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*KMW064* 04-21-2026 16:53:26 KMW064
State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H4/21/26 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 HOUSE BILL 1055 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 DEPARTMENT OF 10
EDUCATION - OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD FOR THE FISCAL 11
YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2027; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12
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Subtitle 15
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - 16
OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD APPROPRIATION 17
FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. 18
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21
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SECTION 1. REGULAR SALARIES. There is hereby established for the 23
Department of Education - Office of Early Childhood for the 2026-2027 fiscal 24
year, the following maximum number of regular employees. 25
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Maximum Annual 27
Maximum Salary Rate 28
Item Class No. of Fiscal Year 29
No. Code Title Employees 2026-2027 30
(1) EEA02C EDUCATION DIVISION DIRECTOR 1 GRADE SPC09 31
(2) EEP02C EDUCATION PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR 1 GRADE SPC07 32
(3) EES01P EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL I 1 GRADE SPC02 33
(4) FAC01P ACCOUNTANT I 1 GRADE SPC01 34
(5) EEC01C EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM ADMIN 3 GRADE SGS10 35
(6) FFS03C FISCAL SUPPORT MANAGER 1 GRADE SGS09 36
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(7) PQA02C QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGER 3 GRADE SGS09 1
(8) EEC05P EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM SUPV/EXP 8 GRADE SGS08 2
(9) HDH05P HR COORDINATOR 1 GRADE SGS07 3
(10) PQA01P QUALITY ASSURANCE COORDINATOR 5 GRADE SGS07 4
(11) CTR02P TRAINER 1 GRADE SGS07 5
(12) EEC02P EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM COORD 22 GRADE SGS06 6
(13) IIV04P INVESTIGATOR III 5 GRADE SGS06 7
(14) PAS01P ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST 4 GRADE SGS05 8
(15) FGM02P GRANTS COORDINATOR 1 GRADE SGS05 9
(16) IIV03P INVESTIGATOR II 7 GRADE SGS05 10
(17) PPR04P PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST 1 GRADE SGS05 11
(18) PPE02P PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST I 2 GRADE SGS05 12
(19) PAS02P ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR 5 GRADE SGS04 13
(20) EEC04P EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM SPECIALIST 79 GRADE SGS04 14
(21) FFS04P FISCAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST 2 GRADE SGS04 15
(22) FGM01P GRANTS ANALYST 1 GRADE SGS04 16
(23) TIW01P INVENTORY COORDINATOR 1 GRADE SGS04 17
(24) PAS03P ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST 4 GRADE SGS02 18
(25) IDM02P DATABASE ANALYST 1 GRADE IST07 19
(26) IUS02P USER SUPPORT COORDINATOR 1 GRADE IST05 20
(27) IUS04P USER SUPPORT SPECIALIST 3 GRADE IST02 21
(28) FFS02P FISCAL SUPPORT COORDINATOR 1 GRADE SGS06 22
MAX. NO. OF EMPLOYEES 138 23
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SECTION 2. EXTRA HELP - OPERATIONS. There is hereby authorized, for 25
the Department of Education - Office of Early Childhood for the 2026-2027 26
fiscal year, the following maximum number of part-time or temporary 27
employees, to be known as "Extra Help", payable from funds appropriated 28
herein for such purposes: thirteen (13) temporary or part-time employees, 29
when needed, at rates of pay not to exceed those provided in the Uniform 30
Classification and Compensation Act, or its successor, or this act for the 31
appropriate classification. 32
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SECTION 3. APPROPRIATION - OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD - OPERATIONS. 34
There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of Education, to be payable 35
from the Child Care and Early Childhood Education Fund Account, for personal 36
As Engrossed: H4/21/26 HB1055
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services, operating expenses, and grants of the Department of Education - 1
Office of Early Childhood - Operations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2
2027, the following: 3
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 5
NO. 2026-2027 6
(01) REGULAR SALARIES $969,539 7
(02) EXTRA HELP 20,000 8
(03) PERSONAL SERVICES MATCHING 460,424 9
(04) OVERTIME 4,850 10
(05) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 11
(A) OPER. EXPENSE 7,577,752 12
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 103,243 13
(C) PROF. FEES 3,000,000 14
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 15
(E) DATA PROC. 0 16
(06) GRANTS AND AID 2,500,000 17
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $14,635,808 18
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SECTION 4. APPROPRIATION - OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD - OPERATIONS - 20
FEDERAL. There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of Education, to be 21
payable from the federal funds as designated by the Chief Fiscal Officer of 22
the State, for personal services, operating expenses, and grants of the 23
Department of Education - Office of Early Childhood - Operations - Federal 24
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 25
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 27
NO. 2026-2027 28
(01) EARLY CHILDHOOD FEDERAL EXPENSES $188,667,976 29
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SECTION 5. APPROPRIATION - OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD - CHILD CARE 31
PROGRAM GRANTS AND EXPENSES. There is hereby appropriated, to the Department 32
of Education, to be payable from the Child Care Grant Fund Account, for 33
operating expenses and grants of the Department of Education - Office of 34
Early Childhood - Child Care Program Grants and Expenses for the fiscal year 35
ending June 30, 2027, the following: 36
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 2
NO. 2026-2027 3
(01) CHILD CARE PROGRAM GRANTS AND EXPENSES $9,000,000 4
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SECTION 6. APPROPRIATION - OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD - LOAN GUARANTEES 6
AND GRANTS. There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of Education, to 7
be payable from the cash fund deposited in the State Treasury as determined 8
by the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State, for loan guarantees and grants of 9
the Department of Education - Office of Early Childhood - Loan Guarantees and 10
Grants for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 11
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 13
NO. 2026-2027 14
(01) LOAN GUARANTEES & GRANTS $36,786 15
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SECTION 7. APPROPRIATION - OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD - CHILDCARE 17
FACILITY GRANTS. There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of 18
Education, to be payable from the Child Care Fund, for providing grants to 19
childcare facilities as provided by law of the Department of Education - 20
Office of Early Childhood - Childcare Facility Grants for the fiscal year 21
ending June 30, 2027, the following: 22
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 24
NO. 2026-2027 25
(01) CHILDCARE FACILITY GRANTS $200,000 26
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SECTION 8. COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds 28
authorized by this act shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency 29
and funds made available by law for the support of such appropriations; and 30
the restrictions of the State Procurement Law, the General Accounting and 31
Budgetary Procedures Law, the Revenue Stabilization Law, the Regular Salary 32
Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, and other fiscal 33
control laws of this State, where applicable, and regulations promulgated by 34
the Department of Finance and Administration, as authorized by law, shall be 35
strictly complied with in disbursement of said funds. 36
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SECTION 9. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General 2
Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations 3
contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for 4
which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive 5
Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget 6
manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or 7
summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative 8
Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption. 9
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SECTION 10. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 11
General Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits 12
the appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the 13
effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2026 is essential to the operation of 14
the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in 15
the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the 16
effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2026 could work irreparable harm 17
upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental 18
programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act 19
being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health 20
and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2026. 21
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/s/Joint Budget Committee 23
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