An Act For The University Of Arkansas At Pine Bluff - Police Station Facility Construction Appropriation For The 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
Summary
SB333 is a fiscal appropriation bill for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) that authorizes $3,000,000 for construction expenses for a new police station facility on campus for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. The measure is limited to funding the specified project and is tied to the state’s cash funds as determined by the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State.
The bill does not create a new program or broadly change criminal justice policy; instead, it provides capital funding for a specific higher-education public safety facility. It includes standard appropriation language requiring compliance with state procurement, accounting, budgetary, revenue stabilization, salary, and higher-education expenditure laws, and it contains an emergency clause making it effective July 1, 2025 so the project can proceed without delay.
Impact
SB333 amends state spending authority by adding a one-time $3 million appropriation to UAPB for construction of a police station facility. Its practical effect is to permit the university to use designated cash funds for this capital project during FY2025-2026, subject to existing fiscal controls and procurement requirements. It does not change substantive criminal law, but it supports campus policing infrastructure and may affect university public safety operations and construction contracting.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests strong legislative support for the bill, with overwhelming third-reading approval in both chambers and only limited opposition in the House. No committee transcripts are available, but the vote margins indicate the appropriation was generally viewed favorably as a targeted infrastructure and public safety investment for the university.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is not the policy concept itself but the use of state funds for a specific campus police facility and whether that spending is the best use of limited appropriations. Any concerns would likely center on budget priorities, capital project costs, and the necessity of the facility, though the recorded votes show little organized resistance. Because this is an appropriation bill, debate would also typically focus on compliance with fiscal controls and the source of funds rather than on broader legal policy changes.