AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH - TOBACCO PREVENTION AND CESSATION PROGRAMS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1035 is an appropriation bill for the Arkansas Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Programs for fiscal year 2026-2027. It authorizes up to 31 regular positions and 4 extra-help positions, and provides funding for salaries, benefits, operating expenses, professional fees, and program expenditures. The bill sets the total appropriation at $14,702,255, with the largest share dedicated to tobacco prevention and cessation activities, along with smaller amounts for nutrition and physical activity initiatives.
The bill also includes several standard fiscal-control 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 general operations with approval, and clarifies that the state is not obligated to continue funding positions if tobacco settlement revenues are insufficient. In addition, it authorizes a $500,000 annual transfer from the Prevention and Cessation Program Account to the Breast Cancer Control Fund to support the state match for Medicaid breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment services.
HB1035 does not create new regulatory requirements or amend substantive public health law; instead, it appropriates state funds and sets staffing and spending authority for a specific Department of Health program for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Its special language affects how tobacco settlement and prevention funds may be transferred and spent, including a dedicated transfer to the Breast Cancer Control Fund and limits on replacing tobacco settlement dollars with general state funds. The act also operates as a one-year fiscal authorization with an emergency clause making it effective July 1, 2026.
The available record suggests the bill was routine and broadly noncontroversial, consistent with a Joint Budget Committee appropriation measure that ultimately became Act 162. There are no recorded committee transcripts or vote details indicating significant opposition, debate, or amendments. The overall sentiment appears supportive or procedural, focused on funding continuity for public health programs rather than policy disagreement.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. The only potentially sensitive issues are the use of tobacco settlement funds, the restriction on replacing those funds with state dollars, and the $500,000 transfer to the Breast Cancer Control Fund, but there is no evidence in the record that these provisions were disputed. Because there are no transcripts or vote breakdowns, it is not possible to identify any named legislators, agencies, or stakeholder groups raising objections.