Law sets spending ceilings for University of Arkansas divisions

The law allows the University of Arkansas system and covered divisions to spend money from two funding sources. The budgets cover staff pay, operations, and other listed expenses for the system and its covered divisions. The $16,690,965 comes from the University of Arkansas Fund, and the $75,787,520 comes from cash funds. The state fund budget assigns $5,541,590 to system administration, $5,221,618 to the Arkansas Archeological Survey, $2,416,350 to the Clinton School of Public Service, and $3,511,407 to the Criminal Justice Institute. Spending cannot exceed the listed budgets or money available by law and must follow state financial rules. This spending authority runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

The law allows the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts to spend money from its state fund and cash funds. The budgets cover staff pay, school operations, and building projects, among other listed expenses. The $19,514,710 comes from the School for Math, Sciences, and Arts Fund, and the $22,215,000 comes from cash funds. These are spending ceilings. The school can spend only money available by law and must follow state financial rules. This spending authority runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

The law sets spending ceilings for the Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network and University of Arkansas Grantham. The network's budget covers staff pay, operations, and building projects. Grantham's budget covers staff pay, operations, and other listed expenses. The network's $2.1 million comes from the University of Arkansas Fund, and its $32 million comes from cash funds. Grantham's $31.5 million comes from cash funds. Both divisions can spend only money available by law within their listed budgets and must follow state financial rules. Both spending ceilings apply from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

The state's chief financial officer, treasurer, and auditor must transfer $150,000 to the University of Arkansas Fund for the Criminal Justice Institute. The money supports education and training to help Arkansas's criminal justice community address illegal drug activity. The transfer comes from the Special State Assets Forfeiture Fund. The institute can spend only available money within its $150,000 training budget and must follow state financial rules. The transfer is required immediately upon the law's July 1, 2026, effective date. The transfer provision and training budget apply through June 30, 2027.

The law sets maximum employee counts and annual pay rates for the covered University of Arkansas divisions. Temporary staffing ceilings are 50 for the system and various divisions, 10 for the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, and 250 for University of Arkansas Grantham. Temporary or part-time workers can be hired when needed and paid from money set aside for that purpose. Their pay cannot exceed the applicable limit in this law or the state's employee pay law. These staffing and pay limits apply to the 2026–2027 fiscal year.