Arkansas funds workforce programs and allows rehabilitation agency planning

The law authorizes spending for Division of Workforce Services programs and sets limits on regular and temporary staff. The appropriations cover workforce, unemployment, job training, adult education, and rehabilitation programs, using state, federal, trust, and cash funds. The listed amounts are spending authority, not a promise that all funds will be spent or that any person will receive a payment or service. Spending must follow other applicable fiscal and purchasing laws. The spending authority and staffing limits apply to the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027.

The law directs the Chief Fiscal Officer to transfer up to $2.5 million from the Division of Workforce Services Training Trust Fund to the Skills Development Fund. The transfer is between the Division’s Training Trust Fund and the Skills Development Fund. The transfer may be less than $2.5 million. The transfer is due when the act takes effect.

The Division, through Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, may plan for a combined vocational rehabilitation agency and seek federal approval. The provision concerns vocational rehabilitation services and the state agency that administers them. This authority covers planning, federal submissions, and transition coordination; it does not itself transfer programs, legal authority, staff, or funding. Services for people who are blind or have vision loss must continue through a separate unit. Actions must protect federal funding eligibility and uninterrupted services. This authority applies from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.