HB1011 is the Arkansas Department of Corrections – Division of Correction appropriation act for fiscal year 2026-2027. It sets maximum staffing levels and authorizes spending for a wide range of DOC operations, including shared services, inmate care and custody, county jail reimbursement, sex offender assessment, inmate welfare, work release, prison industry, farm operations, non-tax revenue receipts, fire station protection, Paws in Prison, and medical monetary sanctions. The bill also establishes temporary “extra help” authority and includes detailed line-item appropriations for salaries, matching costs, overtime, operating expenses, professional fees, capital outlay, construction, and medical contracts.
The act also contains numerous special-language provisions that govern how the department may move money and manage operations during the fiscal year. These provisions allow limited transfers among capital projects, between divisions and funds, into the county jail reimbursement fund, and within inmate care and custody appropriations, subject to approval by the Governor, Chief Fiscal Officer, and legislative review bodies. It also authorizes holiday compensation, reporting on employee compensation liabilities, year-end carryforward of certain balances, use of salvaged materials for construction, and funding for a deputy prosecuting attorney assigned to DOC-related offenses. The act is time-limited to the 2026-2027 fiscal year and includes an emergency clause making it effective July 1, 2026.
HB1011 primarily affects state budget law by appropriating a total of hundreds of millions of dollars for the Department of Corrections and setting the maximum number of authorized employees for the Division of Correction and shared services. It directs how funds from general revenue, special revenue, cash funds, and dedicated accounts may be spent, carried forward, or transferred, and it preserves statutory and fiscal controls by requiring approval from the Chief Fiscal Officer, Governor, Board of Corrections, and/or legislative committees for many reallocations. The bill also impacts counties that house state inmates by funding county jail reimbursement and affects DOC employees through salary authority, holiday pay rules, and temporary staffing provisions.
The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the House 92-0 and the Senate 32-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The absence of committee transcript debate suggests the measure was treated as a routine appropriations bill rather than a disputed policy proposal.
There is little visible contention in the available record. The only potentially sensitive issues are the bill’s broad transfer authority, the large medical contract appropriation, and the special provisions allowing carryforward and reallocation of funds, which can raise oversight concerns in budget legislation. However, the unanimous votes and lack of recorded committee opposition indicate no significant disagreement was documented in the available materials.