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*JAR092* 03/30/2026 12:36:46 PM JAR092
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 HOUSE BILL 1045 3
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By: Joint Budget Committee 5
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO MAKE AN APPROPRIATION FOR PERSONAL SERVICES 9
AND OPERATING EXPENSES FOR THE COMMISSIONER OF STATE 10
LANDS AND FOR DISTRIBUTING PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OR 11
REDEMPTION OF TAX DELINQUENT LAND FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 12
ENDING JUNE 30, 2027; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
AN ACT FOR THE COMMISSIONER OF STATE 17
LANDS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 18
FISCAL YEAR. 19
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22
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SECTION 1. REGULAR SALARIES - OPERATIONS. There is hereby established 24
for the Office of the Commissioner of State Lands for the 2026-2027 fiscal 25
year, the following maximum number of regular employees. 26
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Maximum Annual 28
Maximum Salary Rate 29
Item No. of Fiscal Year 30
No. Title Employees 2026-2027 31
(1) CHIEF DEPUTY 1 $142,769 32
(2) GENERAL COUNSEL 1 $127,941 33
(3) IT ADMINISTRATOR 1 $125,859 34
(4) REAL ESTATE ADMINISTRATOR 1 $125,859 35
(5) SPECIAL PROJECTS COORD 1 $94,901 36
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(6) NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR 1 $94,901 1
(7) DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS 1 $92,081 2
(8) REAL ESTATE DIRECTOR 1 $92,081 3
(9) PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR 1 $92,081 4
(10) OPERATIONS DIRECTOR 1 $92,081 5
(11) FISCAL DIRECTOR 1 $92,081 6
(12) HUMAN RESOURCES SUPERVISOR 1 $82,523 7
(13) GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS LIAISON 1 $82,523 8
(14) FISCAL ASSOCIATE I 1 $82,523 9
(15) ASSIST. DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE 1 $82,523 10
(16) ASSIST. DIR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS 1 $82,523 11
(17) REDEMPTION COORDINATOR 1 $73,959 12
(18) PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIAISON 1 $73,959 13
(19) MINERAL LEASING & NATURAL RES COORD 1 $73,959 14
(20) FISCAL ASSOCIATE II 2 $73,959 15
(21) RESEARCH TECH 5 $66,285 16
(22) RESEARCH COORDINATOR 1 $66,285 17
(23) RECORDS SPECIALIST 1 $66,285 18
(24) PARALEGAL 1 $66,285 19
(25) MANAGEMENT SECRETARY 2 $66,285 20
(26) FISCAL SECRETARY 1 $66,285 21
(27) EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT 1 $66,285 22
(28) REDEMPTION TECH 3 $59,409 23
(29) PUBLIC RELATIONS SECRETARY 1 $59,409 24
(30) ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST 1 $59,409 25
(31) REAL ESTATE SECRETARY 1 $53,347 26
(32) ADMINISTRATION 1 $53,347 27
(33) RECORDS RETENTION TECH 1 $47,728 28
(34) CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSOCIATE 1 $47,728 29
MAX. NO. OF EMPLOYEES 42 30
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SECTION 2. EXTRA HELP - OPERATIONS. There is hereby authorized, for 32
the Office of the Commissioner of State Lands for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, 33
the following maximum number of part-time or temporary employees, to be known 34
as "Extra Help", payable from funds appropriated herein for such purposes: 35
five (5) temporary or part-time employees, when needed, at rates of pay not 36
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to exceed those provided in the Uniform Classification and Compensation Act, 1
or its successor, or this act for the appropriate classification. 2
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SECTION 3. APPROPRIATION - OPERATIONS. There is hereby appropriated, 4
to the Commissioner of State Lands, to be payable from the State Central 5
Services Fund, for personal services and operating expenses of the 6
Commissioner of State Lands for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the 7
following: 8
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 10
NO. 2026-2027 11
(01) REGULAR SALARIES $3,249,660 12
(02) EXTRA HELP 40,000 13
(03) PERSONAL SERVICES MATCHING 1,082,147 14
(04) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 15
(A) OPER. EXPENSE 25,000 16
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 0 17
(C) PROF. FEES 0 18
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 19
(E) DATA PROC. 0 20
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $4,396,807 21
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SECTION 4. APPROPRIATION - DELINQUENT TAX. There is hereby 23
appropriated, to the Commissioner of State Lands, to be payable from the cash 24
funds as defined by Arkansas Code §19-4-801, for operating expenses and for 25
distributing proceeds from the sale or redemption of tax delinquent land as 26
prescribed by Chapter 37 of Title 26 of the Arkansas Code by the Commissioner 27
of State Lands for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 28
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 30
NO. 2026-2027 31
(01) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 32
(A) OPER. EXPENSE $1,500,000 33
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 0 34
(C) PROF. FEES 2,000,000 35
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 36
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(E) DATA PROC. 0 1
(02) REFUND/RECORDING FEE REIMBURSEMENTS 1,300,000 2
(03) DELINQUENT TAX REMITTAL/SALE REFUNDS 27,500,000 3
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $32,300,000 4
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SECTION 5. APPROPRIATION - CAPITAL OUTLAY/OPERATING EXPENSES. There is 6
hereby appropriated, to the Commissioner of State Lands, to be payable from 7
the cash funds as defined by Arkansas Code §19-4-801, for operating expenses 8
and capital outlay of the Commissioner of State Lands for the fiscal year 9
ending June 30, 2027, the following: 10
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 12
NO. 2026-2027 13
(01) CAPITAL OUTLAY/OPERATING EXP $267,800 14
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SECTION 6. APPROPRIATION - SUBMERGED LANDS. There is hereby 16
appropriated, to the Commissioner of State Lands, to be payable from cash 17
funds as defined by Arkansas Code §19-4-801, for personal services and 18
operating expenses for projects involving submerged land by the Commissioner 19
of State Lands for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 20
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 22
NO. 2026-2027 23
(01) SUBMERGED LANDS $250,000 24
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SECTION 7. COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds 26
authorized by this act shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency 27
and funds made available by law for the support of such appropriations; and 28
the restrictions of the State Procurement Law, the General Accounting and 29
Budgetary Procedures Law, the Revenue Stabilization Law, the Regular Salary 30
Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, and other fiscal 31
control laws of this State, where applicable, and regulations promulgated by 32
the Department of Finance and Administration, as authorized by law, shall be 33
strictly complied with in disbursement of said funds. 34
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SECTION 8. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General 36
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Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations 1
contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for 2
which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive 3
Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget 4
manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or 5
summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative 6
Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption. 7
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SECTION 9. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the General 9
Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits the 10
appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the 11
effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2026 is essential to the operation of 12
the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in 13
the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the 14
effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2026 could work irreparable harm 15
upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental 16
programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act 17
being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health 18
and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2026. 19
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