Read the full stored bill text
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
*KMW060* 03/31/2026 1:06:09 PM KMW060
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 HOUSE BILL 1060 3
4
By: Joint Budget Committee 5
6
7
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 - ARKANSAS STATE LIBRARY FOR THE FISCAL 11
YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2027; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12
13
14
Subtitle 15
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - 16
ARKANSAS STATE LIBRARY APPROPRIATION FOR 17
THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. 18
19
20
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21
22
SECTION 1. REGULAR SALARIES. There is hereby established for the 23
Department of Education - Arkansas State Library for the 2026-2027 fiscal 24
year, the following maximum number of regular employees. 25
26
Maximum Annual 27
Maximum Salary Rate 28
Item Class No. of Fiscal Year 29
No. Code Title Employees 2026-2027 30
(1) ELI05C STATE LIBRARIAN 1 GRADE SPC08 31
(2) ELI02C LIBRARY MANAGER 2 GRADE SGS10 32
(3) ELI04P LIBRARY SUPERVISOR/EXPERT 7 GRADE SGS08 33
(4) FFS05P FISCAL SUPPORT SUPERVISOR/EXPERT 1 GRADE SGS07 34
(5) ELI01P LIBRARIAN 16 GRADE SGS06 35
(6) CPR07P PUBLIC INFORMATION SPECIALIST 1 GRADE SGS06 36
HB1060
2 03/31/2026 1:06:09 PM KMW060
(7) PPR04P PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST 1 GRADE SGS05 1
(8) PAS02P ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR 2 GRADE SGS04 2
(9) FFS04P FISCAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST 2 GRADE SGS04 3
(10) ELI03P LIBRARY SPECIALIST 10 GRADE SGS02 4
MAX. NO. OF EMPLOYEES 43 5
6
SECTION 2. EXTRA HELP - STATE OPERATIONS. There is hereby authorized, 7
for the Department of Education - Arkansas State Library - State Operations 8
for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the following maximum number of part-time or 9
temporary employees, to be known as "Extra Help", payable from funds 10
appropriated herein for such purposes: seven (7) temporary or part-time 11
employees, when needed, at rates of pay not to exceed those provided in the 12
Uniform Classification and Compensation Act, or its successor, or this act 13
for the appropriate classification. 14
15
SECTION 3. APPROPRIATION - STATE OPERATIONS. There is hereby 16
appropriated, to the Department of Education, to be payable from the State 17
Library Fund Account, for personal services and operating expenses of the 18
Department of Education - Arkansas State Library - State Operations for the 19
fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 20
21
ITEM FISCAL YEAR 22
NO. 2026-2027 23
(01) REGULAR SALARIES $1,677,679 24
(02) EXTRA HELP 10,000 25
(03) PERSONAL SERVICES MATCHING 631,390 26
(04) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 27
(A) OPER. EXPENSE 1,125,091 28
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 10,000 29
(C) PROF. FEES 0 30
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 31
(E) DATA PROC. 0 32
(05) BOOKS & SUBSCRIPTIONS 230,000 33
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $3,684,160 34
35
SECTION 4. EXTRA HELP - FEDERAL OPERATIONS. There is hereby 36
HB1060
3 03/31/2026 1:06:09 PM KMW060
authorized, for the Department of Education - Arkansas State Library - 1
Federal Operations for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the following maximum 2
number of part-time or temporary employees, to be known as "Extra Help", 3
payable from funds appropriated herein for such purposes: five (5) temporary 4
or part-time employees, when needed, at rates of pay not to exceed those 5
provided in the Uniform Classification and Compensation Act, or its 6
successor, or this act for the appropriate classification. 7
8
SECTION 5. APPROPRIATION - FEDERAL OPERATIONS. There is hereby 9
appropriated, to the Department of Education, to be payable from the federal 10
funds as designated by the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State, for personal 11
services and operating expenses of the Department of Education - Arkansas 12
State Library - Federal Operations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, 13
the following: 14
15
ITEM FISCAL YEAR 16
NO. 2026-2027 17
(01) REGULAR SALARIES $459,024 18
(02) EXTRA HELP 22,000 19
(03) PERSONAL SERVICES MATCHING 194,802 20
(04) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 21
(A) OPER. EXPENSE 2,337,700 22
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 145,000 23
(C) PROF. FEES 0 24
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 60,000 25
(E) DATA PROC. 0 26
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $3,218,526 27
28
SECTION 6. APPROPRIATION - AID TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES. There is hereby 29
appropriated, to the Department of Education, to be payable from the State 30
Library Public School Fund Account, to provide aid to public libraries by the 31
Department of Education - Arkansas State Library - Aid to Public Libraries 32
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 33
34
ITEM FISCAL YEAR 35
NO. 2026-2027 36
HB1060
4 03/31/2026 1:06:09 PM KMW060
(01) AID TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES $6,500,000 1
2
SECTION 7. APPROPRIATION - GRANTS ADMINISTRATION - CASH. There is 3
hereby appropriated, to the Department of Education, to be payable from the 4
cash fund deposited in the State Treasury as determined by the Chief Fiscal 5
Officer of the State, for operating expenses of the Department of Education - 6
Arkansas State Library - Grants Administration - Cash for the fiscal year 7
ending June 30, 2027, the following: 8
9
ITEM FISCAL YEAR 10
NO. 2026-2027 11
(01) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 12
(A) OPER. EXPENSE $20,000 13
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 20,000 14
(C) PROF. FEES 0 15
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 16
(E) DATA PROC. 0 17
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $40,000 18
19
SECTION 8. APPROPRIATION - STATE LIBRARY REVOLVING. There is hereby 20
appropriated, to the Department of Education, to be payable from the State 21
Library Revolving Fund, for operating expenses of the Department of Education 22
- Arkansas State Library - State Library Revolving for the fiscal year ending 23
June 30, 2027, the following: 24
25
ITEM FISCAL YEAR 26
NO. 2026-2027 27
(01) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 28
(A) OPER. EXPENSE $500 29
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 0 30
(C) PROF. FEES 0 31
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 32
(E) DATA PROC. 0 33
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $500 34
35
SECTION 9. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 36
HB1060
5 03/31/2026 1:06:09 PM KMW060
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. 1
CARRY FORWARD. At the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 2026, 2
any unexpended balance of monies provided from the State Library Fund Account 3
for Books and Subscriptions, as provided in the State Operations 4
Appropriation of this Act, shall be transferred forward and made available 5
for the same purpose for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026 2027. 6
Any carry forward of unexpended balance of funding as authorized herein, 7
may be carried forward under the following conditions: 8
(1) Prior to June 30, 2026 2027 the Agency shall by written statement 9
set forth its reason(s) for the need to carry forward said funding to the 10
Department of Finance and Administration Office of Budget; 11
(2) The Department of Finance and Administration Office of Budget shall 12
report to the Arkansas Legislative Council all amounts carried forward by the 13
September Arkansas Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee meeting 14
which report shall include the name of the Agency, Board, Commission or 15
Institution and the amount of the funding carried forward, the program name 16
or line item, the funding source of that appropriation and a copy of the 17
written request set forth in (1) above; 18
(3) Each Agency, Board, Commission or Institution shall provide a 19
written report to the Arkansas Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee 20
containing all information set forth in item (2) above, along with a written 21
statement as to the current status of the project, contract, purpose etc. for 22
which the carry forward was originally requested no later than thirty (30) 23
days prior to the time the Agency, Board, Commission or Institution presents 24
its budget request to the Arkansas Legislative Council/Joint Budget 25
Committee; and 26
(4) Thereupon, the Department of Finance and Administration shall 27
include all information obtained in item (3) above in the budget manuals 28
and/or a statement of non-compliance by the Agency, Board, Commission or 29
Institution. 30
The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 2025 31
2026 through June 30, 2026 2027. 32
33
SECTION 10. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 34
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. STATE 35
FUNDING FOR LIBRARIES PROVISIONS. 36
HB1060
6 03/31/2026 1:06:09 PM KMW060
(i) The Department of Education – Arkansas State Library provides 1
grants and aid to Libraries across the state. The Arkansas State Library 2
has developed the Standards for State Aid to public libraries which creates 3
standards public libraries must meet to be eligible for state aid. 4
(ii) The Standards for State Aid to Public Libraries contains the 5
requirement that a public library shall maintain a one-mill county or city 6
property tax, and the requirement that the library have a qualified 7
librarian. 8
(iii) Less populated areas in the State may not have the ability to 9
pass and maintain a one-mill county or city property tax. 10
(iv) Due to the importance that the public library represents to rural 11
communities, the Arkansas State Library shall review and modify the 12
requirements that prevent rural public libraries from receiving state grant 13
and aid that is authorized by the General Assembly, as set out is subsection 14
(v). 15
(v) Therefore, the Arkansas State Library shall promulgate rules that 16
allow a public library to adequately demonstrate a source of revenue in lieu 17
of the requirement to maintain a one-mill county or city property tax. 18
(vi) One month prior to the distribution of state aid to public 19
libraries for the 2026 2027 Fiscal Year, the Arkansas State Library shall 20
report to the Arkansas Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee, if 21
meeting in legislative session, the revised Standards for State Aid to Public 22
Libraries which shall address in writing the actions taken to address the 23
issues as set out in this section. The report shall include all criteria, 24
including but not limited to how a local public library may become certified 25
to receive funding from the Arkansas State Library. 26
(vii) The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 27
1, 2025 2026 through June 30, 2026 2027. 28
29
SECTION 11. COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds 30
authorized by this act shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency 31
and funds made available by law for the support of such appropriations; and 32
the restrictions of the State Procurement Law, the General Accounting and 33
Budgetary Procedures Law, the Revenue Stabilization Law, the Regular Salary 34
Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, and other fiscal 35
control laws of this State, where applicable, and regulations promulgated by 36
HB1060
7 03/31/2026 1:06:09 PM KMW060
the Department of Finance and Administration, as authorized by law, shall be 1
strictly complied with in disbursement of said funds. 2
3
SECTION 12. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General 4
Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations 5
contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for 6
which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive 7
Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget 8
manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or 9
summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative 10
Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption. 11
12
SECTION 13. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 13
General Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits 14
the appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the 15
effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2026 is essential to the operation of 16
the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in 17
the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the 18
effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2026 could work irreparable harm 19
upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental 20
programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act 21
being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health 22
and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2026. 23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36