AN ACT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER OF STATE - ANIMAL RESCUE SHELTERS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1049 is an appropriation bill for the Office of the Treasurer of State for fiscal year 2026-2027. It creates two separate appropriations from the Animal Rescue and Shelter Trust Fund: $25,000 for municipalities and $25,000 for counties. The money is designated for personal services, grants, construction, maintenance, and operation of registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelters.
The bill is a fiscal measure rather than a policy overhaul. It authorizes the Treasurer’s Office to distribute trust fund money for local government animal rescue shelter purposes during the 2026-2027 fiscal year, and it includes standard provisions requiring compliance with state procurement, accounting, budgetary, and revenue stabilization laws. It also contains a legislative intent section tying expenditures to the budget materials and official legislative records, and an emergency clause making the act effective July 1, 2026.
HB1049 affects state spending authority by appropriating a total of $50,000 from the Animal Rescue and Shelter Trust Fund for local government-owned animal rescue shelters. It does not create a new regulatory program or amend substantive animal welfare law; instead, it directs how existing trust fund resources may be spent by municipalities and counties. The bill also reinforces that disbursements must comply with Arkansas fiscal control laws and Department of Finance and Administration regulations.
The available record suggests the bill was noncontroversial and moved as part of the Joint Budget Committee’s appropriations package. There are no recorded committee transcripts, no listed votes, and no evidence of organized opposition in the provided materials. The bill’s final status as Act 49 indicates it was enacted successfully, consistent with routine support for targeted local appropriations.
No notable points of contention are reflected in the provided record. Because the bill is a small appropriation for animal rescue shelters, any potential debate would likely have centered on the amount of funding, the use of trust fund dollars, or whether the funds should be split between cities and counties. However, the materials provided do not show any objections, amendments, or disputed issues, and no legislators or stakeholders are identified as opposing or supporting specific provisions.