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*CJW034* 04/14/2026 2:54:12 PM CJW034
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 SENATE BILL 73 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 THE COMMUNITY 9
ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF 10
COMMERCE - ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION 11
WHICH SHALL BE SUPPLEMENTAL AND IN ADDITION TO THOSE 12
FUNDS APPROPRIATED BY ACT 608 OF 2025; AND FOR OTHER 13
PURPOSES. 14
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Subtitle 17
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - 18
ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION 19
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION. 20
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 23
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SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION - RURAL SERVICES DIVISION - COMMUNITY 25
ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of 26
Commerce - Arkansas Economic Development Commission - Rural Services Division 27
- Community Assistance Grant Program, to be payable from the paying account 28
as determined by the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State, for community 29
assistance grants which shall be supplemental and in addition to those funds 30
appropriated in Section 25 of Act 608 of 2025, the following: 31
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 33
NO. 2025-2026 34
(01) COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM $10,000,000 35
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SECTION 2. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 1
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL, AND TEMPORARY LAW. FUND 2
TRANSFER. Immediately upon the effective date of this act, the Chief Fiscal 3
Officer of the State shall transfer on his or her books and those of the 4
Treasurer of State and the Auditor of the State the sum of ten million 5
dollars ($10,000,000) from the General Revenue Allotment Reserve Fund to the 6
paying account as determined by the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State to 7
provide funds for community assistance grants. 8
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SECTION 3. COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds 10
authorized by this act shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency 11
and funds made available by law for the support of such appropriations; and 12
the restrictions of the State Procurement Law, the General Accounting and 13
Budgetary Procedures Law, the Revenue Stabilization Law, the Regular Salary 14
Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, and other fiscal 15
control laws of this State, where applicable, and regulations promulgated by 16
the Department of Finance and Administration, as authorized by law, shall be 17
strictly complied with in disbursement of said funds. 18
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SECTION 4. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General 20
Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations 21
contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for 22
which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive 23
Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget 24
manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or 25
summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative 26
Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption. 27
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SECTION 5. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the General 29
Assembly, that funds provided by the General Assembly for the operations of 30
the Department Of Commerce - Arkansas Economic Development Commission are, 31
due to unforeseen circumstances, insufficient for the Department Of Commerce 32
- Arkansas Economic Development Commission to continue to provide essential 33
governmental services; that the provisions of this act will provide the 34
necessary monies for the Department Of Commerce - Arkansas Economic 35
Development Commission to continue such services; and that a delay in the 36
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effective date of this Act could work irreparable harm upon the proper 1
administration and provision of essential governmental programs. Therefore, 2
an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act being necessary for the 3
immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety shall be in 4
full force and effect from and after the date of its passage and approval. 5
If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, it shall 6
become effective on the expiration of the period of time during which the 7
Governor may veto the bill. If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the 8
veto is overridden, it shall become effective on the date the last house 9
overrides the veto. 10
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