AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SERVICES - JONESBORO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT CENTER APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1080 is a fiscal-session appropriation bill for the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities Services, to fund Phase 2 of the Jonesboro Human Development Center master plan for fiscal year 2026-2027. It appropriates $20 million for capital improvements, including planning, demolition, construction, replacement, renovation, upgrades, and additions to facilities at the center.
The bill also directs the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State to transfer $20 million from the General Revenue Allotment Reserve Fund into a cash fund in the State Treasury for this project. Like other appropriation measures, it includes standard language requiring compliance with state procurement, accounting, budgetary, revenue stabilization, and salary-control laws, and it contains an emergency clause so the act would take effect on July 1, 2026 if enacted.
If enacted, HB1080 would increase state spending authority for a specific developmental disabilities facility project and authorize a one-time transfer of general revenue reserve funds to support capital work at the Jonesboro Human Development Center. It would not create a new program or permanently amend the Arkansas Code; instead, it would temporarily expand appropriations and direct how funds may be moved and spent for this fiscal year. The bill primarily affects the Department of Human Services, the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services, and the Jonesboro Human Development Center, along with state fiscal officers responsible for fund transfers and disbursement.
The available record suggests the bill was a routine appropriations measure rather than a controversial policy proposal. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes showing debate, and the bill ultimately died in House Committee at sine die adjournment. That outcome indicates it did not advance far enough to generate a documented floor-level consensus or opposition, though its subject matter implies general support for facility improvements and services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. The main practical issue likely would have been the use of $20 million from the General Revenue Allotment Reserve Fund for a single capital project, which can raise broader budget-priority questions in appropriations discussions. Any disagreement would likely have centered on funding levels, timing, or competing state needs rather than on the underlying purpose of improving the Jonesboro Human Development Center.