ends abruptly in Section 12, so details about federal funds under the Help America Vote Act are incomplete.
- This law only covers spending and staffing limits; it does not change any existing laws or rules for how elections are run.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Appropriation
- An official act by the government to set aside a specific amount of money for a certain purpose.
- Fiscal Year
- A one-year period used for budgeting and accounting, which in this case runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
- Extra Help
- Temporary or part-time workers hired by the state when there is a need for more staff than usual.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
AN ACT FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.