An Act For The Department Of Health - Tobacco Prevention And Cessation Programs Appropriation For The 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
Summary
HB1094 is the Arkansas Department of Health appropriation bill for the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Programs for fiscal year 2025-2026. It establishes a maximum of 31 regular positions and authorizes up to four temporary or part-time “extra help” employees. The bill appropriates $14,697,089 in total, covering salaries, employee matching costs, operating expenses, professional fees, tobacco prevention and cessation activities, and nutrition and physical activity expenses.
The measure also includes several standard appropriation provisions and special language governing how the funds may be used. It restricts transfers of appropriations except as authorized, allows limited reallocation within maintenance and operation categories with fiscal and legislative approval, and clarifies that tobacco settlement-funded positions are not guaranteed to continue if those funds are insufficient. It further authorizes a $500,000 annual transfer from the Prevention and Cessation Program Account to the Breast Cancer Control Fund to provide the state match for Medicaid breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment services. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, and includes an emergency clause to ensure funding is available at the start of the fiscal year.
Impact
HB1094 primarily affects state budget law rather than substantive public health policy by setting the Department of Health’s spending authority for tobacco prevention and cessation programs for FY2025-2026. It governs the use of the Prevention and Cessation Program Account, establishes staffing limits, and directs how appropriated funds may be transferred and spent under Arkansas fiscal control laws. The bill also preserves the annual $500,000 transfer to the Breast Cancer Control Fund, linking tobacco settlement revenues to Medicaid matching obligations for breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad legislative support, as reflected by repeated third-reading votes with strong yeas and relatively few nays across multiple dates. The absence of committee transcript material limits insight into detailed debate, but the voting pattern suggests the appropriation was generally viewed as routine and necessary to keep the program operating. The inclusion of an emergency clause also indicates consensus that the funding needed to be in place by the start of the fiscal year.
Contention
Any contention likely centers on the size and use of tobacco settlement and prevention funds, especially the balance between direct tobacco cessation spending, administrative costs, and the required transfer to the Breast Cancer Control Fund. The special language limiting transfers and stating that tobacco settlement positions are not guaranteed if funds decline reflects concern about fiscal flexibility and the risk of relying on settlement revenues. However, the recorded votes suggest these issues did not produce major opposition in the legislature.