AN ACT FOR THE SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS COLLEGE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
SB44 is an appropriations bill for Southeast Arkansas College for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. It establishes the maximum number of regular and temporary employees the college may have, sets salary ceilings for a wide range of administrative, academic, technical, public safety, and auxiliary positions, and authorizes funding for personal services and operating expenses. The bill also includes separate appropriations for state operations and cash funds, covering items such as regular salaries, extra help, overtime, operating expenses, professional fees, capital outlay, capital improvements, debt service, and fund transfers.
The bill contains standard fiscal-control language requiring spending to comply with Arkansas procurement, accounting, budgetary, salary, and higher education expenditure laws, along with Department of Finance and Administration regulations. It also includes legislative intent language tying expenditures to the agency’s budget materials and an emergency clause making the act effective July 1, 2026 so the college can continue operating without interruption during the new fiscal year.
SB44 directly affects state appropriations law by authorizing Southeast Arkansas College’s spending authority for fiscal year 2026-2027 and setting the legal limits for staffing and compensation. It does not create new substantive education policy; instead, it updates the college’s annual budget, including a $7.83 million state operations appropriation and a $39.7 million cash-funds appropriation, and it establishes the maximum number of employees and pay ranges for numerous positions. The bill also reinforces existing fiscal oversight statutes by requiring compliance with state procurement, accounting, revenue stabilization, salary, and higher education expenditure restrictions.
The available context suggests the bill was noncontroversial and routine, consistent with a standard Joint Budget Committee appropriation measure. There are no recorded committee transcript snippets or votes indicating opposition, and the bill advanced to become Act 18. The overall sentiment appears favorable or at least procedural, reflecting general legislative support for funding the college’s operations for the upcoming fiscal year.
No specific points of contention are reflected in the provided record. Because there are no committee transcripts or vote details, there is no evidence of debate over the size of the appropriation, staffing levels, salary caps, or the cash-funds spending authority. Any potential concerns would likely have centered on budget priorities, personnel limits, or the scope of capital and operating expenditures, but none are documented here.