AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF AGING, ADULT, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES REAPPROPRIATION.
Summary
HB1095 is a fiscal-session reappropriation bill for the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services. It carries forward unspent balances from a prior appropriation so the division can continue two capital projects: construction, replacement, renovation, upgrade, and addition of a warehouse distribution building for the Arkansas Health Center, and repair or replacement of roofs at the Arkansas State Hospital.
The bill reappropriates up to $448,902 for the Arkansas Health Center warehouse project and up to $1,175,065 for roof repairs at the Arkansas State Hospital, both effective July 1, 2026. It also includes standard fiscal controls, requiring that spending not exceed available state treasury funds, allowing the use of grants, donations, federal funds, and unobligated cash to supplement the projects, and prohibiting use of general maintenance and operations funds for these purposes. An emergency clause makes the act effective July 1, 2026, to avoid delays in essential agency operations.
Impact
HB1095 does not create new substantive policy; it extends the availability of previously approved capital-improvement funds for DHS behavioral health-related facilities. Its effect on state law is to reauthorize spending authority under the Department of Human Services Renovation Fund for specific facility projects, while reaffirming compliance with state purchasing, accounting, budgetary, and revenue-stabilization laws. The bill primarily affects DHS, the Arkansas Health Center, and the Arkansas State Hospital by preserving funding for ongoing infrastructure work.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the House 97-0 and the Senate 32-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The lack of committee transcript discussion also suggests the measure was treated as a routine budget reappropriation rather than a contested policy proposal.
Contention
There is little visible contention around HB1095. The only potentially sensitive issue is the allocation of limited capital-improvement funds between two state facilities—one for a warehouse/distribution building at the Arkansas Health Center and one for roof repairs at the Arkansas State Hospital—but the unanimous votes suggest no recorded disagreement over those priorities. The bill’s restrictions on using general operating funds and its reliance on available treasury balances are standard fiscal safeguards rather than points of dispute.