AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION - DISBURSING OFFICER SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION.
HB1089 is a supplemental appropriation bill for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) – Disbursing Officer. It provides $1.5 million in new appropriation authority for grants to Pregnancy Help Organizations for fiscal year 2025-2026, on top of funding already provided in Act 1006 of 2025. The bill is framed as a budget measure rather than a policy change, and it includes an emergency clause so it takes effect immediately upon passage and approval, or upon completion of the veto period/override process.
In addition to the direct appropriation, the bill requires the Chief Fiscal Officer to transfer $3.5 million from the General Revenue Allotment Reserve Fund into the Pregnancy Help Organization Grant Sub-Fund within the Miscellaneous Agencies Fund Account. The funds are to be used for grants supporting pregnancy help organizations, and the act specifies that spending must comply with existing fiscal and procurement laws, budgetary procedures, revenue stabilization requirements, and DFA regulations. The bill also includes legislative intent language tying disbursements to the stated purposes reflected in budget materials and official legislative records.
HB1089 amends state spending authority by creating additional funding for pregnancy help organization grants and directing a specific fund transfer to support that program. It affects the Department of Finance and Administration – Disbursing Officer, the Miscellaneous Agencies Fund Account, and the General Revenue Allotment Reserve Fund, but it does not create a new regulatory program or alter substantive law outside the appropriations framework. Its practical effect is to increase state support for organizations that provide pregnancy-related assistance, while requiring compliance with Arkansas fiscal control and appropriations laws.
The available context suggests the bill moved forward without recorded committee debate or roll-call controversy, and it ultimately became Act 171. Because there are no transcripts or vote details provided, there is no documented opposition or support to characterize from the legislative record included here. The bill’s enactment and emergency clause indicate it was treated as a priority funding measure by the General Assembly.
The main substantive issue likely to draw attention is the use of public funds for pregnancy help organizations, which can be viewed as support for pro-life or pregnancy-support services. Potential points of contention would center on whether the grant funding should be directed to these organizations, the size of the appropriation, and the transfer of $3.5 million from the General Revenue Allotment Reserve Fund. However, no specific objections, amendments, or recorded debate are included in the provided materials, so any contention is inferred from the subject matter rather than documented discussion.