JBC-Special Language
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Transcript
2 documents
Bills discussed (9)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
HB1005
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…of Corrections - Division of Correction (DJC037) 3. GL#20 - HB1005 - Department of Education (KMW082) 4. GL#20 - HB1007 - Depa…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's … |
|
HB1007
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…L#20 - HB1005 - Department of Education (KMW082) 4. GL#20 - HB1007 - Department of Education - Public School Fund (KMW083) 5.…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION - … | Joint Budget Committee | Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's … |
|
HB1009
Act 118
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…tment of Agriculture - Promotion Boards (BSS062) 6. GL#23 - HB1009 - Department of Public Safety (DJC038) 7. GL#24 - SB3 - Dep…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1009 is now Act 118 |
|
HB1011
Act 120
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…and Administration - Disbursing Officer (JAP069) 2. GL#14 - HB1011 - Department of Corrections - Division of Correction (DJC03…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - DIVISION OF CORRECTION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1011 is now Act 120 |
|
HB1017
Act 121
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…tment of Education - Public School Fund (KMW083) 5. GL#22 - HB1017 - Department of Agriculture - Promotion Boards (BSS062) 6.…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - PROMOTION BOARDS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1017 is now Act 121 |
|
HB1064
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…erred to the Special Language Subcommittee: 1. GL#7 / #30 - HB1064 - Department of Finance and Administration - Disbursing Off…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION - DISBURSING OFFICER APPROPRIATION FOR THE … | Joint Budget Committee | Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's … |
|
HB1066
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…mmerce - Division of Workforce Services (CJW033) 9. GL#27 - HB1066 - Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Enviro…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY APPROPRIATION … | Joint Budget Committee | Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's … |
|
SB10
Act 130
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…of Shared Administrative Services (JAP071) 8. GL#25 / #29 - SB10 - Department of Commerce - Division of Workforce Services (…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB10 is now Act 130 |
|
SB3
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…- HB1009 - Department of Public Safety (DJC038) 7. GL#24 - SB3 - Department of Shared Administrative Services (JAP071) 8.…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF SHARED ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. |
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- October 2, 2026
right chair she decorum we'll start this meeting with special language I'm gonna go through a little housekeeping since this is our first meeting of the session. this subcommittee does not have a set schedule as it depends on the number of bills and amendments referred to this subcommittee by the joint budgetgetittee so for now meetings will be at the call of the chair please remember to look and check the web as meetings will be posted there. all items reviewed by this subcommittee will be new member
bills and member amendments or governor's letters that contain special language for consideration to be included in appropriations bills a reminder regarding governor's letters that have sections that include appropriations, personnel and special language this subcommittee will only discuss the special language personnel subcommittee will discuss the personnel sections and the appropriations will be taken up in joint budget so for the benefit of the committee we've got Secretaryhudson who has agreed to kind
do his best to go through all these governor's letters as much as possible if there are questions for the agencies we can bring them up as needed so we will do you have any comments Mr. Cochair? No. all right so we will jump right in and go to item one governor's letter7 Department of financedministration. Mr Secretary, if you both would introduce yourselves then we can get going. tell you what's not working
Speaker 15
3:49
Good morning Jessica Moore Department of finance anddministration. Good morning Jim Hutchson secretary DFfa jessica will Miss Moore will take care of just stepping through the letters and I'll chime
Speaker 9
4:12
her governor's letter number30 is for DFfa dispersing officer. it requires that theFA amends rules to ensure administrative costs um, do not exceed 25% of awarded amounts to pregnancy help
Speaker 20
4:19
organizations and and governor's letter se which is referred to in the agenda is strictly appropriation only there is no special language in that there that's why we're not
referencing that. members are there any questions seeing none oh sorry Representative
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
4:39
garner thank you Secretaryhudson thank you guys for being here I've just got a quick question. I have we we asked an
amendment last year to get some reports on on
the crisis pregnancy centers not due until the end of the fiscal year but basically it was to figure out the grants and what they're using the grants for do you have any of that information already or do you know
Speaker 30
5:06
so it's important to note that we've not distributed any grant funds fiscal year to
Speaker 20
5:11
date. there's not been funding for it and so there's separate appropriation that would add funding for it I suspect there'll be some disbursements that occur you
Speaker 22
5:18
know in Fy26 oncece that occurs then obviously there's whatever reporting obligations there
we'll respond to. OK great thank you very much appreciate you thank youpresentative. any seeing no further questions and a motion for the adoption of the amendment we've got a motion in a second any discussion seeing none all those in favor of the motion say aye all those pose the same sign motion is or the amendment is adopted. We move on to governors that are 14.
Speaker 9
5:48
this pages 13 through 22 governor's letter number 14 is for the department of Correction division of Correction. It amends section 17 by removing the inability to transfer funds
to the county jail reimbursement fund that conflicts with special language that currently exists in the appropriation actcts that allows us to transfer funding to county jail reimbursement if savings are realized this amendment also includes a technical correction to reflect the proper fund account name per Arkansas code. members any questions Representative garner you're
still lit up. do you have a question? That's ok Senator hickey you are recognized
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
6:19
just want to make sure I fully understand here you said there was a conflict is what and I'd ask this question
earlier too. so just would you just explain to me so are once it goes into the county jail reimbursement fund by removing this language are you going to be able to take it
Speaker 20
6:39
back out we cannot take it out so there's a separate section separate appropriation section section 26 I believe that allows for funds to be only transferred in that creates a conflict with this language. we're just taking this out so the only language that will be surviving after this amendment is allowing transfers into the fund. nothingthing can come out thank you sir yes sir
thank you senator hickey. any other questions? that was me OK seeing other questions need a motion to adopt the amendment motion in a second
any discussion seeing none all those in favor of the motion say aye pose same sign the amendment is adopted. governor's letter 2, pages 23 through38. governor's letter number
Speaker 9
7:23
20 is for the department of Education and this updates Arkansas code to designate the department of agriculture as the responsible agency for the child nutrition
programme. members are there any questions on this letter? Seeing no questions I need a motion to adopt
the amendment motion in a second. any discussion hearing none all those in favor of the motion say aye posed same sign the amendment is adopted. governor's letter number 20 again39 through43 pages
Speaker 9
8:03
also for the department of Education this amends Arkansas code to comply with actct909 of2025 designating that the department of Education will be will pay the EBd employer contribution for school districts also it amends code to phase out the teacheracher equalization funds as per Act909 of2025 that requires that we pay the the prior year amount in addition to the current fiscal years's amount for equalization funds members any questions on this letter? this amendment
seeing no questions I need a motion to adopt the amendment motion and a second any discussion
seeing none all those in favor of the adoption say aye opposed same sign the amendment is adopted. itemtem number5 governor's letter 22, pages44
Speaker 9
8:54
through48 governor's letter number 22 is for the agriculture promotion boards it provides a CFfo of the state the ability to waive the3% state central services and constitutional officer fund fee on special revenue funds for the
six promo boards in the department
of agriculture. and members you've heard the amendment Senator hickey you are recognized why why
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
9:15
are we doing that so this was really in response to the
Speaker 20
9:21
agricultural crisis it's about500,000 dollars a year that is generated from pulling this money out and sending it to the constitutional officeficerund in state central servicevices. This would allow the promotion boards if requested by the Secretary of agriculture to retain those
funds just because they can make better use of it. it would not be a standing waiver. it'd be point in time and it would end at point in time as well you're talking about for the year that's right and the special answer it's going to be for the year anyway. so
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
9:51
so this is a actually then gonna, it's gonna allow those promotion boards to we're just going to waive that fee for them so that they're going to actually get retains yes sir yes sir and you said it's how much money about half a million dollars a year alf a million more in revenue or the the whole thing is
they would retain that they would retain about500,000 dollars more than what they currently are now if if the waiver is granted ok just one more thing
does this, I mean, I'm sitting here trying to think, I mean, I understand with our agriculture deal and everything that's going on with that want to help but is there any and I'm gonna call it unintended consequences or anybody else now gonna think, well, if they've got it we should also be getting a not be getting charged of that have we looked at that or thought thought that through? human behavior is hard to
Speaker 20
10:42
predict. I think you know this is a fairly this is this is a fairly unique set of circumstances. I think that you know I can point to we do have a crisis in agriculture right now and giving those promotion promotion boards more money to work with, distinguishes them from any other group that I could think of. right? I just know what we're
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
10:58
saying this for a year but it's going to be I would imagine it's going to be hard to put back on after the year but we'll see how it works in here. I just the politics of that's gonna probably get to the point that
Speaker 20
11:12
that's gonna go away forever. yes sir I think and again just to clarify for for you and all the members it it is language that allows the CFfo to grant the waiver. it doesn't compel the waiver to be granted. I may not be as tough a banker as you but I'm a tough
Speaker 37
11:28
banker so we'll see how that works. thank you sir
Chair
Unverified
11:30
Representativeottt you're recognized thank you Mr Chair. Could I have
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
11:36
Secretary Ward come to the table so he can explain this a little better
Speaker 6
11:50
Mr Secretary, if you'd recognize yourself you'll be recognized. Yesir
Speaker 59
11:54
Westward Arkansas department of agriculture that we transferred
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
11:59
these all over to you from Farm bureau. so can you explain what we're doing here and how come we're doing it
Speaker 61
12:05
yes ma'am I would echo Secretary Hudson's comments, you know with the farm crisis that that exist across Arkansas and really throughout the country the the governor tasked each of us to to look deeper at within our departments what can we do to help the industry and this this was one of the things that we
identified where we could uh, take that kind of administrative collective fee, give it back to the industry. no none of that would go back to the department. It would go straight to those those boards those are producer led boards they make the decision on where the money goes to help best help their respective commodities but there are uh6 research and promotion boards in Arkansas, rice, soybeans, corn and grain sorghum beef, wheat and catfish and so it would put money back into producers' hands back into the
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
12:52
industry. Can I have a follow up question sir? ma'am can you tell me if we've always collected a fee on these monies that go to these
Speaker 61
13:03
promotion boards even when they were atarm bureau ma'am there has been and it it hasn't at least to my knowledge our records you know as as long as we could go back and look that that fee had been collected and so it's this would be some something new and different that would be helpful to the industry you thank you Mrir OK members any other questions
seeing no other questions on this amendment needed a motion for adoption got a motion and a second any discussion on the motion seeing none all those
in favor of the motion say aye pose same sign the amendment is adopted moving on to item number6, governor's letter 23, pages49 through54. governor's letter
Speaker 9
13:46
number 23 for the department of Public Safety allows them to leverage revenues generated from the use of facilities at Camp Robinson it also requires that those funds
collected be used for facility maintenance at the Camp obinson. members any questions
on the amendment seeing none and in a motion for the adoption. got a motion in a second any discussion on the motion seeing none all those in
favor of the motion say aye postsim sign the amendment is adopted moving on to item number7 governor's letter 24 is on pages55 through61 governor's letter number 24 for shared administrative services
Speaker 9
14:26
the first part adds special language to allow the department to bill agencies for support services as a part of the Arkansas forward initiative. It also repeals code that is duplicative that requires budget manuals to include the minority reports contract reports and the state of office the office of state procurement currently does that report on a biennual basis. members any questions on this amendment seeing none we've got a
motion and a second in the discussion all those in favor of the motion
say aye pose same sign we will move on to item number 8m amendment is adopted this is on pages62 through7 as we spoke
Speaker 9
15:10
spoke on a department of finance governor's letter number 25 does not have special language but governor's letter number 29 does and that is for commerce division of workforce Services it adds language to indicate that the Arkansas rehab services will be the designated state unit for the vocational rehab grant.
members any questions on this amendment? seeing none I need a motion for the adoption of the amendment. got a motion the second any discussion on
the motion seeing none all those in favor of the motion say aye opposed same sign the amendment is adopted moving members we're gonna pass over item 9 because item 10 supersedes item 9. so this is on its governor's letter 27 will be on pages79 through 81.
Speaker 9
16:00
this amendment for the devivi anduality division hopes to stabilize funding for the used tire program by capping the reimbursement rate for at 2 dollars31 cents effective July1,2026. OK members any questions on this amendment? seeing none we've
got a motion for adoption and a second any discussion on that motion seeing none all those in favor of the amendment say aye opposed
same sign the amendment is adopted. OK members that's everything we
have on our agenda all adopted amendments are released from special language seeing no other business we are adjourned ent pretty good
Agenda
A. Call to Order.
B. Comments by Co-Chairs.
C. Bills referred to the Special Language Subcommittee:
D. Other Business.
E. Adjournment.
Documents
| Title | Type | Pages | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda — JBC-SPECIAL LANGUAGE, Apr 16, 2026 | Agenda | 1 | Official source ↗ |
| C. Bills referred to the Special Language Subcommittee | Exhibit | 81 needs OCR | Official source ↗ |
Speakers
Senator Matt McKee Chair
Unverified
Speaker 15
Speaker 17
Speaker 9
Speaker 20
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
Speaker 30
Speaker 22
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
Speaker 37
Chair
Unverified
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
Speaker 6
Speaker 59
Speaker 61