Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1259
4
5 By: Joint Budget Committee
6
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO MAKE AN APPROPRIATION FOR PERSONAL SERVICES
10 AND OPERATING EXPENSES FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
11 AND THE DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE - ARKANSAS
12 BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING
13 JUNE 30, 2026; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
14
15
16 Subtitle
17 AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AND
18 THE DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE - ARKANSAS
19 BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTES APPROPRIATION FOR
20 THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
21
22 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
23
24 SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION - ARKANSAS BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTE. There is
25 hereby appropriated, to the University of Arkansas, to be payable from the
26 Arkansas Biosciences Institute Program Account of the Tobacco Settlement
27 Program Fund, for personal services and operating expenses of the University
28 of Arkansas - Arkansas Biosciences Institute for the fiscal year ending June
29 30, 2026, the following:
30
31 ITEM FISCAL YEAR
32 NO. 2025-2026
33 (01) REGULAR SALARIES $480,000
34 (02) PERSONAL SERVICES MATCHING 75,000
35 (03) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION
36 (A) OPER. EXPENSE 800,000
*HAR038* 01/27/2025 2:15:58 PM HAR038
HB1259
1 (B) CONF. & TRAVEL 0
2 (C) PROF. FEES 0
3 (D) CAP. OUTLAY 1,020,563
4 (E) DATA PROC. 0
5 TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $2,375,563
6
7 SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION - DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE - ARKANSAS
8 BIOSCIENCES. There is hereby appropriated, to the University of Arkansas -
9 Division of Agriculture, to be payable from the Arkansas Biosciences
10 Institute Program Account of the Tobacco Settlement Program Fund, for
11 personal services and operating expenses of the University of Arkansas -
12 Division of Agriculture - Arkansas Biosciences Institute for the fiscal year
13 ending June 30, 2026, the following:
14
15 ITEM FISCAL YEAR
16 NO. 2025-2026
17 (01) REGULAR SALARIES $1,370,000
18 (02) PERSONAL SERVICES MATCHING 365,432
19 (03) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION
20 (A) OPER. EXPENSE 400,000
21 (B) CONF. & TRAVEL 30,000
22 (C) PROF. FEES 100,000
23 (D) CAP. OUTLAY 150,000
24 (E) DATA PROC. 0
25 TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $2,415,432
26
27 SECTION 3. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS
28 CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. TRANSFER
29 RESTRICTIONS. The appropriations provided in this act shall not be
30 transferred under the provisions of Arkansas Code 19-4-522, but only as
31 provided by this act.
32 The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 2024
33 2025 through June 30, 2025 2026.
34
35 SECTION 4. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS
36 CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. TRANSFER
2 01/27/2025 2:15:58 PM HAR038
HB1259
1 PROVISIONS. The state-supported institution of higher education in this act
2 may transfer appropriations between the various line items within each
3 appropriation contained in this appropriation act. Such transfers shall be
4 made only after the approval of the Division of Higher Education and the
5 Chief Fiscal Officer of the State, and the approval of the Legislative
6 Council or Joint Budget Committee.
7 The General Assembly has determined that the institution in this act could
8 be operated more efficiently if some flexibility is given to that institution
9 and that flexibility is being accomplished by providing authority to transfer
10 between items of appropriation made by this act. Since the General Assembly
11 has granted the institution broad powers under the transfer of
12 appropriations, it is both necessary and appropriate that the General
13 Assembly maintain oversight of the utilization of the transfers by requiring
14 prior approval of the Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee in the
15 utilization of the transfer authority. Therefore, the requirement of
16 approval by the Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee is not a
17 severable part of this section. If the requirement of approval by the
18 Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee is ruled unconstitutional by a
19 court of competent jurisdiction, this entire section is void.
20 The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 2024
21 2025 through June 30, 2025 2026.
22
23 SECTION 5. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS
24 CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW.
25 POSITIONS. (a) Nothing in this act shall be construed as a commitment of the
26 State of Arkansas or any of its agencies or institutions to continue funding
27 any position paid from the proceeds of the Tobacco Settlement in the event
28 that Tobacco Settlement funds are not sufficient to finance the position.
29 (b) State funds will not be used to replace Tobacco Settlement funds when
30 such funds expire, unless appropriated by the General Assembly and authorized
31 by the Governor.
32 (c) A disclosure of the language contained in (a) and (b) of this Section
33 shall be made available to all new hire and current positions paid from the
34 proceeds of the Tobacco Settlement by the Tobacco Settlement Commission.
35 (d) Whenever applicable the information contained in (a) and (b) of this
36 Section shall be included in the employee handbook and/or Professional
3 01/27/2025 2:15:58 PM HAR038
HB1259
1 Services Contract paid from the proceeds of the Tobacco Settlement.
2 The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 2024
3 2025 through June 30, 2025 2026.
4
5 SECTION 6. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS
6 CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW.
7 COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds authorized by this act
8 shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency and funds made
9 available by law for the support of such appropriations; and the restrictions
10 of the State Purchasing Law, the General Accounting and Budgetary Procedures
11 Law, the Regular Salary Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors,
12 and other fiscal control laws of this State, where applicable, and
13 regulations promulgated by the Department of Finance and Administration, as
14 authorized by law, shall be strictly complied with in disbursement of said
15 funds.
16
17 SECTION 7. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS
18 CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW.
19 LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General Assembly that any funds
20 disbursed under the authority of the appropriations contained in this act
21 shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for which this act was
22 adopted, as evidenced by Initiated Act 1 of 2000, the Agency Requests,
23 Executive Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the
24 budget manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration,
25 letters, or summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas
26 Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and
27 adoption.
28
29 SECTION 8. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the General
30 Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits the
31 appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the
32 effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2025 is essential to the operation of
33 the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in
34 the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the
35 effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2025 could work irreparable harm
36 upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental
4 01/27/2025 2:15:58 PM HAR038
HB1259
1 programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act
2 being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health
3 and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2025.
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
5 01/27/2025 2:15:58 PM HAR038Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.