AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS - DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
SB43 is the fiscal year 2026-2027 appropriation act for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. It authorizes funding for personal services and operating expenses, sets maximum employee counts and salary ranges across administrative, IT, extension, research, farm, and academic positions, and provides appropriations from both state operations funds and cash funds. The bill also includes a separate appropriation for the Soil Testing and Research Program.
In addition to the spending authority, the bill contains special language governing the Pine Tree Research Station in St. Francis County. That language prohibits sale of the property to a private entity or individual, but allows a sale to a qualifying nonprofit that keeps the land open for public use. It also requires the property to remain open for public activities such as fishing, hunting, biking, bird watching, and hiking, with a limited exemption for land in row crop cultivation in 2020. The act includes standard compliance, legislative intent, and emergency clause provisions so it takes effect on July 1, 2026.
SB43 primarily affects state budget law by appropriating a total of $87,285,395 from state operations funds and $149,540,000 from cash funds for the Division of Agriculture, plus $3,113,000 for the Soil Testing and Research Program. It establishes authorized staffing levels and salary ceilings for the agency for the 2026-2027 fiscal year and directs how those funds may be spent under Arkansas fiscal control laws. The special language also temporarily restricts disposition of the Pine Tree Research Station property and preserves public access conditions for that site.
The available context suggests the bill was routine and broadly noncontroversial, consistent with a Joint Budget Committee appropriation measure that ultimately became Act 136. There are no recorded committee transcripts or roll-call votes in the provided material indicating opposition, amendments, or divided sentiment. The inclusion of an emergency clause indicates legislative agreement that the appropriation needed to take effect at the start of the fiscal year.
The main point of potential contention is the Pine Tree Research Station language. The bill bars sale to private buyers and limits any sale to a nonprofit with a public-use mission and a five-year operating history, which may reflect concern about preserving public access and land use. The requirement that the property remain open for hunting, fishing, biking, bird watching, and hiking could also be debated by those concerned about agency flexibility or future land management. No other specific disputes are reflected in the provided record.