AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, HERITAGE, AND TOURISM - STATE PARKS AND TOURISM DIVISIONS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
SB15 is the fiscal year 2026-2027 appropriation act for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, specifically the State Parks and Tourism Divisions. It authorizes funding and staffing levels for a wide range of agency functions, including state park operations, tourism promotion, outdoor recreation grants, War Memorial Stadium, the Delta Heritage Trail construction program, the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, and the Arkansas Wine Producers Council. The bill also includes appropriations for the Retirement and Relocation Promotion Program, Keep Arkansas Beautiful operations, and several special-purpose tourism and marketing initiatives.
In addition to setting salary caps and extra-help limits, the bill allocates money for regular salaries, matching costs, operating expenses, construction, grants, advertising, and special maintenance. Major funding items include tourism promotion and advertising, conservation-tax-supported park operations and construction, outdoor recreation grants, and a large construction appropriation for the Delta Heritage Trail. The act also contains special language authorizing limited spending for small festivals, promotional materials, cash prizes at state park events, and Mississippi River marketing efforts.
SB15 primarily affects state budget law by appropriating funds from multiple state and federal sources and setting maximum employee counts for the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism for FY2027. It also amends several Arkansas Code provisions related to Keep Arkansas Beautiful, including abolishing the existing commission, transferring its functions and assets to the Office of Keep Arkansas Beautiful, revising board structure and terms, and updating references in litter-control, landfill-fee, conservation-tax, and retirement statutes. The bill further repeals a prior code section listing the commission as a transferred entity, making the organizational changes part of the state’s governing law for that program.
The overall sentiment appears supportive and routine, consistent with a Joint Budget Committee appropriation bill that advanced to become Act 148. No committee transcript or recorded votes were provided, but the bill’s passage and enactment suggest broad legislative agreement on funding the agency’s operations and tourism-related programs. The inclusion of targeted tourism, park, and beautification funding indicates a generally favorable view of the department’s role in economic development, recreation, and public stewardship.
The most notable point of contention is the restructuring of Keep Arkansas Beautiful. The bill abolishes the commission and transfers authority to the Office of Keep Arkansas Beautiful, while also revising board membership, appointment authority, and retirement-related provisions; these changes could be significant for affected employees and stakeholders even though no opposition is documented in the provided materials. Another potential area of debate is the use of public funds for tourism advertising, festival support, wine tourism facilities, and promotional activities, as well as the requirement that some special maintenance spending receive prior legislative approval. The bill also centralizes and redirects certain fine revenues and conservation-tax proceeds, which may matter to local governments and program administrators.