Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 88 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1259 3
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By: Joint Budget Committee 5
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO MAKE AN APPROPRIATION FOR PERSONAL SERVICES 9
AND OPERATING EXPENSES FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS 10
AND THE DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE - ARKANSAS 11
BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING 12
JUNE 30, 2026; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AND 17
THE DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE - ARKANSAS 18
BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTES APPROPRIATION FOR 19
THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. 20
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22
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SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION - ARKANSAS BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTE . There is 24
hereby appropriated, to the University of Arkansas , to be payable from the 25
Arkansas Biosciences Institute Program Account of the Tobacco Settlement 26
Program Fund, for personal services and operating expenses of the University 27
of Arkansas - Arkansas Biosciences Institute for the fiscal year ending June 28
30, 2026, the following: 29
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 31
NO. 2025-2026 32
(01) REGULAR SALARIES $480,000 33
(02) PERSONAL SERVICES MATCHING 75,000 34
(03) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 35
(A) OPER. EXPENSE 800,000 36 HB1259
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(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 0 1
(C) PROF. FEES 0 2
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 1,020,563 3
(E) DATA PROC. 0 4
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $2,375,563 5
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SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION - DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE - ARKANSAS 7
BIOSCIENCES. There is hereby appropriated, to the University of Arkansas - 8
Division of Agriculture, to be payable from the Arkansas Biosciences 9
Institute Program Account of the Tobacco Settlement Program Fund, for 10
personal services and operating expenses of the University of Arkansas - 11
Division of Agriculture - Arkansas Biosciences Institute for the fiscal year 12
ending June 30, 2026, the following: 13
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 15
NO. 2025-2026 16
(01) REGULAR SALARIES $1,370,000 17
(02) PERSONAL SERVICES MATCHING 365,432 18
(03) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 19
(A) OPER. EXPENSE 400,000 20
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 30,000 21
(C) PROF. FEES 100,000 22
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 150,000 23
(E) DATA PROC. 0 24
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $2,415,432 25
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SECTION 3. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 27
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. TRANSFER 28
RESTRICTIONS. The appropriations provided in this act shall not be 29
transferred under the provisions of Arkansas Code 19 -4-522, but only as 30
provided by this act. 31
The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 2024 32
2025 through June 30, 2025 2026. 33
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SECTION 4. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 35
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. TRANSFER 36 HB1259
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PROVISIONS. The state -supported institution of higher education in this act 1
may transfer appropriations between the various line items within each 2
appropriation contained in this appropriation act. Such transfers shall be 3
made only after the approval of the Division of Higher Education and the 4
Chief Fiscal Officer of the State, and the approval of the Legislative 5
Council or Joint Budget Committee. 6
The General Assembly has determined that the institution in this act could 7
be operated more efficiently if some flexibility is given to that institution 8
and that flexibility is being accomplished by providing authority to transfer 9
between items of appropriation made by this act. Since the General Assembly 10
has granted the institution broad powers under the transfer of 11
appropriations, it is both necessary and appropriate that the General 12
Assembly maintain oversight of the utilization of the transfers by requiring 13
prior approval of the Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee in the 14
utilization of the transfer authority. Therefore, the requirement of 15
approval by the Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee is not a 16
severable part of this section. If the requirement of approval by the 17
Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee is ruled unconstitutional by a 18
court of competent jurisdiction, this entire section is void. 19
The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 2024 20
2025 through June 30, 2025 2026. 21
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SECTION 5. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 23
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. 24
POSITIONS. (a) Nothing in this act shall be construed as a commitment of the 25
State of Arkansas or any of its agencies or institutions to continue funding 26
any position paid from the proceeds of the Tobacco Settlement in the event 27
that Tobacco Settlement funds are not sufficient to finance the position. 28
(b) State funds will not be used to replace Tobacco Settlement funds when 29
such funds expire, unless appropriated by the General Assembly and authorized 30
by the Governor. 31
(c) A disclosure of the language contained in (a) and (b) of this Section 32
shall be made available to all new hire and current positions paid from the 33
proceeds of the Tobacco Settlement by the Tobacco Settlement Commission. 34
(d) Whenever applicable the information contained in (a) and (b) of this 35
Section shall be included in the employee handbook and/or Professional 36 HB1259
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Services Contract paid from the proceeds of the Tobacco Settlement. 1
The provisions of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 2024 2
2025 through June 30, 2025 2026. 3
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SECTION 6. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 5
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. 6
COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds authorized by this act 7
shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency and funds made 8
available by law for the support of such appropriations; and the restrictions 9
of the State Purchasing Law, the General Accounting and Budgetary Procedures 10
Law, the Regular Salary Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, 11
and other fiscal control laws of this State, where applicable, and 12
regulations promulgated by the Department of Finance and Administration, as 13
authorized by law, shall be strictly complied with in disbursement of said 14
funds. 15
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SECTION 7. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 17
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. 18
LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General Assembly that any funds 19
disbursed under the authority of the appropriations contained in this act 20
shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for which this act was 21
adopted, as evidenced by Initiated Act 1 of 2000, the Agency Requests, 22
Executive Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the 23
budget manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, 24
letters, or summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas 25
Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and 26
adoption. 27
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SECTION 8. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the General 29
Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits the 30
appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the 31
effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2025 is essential to the operation of 32
the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in 33
the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the 34
effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2025 could work irreparable harm 35
upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental 36 HB1259
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programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act 1
being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health 2
and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2025. 3
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APPROVED: 2/13/25 6
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