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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S4/23/26 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 SENATE BILL 77 3
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By: Senator C. Tucker 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
EDUCATION - EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION DIVISION - STATE 11
MATCHING FUNDS FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE 12
MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 13
2027; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 14
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Subtitle 17
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - 18
EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION DIVISION 19
APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL 20
YEAR. 21
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 24
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SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION - PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE MEMBERSHIP DUES 26
STATE MATCHING. There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of 27
Education, to be payable from the Educational Television Fund Account, for 28
state matching funds to provide for the payment of annual membership dues to 29
the Public Broadcasting Service of the Department of Education - Educational 30
Television Division for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 31
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 33
NO. 2026-2027 34
(01) PAYMENT OF ANNUAL PBS MEMBERSHIP DUES $550,000 35
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As Engrossed: S4/23/26 SB77
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SECTION 2. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 2
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. PUBLIC 3
BROADCASTING SERVICE MEMBERSHIP DUES - MATCHING FUNDS. 4
(a) The funds appropriated in this act for state matching of private 5
donations to the Educational Television Division or the Arkansas TV 6
Foundation for the payment of membership dues to the Public Broadcasting 7
Service shall be paid on a one-to-one state-to-private-donation matching 8
basis. 9
(b)(1) Before the matching funds described under subsection (a) of this 10
section are disbursed to the Public Broadcasting Service, the division shall 11
certify to the Secretary of the Department of Education the amount of the 12
private donations. 13
(2) Private donations received by the division or the Arkansas TV 14
Foundation for the purpose of paying the Public Broadcasting Service 15
membership dues are eligible for certification under subdivision (b)(1). 16
(c)(1) The division shall certify private donations under subsection (b) of 17
this section on December 31, 2026 and June 30, 2027. 18
(2) A state matching payment shall be paid on each of the dates in 19
subdivision (c)(1) of this section following the certification of eligible 20
private donations up to the amount appropriated in this act. 21
(d) Any balance remaining in the subfund of the Educational Television Fund 22
Account for state matching funds for the payment of membership dues for the 23
Public Broadcasting Service at the end of the fiscal year shall be returned 24
to the General Revenue Allotment Reserve Fund. 25
(e) The provisions of this section shall expire on June 30, 2027. 26
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SECTION 3. COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds 28
authorized by this act shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency 29
and funds made available by law for the support of such appropriations; and 30
the restrictions of the State Procurement Law, the General Accounting and 31
Budgetary Procedures Law, the Revenue Stabilization Law, the Regular Salary 32
Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, and other fiscal 33
control laws of this State, where applicable, and regulations promulgated by 34
the Department of Finance and Administration, as authorized by law, shall be 35
strictly complied with in disbursement of said funds. 36
As Engrossed: S4/23/26 SB77
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SECTION 4. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General 2
Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations 3
contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for 4
which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive 5
Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget 6
manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or 7
summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative 8
Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption. 9
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SECTION 5. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the General 11
Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits the 12
appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the 13
effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2026 is essential to the operation of 14
the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in 15
the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the 16
effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2026 could work irreparable harm 17
upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental 18
programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act 19
being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health 20
and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2026. 21
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/s/C. Tucker 23
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