Arkansas agencies would receive fiscal-year 2027 spending authority

The Department of Finance and Administration would receive authority to spend or distribute money for state programs, grants, transfers, and agency expenses. The listed programs include disaster aid, unemployment claims, fire departments, schools and colleges, juvenile detention centers, public legal aid, medical programs, federal funds, and state agency operations. Money would come only from the specific state, federal, or special funds named for each appropriation. Spending would remain subject to other state fiscal-control, procurement, accounting, and salary laws. Some transfers require approval from the Chief Fiscal Officer and prior review or approval by the Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee. Federal and other program funds must be used for the purposes stated in the bill. The appropriations generally apply during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, and the bill would take effect July 1, 2026 if approved.

The Department of Finance and Administration would run a grant program and send grant payments directly to eligible pregnancy-help organizations. Eligible organizations must be nonprofit or federally tax-exempt entities that existed by January 1, 2024 and provide pregnancy-related support while encouraging birth. An eligible organization may not perform, prescribe, refer for, or encourage abortion, or affiliate with an organization that does so. Applicants would submit spending plans, and payments would be made in installments rather than all at once. No more than 25% of a grant could pay administrative costs. The program would use a $3.5 million appropriation from the Miscellaneous Agencies Fund Account. The special rules would apply from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 if the bill is approved.

The Department of Finance and Administration would send certain driver-license and vehicle-registration reinstatement and installment fees to specified state funds. The money would be allocated among the State Police Retirement Fund, the Judicial Fine Collection Enhancement Fund, the State Administration of Justice Fund, and the Office of Motor Vehicle State Central Services Fund. The listed funds would receive their maximum stated allocations from general revenue funds. Payments would be distributed monthly based on each fund's share of the total allocations. The bill separately states that a motor-vehicle registration reinstatement fee collected after suspension for driving without insurance would go to the State Treasury as general revenue and then be credited to the listed funds. The allocation rules would apply from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.