An Act For The Department Of Commerce - Division Of Aeronautics Appropriation For The 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
SB26 is the annual appropriation bill for the Arkansas Department of Commerce, Division of Aeronautics, for fiscal year 2025-2026. It establishes authority for the division to employ up to six regular employees and sets maximum salary classifications for those positions, including the Aeronautics Director, engineer, assistant director, business operations manager, and executive assistant roles.
The bill also appropriates funding for the division’s operations, including regular salaries, matching costs, operating expenses, travel, professional fees, and a substantial airport grant program. In addition to state funding, it authorizes the use of federal funds for airport grant funding and related expenses. The act includes standard fiscal-control language requiring compliance with state procurement, accounting, budgetary, and salary laws, and it contains an emergency clause making it effective July 1, 2025.
SB26 primarily affects state budgeting and administration rather than substantive regulatory law. It authorizes $16,518,370 in state funds and $12,000,000 in federal funds for the Division of Aeronautics, with $15,000,000 of the state appropriation directed to airport grant funding and related expenses. The bill therefore supports airport infrastructure, aviation-related grants, and the division’s staffing and operating costs for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.
The available voting history suggests broad bipartisan support and little controversy. The bill passed third reading in the Senate 34-0 and in the House 99-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. No committee transcripts were provided, and there is no indication of public disagreement in the record supplied.
No notable points of contention appear in the provided materials. Because SB26 is a routine appropriation measure, any discussion would likely have focused on funding levels, airport grant allocations, and staffing authority for the Division of Aeronautics. However, the unanimous votes and absence of committee debate suggest that these issues were not materially disputed.