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*KMW059* 03/31/2026 1:04:09 PM KMW059
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 HOUSE BILL 1059 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 - DIVISION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL ACADEMIC 11
FACILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 12
ENDING JUNE 30, 2027; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - 17
DIVISION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL ACADEMIC 18
FACILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION 19
APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL 20
YEAR. 21
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 24
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SECTION 1. REGULAR SALARIES - OPERATIONS. There is hereby established 26
for the Department of Education - Division of Public School Academic 27
Facilities and Transportation for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the following 28
maximum number of regular employees. 29
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Maximum Annual 31
Maximum Salary Rate 32
Item Class No. of Fiscal Year 33
No. Code Title Employees 2026-2027 34
(1) EEA01C EDUCATION DIVISION ADMINISTRATOR 1 GRADE SPC08 35
(2) EES03P EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL SUPV/EXP 1 GRADE SPC06 36
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(3) EES01P EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL I 4 GRADE SPC02 1
(4) EEP03P EDUCATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR 13 GRADE SGS07 2
(5) FFS05P FISCAL SUPPORT SUPERVISOR/EXPERT 1 GRADE SGS07 3
(6) TAT10I SCHOOL BUS TRAINER 3 GRADE SGS05 4
(7) PAS01P ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST 1 GRADE SGS05 5
(8) PAS02P ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR 1 GRADE SGS04 6
(9) IIN01P INSPECTOR I 6 GRADE SGS04 7
(10) PAS03P ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST 1 GRADE SGS02 8
MAX. NO. OF EMPLOYEES 32 9
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SECTION 2. EXTRA HELP - OPERATIONS. There is hereby authorized, for 11
the Department of Education - Division of Public School Academic Facilities 12
and Transportation for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the following maximum 13
number of part-time or temporary employees, to be known as "Extra Help", 14
payable from funds appropriated herein for such purposes: five (5) temporary 15
or part-time employees, when needed, at rates of pay not to exceed those 16
provided in the Uniform Classification and Compensation Act, or its 17
successor, or this act for the appropriate classification. 18
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SECTION 3. APPROPRIATION - OPERATIONS. There is hereby appropriated, 20
to the Department of Education, to be payable from the Division of Public 21
School Academic Facilities and Transportation Fund Account, for personal 22
services and operating expenses of the Department of Education - Division of 23
Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation - Operations for the 24
fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 25
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 27
NO. 2026-2027 28
(01) REGULAR SALARIES $1,826,766 29
(02) EXTRA HELP 2,500 30
(03) PERSONAL SERVICES MATCHING 684,955 31
(04) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 32
(A) OPER. EXPENSE 319,311 33
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 24,650 34
(C) PROF. FEES 0 35
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 36
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(E) DATA PROC. 0 1
(05) SAFETY TRAINING 207,500 2
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $3,065,682 3
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SECTION 4. APPROPRIATION - PROGRAMS OF THE DIVISION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL 5
ACADEMIC FACILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION. There is hereby appropriated, to the 6
Department of Education, to be payable from the Educational Facilities 7
Partnership Fund Account, for grants and aid and special programs providing 8
academic school facility and transportation assistance to the public school 9
districts of the Department of Education - Division of Public School Academic 10
Facilities and Transportation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the 11
following: 12
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 14
NO. 2026-2027 15
(01) ACADEMIC FACILITIES PARTNERSHIP $211,828,951 16
(02) ACADEMIC EQUIPMENT 0 17
(03) ACADEMIC FACILITIES CATASTROPHIC 3,511,538 18
(04) ACADEMIC FACILITIES EXTRAORDINARY 19
CIRCUMSTANCES PROGRAM 0 20
(05) ACADEMIC FACILITIES HIGH GROWTH 0 21
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $215,340,489 22
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SECTION 5. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 24
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. TRANSFER 25
AUTHORITY - OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES LOAN PROGRAM. 26
The Department of Education - Division of Public School Academic Facilities 27
and Transportation is authorized to transfer any funds that are made 28
available for the Open-Enrollment Public Charter School Facilities Loan 29
Program, including funds from the Development and Enhancement Fund or its 30
successor fund or fund accounts, to the Open-Enrollment Public Charter School 31
Facilities Loan Fund. 32
The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 2025 33
2026 through June 30 2026 2027. 34
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SECTION 6. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 36
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CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. TRANSFER 1
AUTHORITY. The Director of the Department of Education – Division of Public 2
School Academic Facilities and Transportation, with the approval of the Chief 3
Fiscal Officer of the State and after approval by the Arkansas Legislative 4
Council or Joint Budget Committee, is hereby authorized to request necessary 5
appropriation transfers and any other budget related adjustments necessary 6
only for the appropriations authorized in this Act. Furthermore, it is the 7
intent of the General Assembly that the Department of Education - Division of 8
Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation be able to make use of 9
additional contractual services as necessary and that transfers between line 10
items and among appropriations are anticipated to accomplish those 11
purposes. Provided, however, that the Department of Education - Division of 12
Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation shall be limited to 13
submitting no more than two transfer requests during any fiscal year. 14
Determining the maximum number of employees and the maximum amount of 15
appropriation and general revenue funding for a state agency each fiscal year 16
is the prerogative of the General Assembly. This is usually accomplished by 17
delineating such maximums in the appropriation act(s) for a state agency and 18
the general revenue allocations authorized for each fund and fund account by 19
amendment to the Revenue Stabilization law. Further, the General Assembly 20
has determined that the Department of Education – Division of Public School 21
Academic Facilities and Transportation may operate more efficiently if some 22
flexibility is provided to the Director of the Department of Education – 23
Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation authorizing 24
broad powers under the Transfer Authority provision herein. Therefore, it is 25
both necessary and appropriate that the General Assembly maintain oversight 26
by requiring prior approval of the Legislative Council or Joint Budget 27
Committee as provided by this section. The requirement of approval by the 28
Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee is not a severable part of this 29
section. If the requirement of approval by the Legislative Council or Joint 30
Budget Committee is ruled unconstitutional by a court of competent 31
jurisdiction, this entire section is void. 32
The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 2025 33
2026 through June 30, 2026 2027. 34
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SECTION 7. COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds 36
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authorized by this act shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency 1
and funds made available by law for the support of such appropriations; and 2
the restrictions of the State Procurement Law, the General Accounting and 3
Budgetary Procedures Law, the Revenue Stabilization Law, the Regular Salary 4
Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, and other fiscal 5
control laws of this State, where applicable, and regulations promulgated by 6
the Department of Finance and Administration, as authorized by law, shall be 7
strictly complied with in disbursement of said funds. 8
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SECTION 8. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General 10
Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations 11
contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for 12
which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive 13
Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget 14
manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or 15
summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative 16
Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption. 17
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SECTION 9. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the General 19
Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits the 20
appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the 21
effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2026 is essential to the operation of 22
the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in 23
the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the 24
effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2026 could work irreparable harm 25
upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental 26
programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act 27
being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health 28
and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2026. 29
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