Arkansas House Bill HB1034

Arkansas 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/1/26
• Refer: 4/8/26
• Report Pass: 4/22/26
• Refer: 4/27/26
• Report Pass: 4/27/26
• Engrossed: 4/28/26
• Enrolled: 4/29/26
• Chaptered: 5/1/26
• Passed: 5/1/26

Caption

AN ACT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER OF STATE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.

Summary

HB1034 is the fiscal year 2026-2027 appropriation act for the Arkansas Office of the Treasurer of State. It authorizes funding for the office’s personal services, operating expenses, data processing systems and services, debt collection, and financial/educational programs, including the Arkansas 529 College Savings Program, the Arkansas ABLE Program, and financial education efforts. The bill also sets the maximum number of regular employees at 33 and allows up to five extra-help positions. The act appropriates a total of $7,974,734 from the State Central Services Fund. Major spending categories include regular salaries, employee benefits, operating expenses, data processing, financial/educational programs, and a separate allocation for preparedness, security, and safety. It also includes special language allowing the Treasurer, with required approvals, to transfer funds among line items and to provide salary flexibility, including cost-of-living increases, merit adjustments, and limited salary increases above the maximum for hard-to-fill positions.

Impact

HB1034 primarily affects state budget law rather than substantive policy law. It establishes the Treasurer of State’s operating budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, sets staffing and salary limits, and authorizes specific appropriations and spending controls under Arkansas fiscal statutes. The bill also reinforces compliance with procurement, accounting, revenue stabilization, and salary procedures laws, while giving the Treasurer limited flexibility to reallocate appropriations and manage compensation within oversight requirements.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the House and Senate unanimously on third reading, with 98-0 and 33-0 votes, respectively, and there is no committee transcript indicating debate or opposition. The lack of recorded dissent suggests general agreement that the Treasurer’s office needed its annual operating appropriation to continue normal functions.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention around HB1034. The only potentially sensitive issues are the special provisions allowing transfer of funds between line items and permitting salary flexibility above standard maximums for a limited number of positions, both of which require approval from legislative or fiscal oversight bodies. These provisions reflect an administrative balance between agency flexibility and legislative control, but no recorded opposition or dispute appears in the available materials.