An Act For The Office Of The Treasurer Of State - Assistance To Local Law Enforcement And Emergency Medical Appropriation For The 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
Summary
HB1111 is a fiscal appropriation bill for the Arkansas Office of the Treasurer of State for fiscal year 2025-2026. It directs $300,000 from the Arkansas Citizens First Responder Safety Enhancement Fund to support emergency medical expenses through the Arkansas Ambulance Association, and another $300,000 from the same fund to support local law enforcement expenses through the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police. The bill is framed as an annual budget measure rather than a policy overhaul, and it includes standard appropriation language, compliance requirements, and an emergency clause making it effective July 1, 2025.
The bill’s practical effect is to authorize the Treasurer of State to disburse a total of $600,000 in state funds to two specified organizations tied to first responder services. It does not create new criminal, public safety, or health statutes, but it does implement and rely on Arkansas Code 19-6-802 and the Arkansas Citizens First Responder Safety Enhancement Fund as the funding mechanism. Because it is an appropriation act, its impact is limited to the 2025-2026 fiscal year and to the named recipients and purposes.
The general sentiment around the bill appears strongly favorable and noncontroversial. The recorded votes show unanimous approval in both chambers, with 100-0 in the House and 33-0 in the Senate on third reading. There is no committee transcript indicating debate or opposition, which suggests broad bipartisan support for funding emergency medical and law enforcement support.
There is little visible contention in the available record. Any potential concern would likely center on the allocation of public funds to specific associations rather than directly to agencies or local governments, but no formal opposition or disputed issue appears in the materials provided. The bill’s emergency clause and one-year appropriation structure are standard features of Arkansas budget legislation and do not appear to have been contested.
Impact
HB1111 authorizes a one-year appropriation from the Arkansas Citizens First Responder Safety Enhancement Fund, administered through the Office of the Treasurer of State, for $300,000 to the Arkansas Ambulance Association and $300,000 to the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police. It affects state fiscal law by setting the permissible use of these funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and requires compliance with state procurement, accounting, budgetary, revenue stabilization, and salary-control laws. It does not amend substantive criminal, health, or local government statutes, but it operationalizes existing funding authority under Arkansas Code 19-6-802.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received unanimous and routine support in both chambers, with no recorded dissent on third reading and no committee controversy reflected in the available materials. The absence of debate transcripts and the strong vote totals indicate a broadly favorable view of the measure as a standard appropriations bill supporting first responder-related services.
Contention
No notable contention is documented in the provided record. The only conceivable point of discussion would be the choice to fund two statewide associations—the Arkansas Ambulance Association and the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police—through a dedicated state fund, rather than distributing money through direct agency appropriations or local grants. However, there is no evidence of opposition, amendment fights, or disagreement in the available votes or transcripts.