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SB34 • 2026

AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - ARKANSAS SENTENCING COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.

AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - ARKANSAS SENTENCING COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.

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Enacted

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

Sponsor
Joint Budget Committee
Last action
2026-04-22
Official status
Senate -- Notification that SB34 is now Act 13
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill metadata lists the effective date as blank, though Section 5 of the bill text states it takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Funding for the Arkansas Sentencing Commission (2026-2027)

This law provides money to the Department of Corrections' Arkansas Sentencing Commission to pay staff and cover operating costs during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Sets a maximum limit on hiring three specific employees: one director, one program supervisor/expert, and one quality assurance coordinator.
  • Provides $475,757 in total funding from the Miscellaneous Agencies Fund Account to cover salaries and operating costs.
  • Allocates money specifically for regular salaries ($220,125), personal services matching funds ($74,323), office expenses ($143,807), travel and conferences ($4,550), and professional fees ($32,952).
  • Requires that all spending follows state laws regarding procurement, accounting, budgeting, revenue stabilization, and salary procedures.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Corrections - Arkansas Sentencing Commission
  • Employees hired for the director, program supervisor/expert, and quality assurance coordinator roles

Terms To Know

Appropriation
An official act that sets aside a specific amount of money from the state budget to be spent on a certain purpose.
Fiscal Year
A one-year period used for accounting and budgeting, which in this case ends on June 30, 2027.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law sets maximum salary rates by grade level but does not list the exact dollar amount each individual employee will earn.
  • Funds can only be spent if they are used in line with the reasons stated during the budget process, as found in official documents or testimony.

Bill History

No action history is stored for this bill yet.

Official Summary Text

AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - ARKANSAS SENTENCING COMMISSION 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.
*DJC027* 03/31/2026 2:02:26 PM DJC027
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 SENATE BILL 34 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
CORRECTIONS - ARKANSAS SENTENCING COMMISSION FOR THE 11
FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2027; AND FOR OTHER 12
PURPOSES. 13
14
15
Subtitle 16
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS 17
- ARKANSAS SENTENCING COMMISSION 18
APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL 19
YEAR. 20
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 23
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SECTION 1. REGULAR SALARIES - OPERATIONS. There is hereby established 25
for the Department of Corrections - Arkansas Sentencing Commission for the 26
2026-2027 fiscal year, the following maximum number of regular employees. 27
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Maximum Annual 29
Maximum Salary Rate 30
Item Class No. of Fiscal Year 31
No. Code Title Employees 2026-2027 32
(1) SCP02C ARKANSAS SENTENCING COMMISSION DIR 1 GRADE SPC08 33
(2) SCP11P CORRECTIONS PROGRAM SUPV/EXPERT 1 GRADE SGS08 34
(3) PQA01P QUALITY ASSURANCE COORDINATOR 1 GRADE SGS07 35
MAX. NO. OF EMPLOYEES 3 36
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1
SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION - OPERATIONS. There is hereby appropriated, 2
to the Department of Corrections, to be payable from the Miscellaneous 3
Agencies Fund Account, for personal services and operating expenses of the 4
Department of Corrections - Arkansas Sentencing Commission for the fiscal 5
year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 6
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 8
NO. 2026-2027 9
(01) REGULAR SALARIES $220,125 10
(02) PERSONAL SERVICES MATCHING 74,323 11
(03) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 12
(A) OPER. EXPENSE 143,807 13
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 4,550 14
(C) PROF. FEES 32,952 15
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 16
(E) DATA PROC. 0 17
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $475,757 18
19
SECTION 3. COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds 20
authorized by this act shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency 21
and funds made available by law for the support of such appropriations; and 22
the restrictions of the State Procurement Law, the General Accounting and 23
Budgetary Procedures Law, the Revenue Stabilization Law, the Regular Salary 24
Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, and other fiscal 25
control laws of this State, where applicable, and regulations promulgated by 26
the Department of Finance and Administration, as authorized by law, shall be 27
strictly complied with in disbursement of said funds. 28
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SECTION 4. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General 30
Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations 31
contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for 32
which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive 33
Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget 34
manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or 35
summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative 36
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Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption. 1
2
SECTION 5. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the General 3
Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits the 4
appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the 5
effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2026 is essential to the operation of 6
the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in 7
the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the 8
effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2026 could work irreparable harm 9
upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental 10
programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act 11
being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health 12
and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2026. 13
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