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*KMW058* 03/31/2026 12:53:21 PM KMW058
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 SENATE BILL 37 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 LABOR 10
AND LICENSING - WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION FOR 11
THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2027; AND FOR OTHER 12
PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND 17
LICENSING - WORKERS' COMPENSATION 18
COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-19
2027 FISCAL 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. There is hereby established for the 25
Department of Labor and Licensing - Workers' Compensation 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) EEX53A WORKERS COMPENSATION CHAIRMAN 1 GRADE EXE02 33
(2) EEX54A WORKERS COMPENSATION COMMISSIONER 2 GRADE EXE01 34
(3) ILP06C WORKERS COMP CEO 1 GRADE SPC10 35
(4) LAT07C CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE 1 GRADE SPC09 36
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(5) ILP05C WORKERS COMP ASST CEO 1 GRADE SPC09 1
(6) LAT01C ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE 12 GRADE SPC08 2
(7) LAT05P ATTORNEY III 1 GRADE SPC08 3
(8) ILP07C WORKERS COMP DIVISION MANAGER 7 GRADE SPC05 4
(9) LAT04P ATTORNEY II 12 GRADE SPC05 5
(10) FAC02P ACCOUNTANT II 1 GRADE SPC02 6
(11) ILS01I COURT REPORTER 1 GRADE SGS08 7
(12) PAS08I EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT 4 GRADE SGS07 8
(13) PCA01P CLAIMS COORDINATOR 1 GRADE SGS07 9
(14) FFS05P FISCAL SUPPORT SUPERVISOR/EXPERT 5 GRADE SGS07 10
(15) HDH05P HR COORDINATOR 1 GRADE SGS07 11
(16) TIS01P INDUSTRIAL SAFETY COORDINATOR 4 GRADE SGS07 12
(17) ILS03I LEGAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST 5 GRADE SGS06 13
(18) PAS01P ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST 1 GRADE SGS05 14
(19) FBU03P BUDGET SPECIALIST 1 GRADE SGS05 15
(20) PCA04P WORKERS COMP COORDINATOR 19 GRADE SGS05 16
(21) PAS02P ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR 13 GRADE SGS04 17
(22) IIV02P INVESTIGATOR I 3 GRADE SGS04 18
(23) PAS03P ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST 1 GRADE SGS02 19
(24) MNU06P REGISTERED NURSE 1 GRADE MED05 20
(25) IIS11P IT SUPERVISOR/EXPERT 1 GRADE IST09 21
(26) IIS04P IT INFRASTRUCTURE ANALYST 1 GRADE IST06 22
(27) IUS01P USER SUPPORT ANALYST 3 GRADE IST04 23
(28) IUS04P USER SUPPORT SPECIALIST 1 GRADE IST02 24
MAX. NO. OF EMPLOYEES 105 25
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SECTION 2. EXTRA HELP. There is hereby authorized, for the Department 27
of Labor and Licensing - Workers' Compensation Commission for the 2026-2027 28
fiscal year, the following maximum number of part-time or temporary 29
employees, to be known as "Extra Help", payable from funds appropriated 30
herein for such purposes: two (2) temporary or part-time employees, when 31
needed, at rates of pay not to exceed those provided in the Uniform 32
Classification and Compensation Act, or its successor, or this act for the 33
appropriate classification. 34
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SECTION 3. APPROPRIATION - WCC ADMINISTRATION. There is hereby 36
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appropriated, to the Department of Labor and Licensing, to be payable from 1
the Workers' Compensation Fund, for personal services and operating expenses 2
of the Department of Labor and Licensing - Workers' Compensation Commission - 3
Administration for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 4
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 6
NO. 2026-2027 7
(01) REGULAR SALARIES $7,029,998 8
(02) EXTRA HELP 100,000 9
(03) PERSONAL SERVICES MATCHING 2,455,542 10
(04) OVERTIME 10,000 11
(05) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 12
(A) OPER. EXPENSE 1,305,495 13
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 20,000 14
(C) PROF. FEES 240,000 15
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 1,000 16
(E) DATA PROC. 0 17
(06) REFUND/REIMBURSEMENTS - ADMIN 500,000 18
(07) COMPUTER SOFTWARE/HARDWARE 243,800 19
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $11,905,835 20
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SECTION 4. APPROPRIATION - REFUNDS/CLAIMS/INVESTMENTS. There is hereby 22
appropriated, to the Department of Labor and Licensing, to be payable from 23
the Death and Permanent Total Disability Trust Fund, for refund of taxes, 24
payment of death and total disability claims, and investment of funds in the 25
Death and Permanent Total Disability Trust Fund as allowed by the Department 26
of Labor and Licensing - Workers' Compensation Commission for the fiscal year 27
ending June 30, 2027, the following: 28
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 30
NO. 2026-2027 31
(01) REFUND/REIMBURSEMENTS - DEATH AND 32
TOTAL DISABILITY $550,000 33
(02) CLAIMS - DEATH AND TOTAL DISABILITY 21,000,000 34
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $21,550,000 35
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SECTION 5. APPROPRIATION - SECOND INJURY CLAIMS. There is hereby 1
appropriated, to the Department of Labor and Licensing, to be payable from 2
the Second Injury Trust Fund, for payment of second injury claims of the 3
Department of Labor and Licensing - Workers' Compensation Commission - Second 4
Injury Claims for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 5
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 7
NO. 2026-2027 8
(01) CLAIMS - SECOND INJURY $500,000 9
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SECTION 6. APPROPRIATION - SEMINAR - CASH. There is hereby 11
appropriated, to the Department of Labor and Licensing, to be payable from 12
the cash fund deposited in the State Treasury as determined by the Chief 13
Fiscal Officer of the State, for scholarships and educational conference 14
expenses of the Department of Labor and Licensing - Workers' Compensation 15
Commission for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 16
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 18
NO. 2026-2027 19
(01) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 20
(A) OPER. EXPENSE $85,000 21
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 0 22
(C) PROF. FEES 15,000 23
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 24
(E) DATA PROC. 0 25
(02) SCHOLARSHIPS 40,000 26
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $140,000 27
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SECTION 7. APPROPRIATION - WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION BUILDING. 29
There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of Labor and Licensing, to be 30
payable from the Workers' Compensation Fund, for maintenance, renovation, 31
equipping, construction, improvement, upgrade and repair projects for the 32
Department of Labor and Licensing - Workers' Compensation Commission Building 33
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 34
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 36
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NO. 2026-2027 1
(01) BUILDING REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE $150,000 2
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SECTION 8. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 4
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. 5
WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION - REFUND TO EXPENDITURE. The proceeds from 6
the reimbursement of travel expenses received by the Arkansas Workers' 7
Compensation Commission shall be deposited into the same State Treasury Fund 8
or Fund Account from which the original travel expenditures was incurred as a 9
refund to expenditure to the credit of the appropriation from which the 10
original expenditure was made. 11
The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 2025 12
2026 through June 30, 2026 2027. 13
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SECTION 9. COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds 15
authorized by this act shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency 16
and funds made available by law for the support of such appropriations; and 17
the restrictions of the State Procurement Law, the General Accounting and 18
Budgetary Procedures Law, the Revenue Stabilization Law, the Regular Salary 19
Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, and other fiscal 20
control laws of this State, where applicable, and regulations promulgated by 21
the Department of Finance and Administration, as authorized by law, shall be 22
strictly complied with in disbursement of said funds. 23
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SECTION 10. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General 25
Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations 26
contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for 27
which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive 28
Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget 29
manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or 30
summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative 31
Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption. 32
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SECTION 11. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 34
General Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits 35
the appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the 36
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effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2026 is essential to the operation of 1
the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in 2
the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the 3
effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2026 could work irreparable harm 4
upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental 5
programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act 6
being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health 7
and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2026. 8
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