Arkansas House Bill HB1093

Arkansas 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/14/26
• Refer: 4/14/26
• Report Pass: 4/23/26
• Engrossed: 4/27/26
• Enrolled: 4/28/26
• Chaptered: 5/1/26
• Passed: 5/1/26

Caption

AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - DIVISION OF CORRECTION REAPPROPRIATION.

Summary

HB1093 is a fiscal-session reappropriation bill for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Division of Correction. It carries forward unspent balances from prior appropriations so the department can continue or complete a series of capital improvement projects in fiscal year 2026-2027. The bill covers prison expansion, facility maintenance and upgrades, a water treatment plant replacement at the Tucker Unit, a camera project at the Wrightsville Unit, a flooring project at the McPherson Unit, and various prison industry and farm projects. The bill also includes special language directing how one of the largest reappropriations must be used. Funds in Section 1(A) are restricted to creating capacity, expanding recidivism reduction programs, making infrastructure and capital improvements, and adding bed space to relieve county jails of state inmates. It expressly prohibits use of those funds to construct a prison in Franklin County. The act takes effect July 1, 2026, and includes standard disbursement controls, legislative intent language, and an emergency clause to ensure timely implementation.

Impact

HB1093 does not create a new program or change criminal sentencing law; instead, it extends the availability of previously authorized capital improvement funds for the Department of Corrections. Its practical effect is to preserve funding authority for prison infrastructure, security, utilities, industry operations, and farm-related projects, allowing the department to spend remaining balances from earlier acts rather than losing them at the end of the fiscal period. The bill affects the Development and Enhancement Fund, cash funds, the Division of Correction Prison Industry Fund, and the Division of Correction Farm Fund, while also imposing a specific use restriction on the prison-expansion appropriation.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the House 94-0 and the Senate 34-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The absence of committee transcript discussion also suggests there was little public dispute over the reappropriation itself, likely because it is a routine budget measure needed to keep ongoing correctional projects funded.

Contention

The only notable point of contention reflected in the text is the restriction on how prison-expansion money may be used. The act requires the funds to support capacity, recidivism reduction, infrastructure, and bed space to reduce county jail overcrowding, but it bars spending for construction of a prison in Franklin County. That limitation suggests prior debate or concern about the location or scope of prison construction, even though the bill’s final passage shows no recorded floor opposition.