AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION DIVISION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
SB77 is a fiscal-session appropriation bill for the Arkansas Department of Education’s Educational Television Division. It provides $550,000 in state matching funds for the payment of annual Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) membership dues for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. The bill is structured as a one-year appropriation and includes an emergency clause so it would take effect on July 1, 2026.
The bill also sets out special language governing how the funds may be used. The appropriation is limited to a one-to-one match of private donations received by the Educational Television Division or the Arkansas TV Foundation for PBS dues. The division must certify eligible private donations to the Secretary of the Department of Education on December 31, 2026 and June 30, 2027, and matching state payments are made after each certification, up to the amount appropriated. Any unused balance at the end of the fiscal year returns to the General Revenue Allotment Reserve Fund, and the special language expires on June 30, 2027.
SB77 would amend state spending authority for the 2026-2027 fiscal year by appropriating Educational Television Fund Account dollars for PBS membership dues and by establishing a matching-funds mechanism tied to private donations. It does not create a permanent statutory program, but it does direct how the Department of Education’s Educational Television Division may access and certify funds for this purpose and requires compliance with state procurement, accounting, budgetary, and fiscal control laws.
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be a routine budget appropriation with no recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials. The inclusion of an emergency clause suggests the sponsor and supporters viewed timely enactment as necessary for agency operations. The bill ultimately did not become law, as it died on the House Calendar at sine die adjournment.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or vote history. The main policy feature that could draw scrutiny is the use of state matching funds for PBS membership dues, which ties public money to private donations and public broadcasting support. However, the available record does not show any expressed opposition, amendments, or divided votes.