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HB1079 • 2026

AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - DIVISION OF CORRECTION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.

AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - DIVISION OF CORRECTION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.

Budget Technology
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Tosh
Last action
2026-04-22
Official status
House -- Notification that HB1079 is now Act 64
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the effective date is July 1, 2026 via the Emergency Clause, but does not explicitly define the start of the fiscal year in that section.

Funding for Contraband Detection Technology in Arkansas Prisons

This law gives $1 million to the Department of Corrections to buy and use technology that finds illegal wireless devices inside prisons.

What This Bill Does

  • Sets aside $1,000,000 from state cash funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027.
  • Allows the purchase and operation of intelligence tools to detect contraband wireless activity in correctional facilities.
  • Requires that spending follows existing state laws on procurement, accounting, and budget procedures.
  • States that money must be used only for the specific reasons listed in official budget documents.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Arkansas Department of Corrections - Division of Correction
  • State agencies responsible for managing funds and procurement

Terms To Know

Appropriation
An official amount of money set aside by the government for a specific purpose.
Contraband Interdiction
The act of stopping or preventing illegal items from entering or being used in a facility.
Fiscal Year
A 12-month period used for budgeting, which here runs until June 30, 2027.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not list the specific brands or types of technology that will be purchased.
  • It is unclear how many facilities will receive this equipment based on the text provided.
  • The bill does not state what happens if the $1 million is spent before June 30, 2027.

Bill History

No action history is stored for this bill yet.

Official Summary Text

AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - DIVISION OF CORRECTION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
*DJC039* 04/08/2026 2:56:17 PM DJC039
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 HOUSE BILL 1079 3
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By: Representative Tosh 5
By: Senator D. Wallace 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO MAKE AN APPROPRIATION FOR CONTRABAND 9
INTERDICTION AND CORRECTIONS INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY 10
FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - DIVISION OF 11
CORRECTION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2027; 12
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS 17
- DIVISION OF CORRECTION APPROPRIATION 18
FOR THE 2026-2027 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. APPROPRIATION - CORRECTIONS INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY - CASH. 24
There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of Corrections, to be payable 25
from the cash fund deposited in the State Treasury as determined by the Chief 26
Fiscal Officer of the State, for procuring, implementing and operating 27
corrections intelligence technology and related services designed to detect, 28
identify, monitor and mitigate contraband wireless device activity within 29
correctional facilities of the Department of Corrections - Division of 30
Correction for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 31
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 33
NO. 2026-2027 34
(01) CONTRABAND INTERDICTION AND 35
CORRECTIONS INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY $1,000,000 36
HB1079

2 04/08/2026 2:56:17 PM DJC039
1
SECTION 2. COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds 2
authorized by this act shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency 3
and funds made available by law for the support of such appropriations; and 4
the restrictions of the State Procurement Law, the General Accounting and 5
Budgetary Procedures Law, the Revenue Stabilization Law, the Regular Salary 6
Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, and other fiscal 7
control laws of this State, where applicable, and regulations promulgated by 8
the Department of Finance and Administration, as authorized by law, shall be 9
strictly complied with in disbursement of said funds. 10
11
SECTION 3. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General 12
Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations 13
contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for 14
which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive 15
Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget 16
manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or 17
summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative 18
Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption. 19
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SECTION 4. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the General 21
Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits the 22
appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the 23
effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2026 is essential to the operation of 24
the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in 25
the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the 26
effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2026 could work irreparable harm 27
upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental 28
programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act 29
being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health 30
and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2026. 31
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