HB1002
The General Appropriation Act For The 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
AI-Generated Summary
This bill, House Bill 1002 of the 95th General Assembly, is the General Appropriation Act for the 2025-2026 fiscal year in Arkansas. It outlines appropriations for specific branches and entities of the state government. Section 1 appropriates funds to the Auditor of State for the general appropriations of the Judicial Branch, including travel expense reimbursement for district judges, and for special/recalled judges for circuit courts. Sections 2 and 3 appropriate funds to the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate, respectively, for interim expense reimbursements for their members. Sections 4 through 8 detail the disbursing officers for these funds and specify the purpose of the appropriations, particularly for interim legislative expenses. Section 9 addresses eligibility for attending a biennial Institute of Legislative Procedure for members of the preceding and newly elected General Assembly. Section 10 outlines disbursement procedures for judicial travel expenses, including a 60-day submission deadline for reimbursement requests. Section 11 states legislative intent that disbursed funds comply with stated reasons for adoption, as documented in budget manuals and official records. Section 12 declares an emergency, making the act effective July 1, 2025, to ensure the continuity of essential governmental programs.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries of this bill are the members of the Arkansas judiciary, specifically district judges who will receive travel expense reimbursements and circuit courts that will be supported by appropriations for special/recalled judges. Additionally, members of the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate will benefit from appropriations to cover their interim expense reimbursements. The Auditor of State will also be a beneficiary in its capacity as a disbursing officer for certain funds, as will the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief of Staff or designee of the House of Representatives for their roles in disbursing funds. Newly elected members of the House and Senate, along with members of the preceding General Assembly, are beneficiaries of the provision for per diem and mileage to attend the biennial Institute of Legislative Procedure.
Who Might Suffer?
This bill is an appropriations act, meaning it allocates existing funds and does not inherently impose new burdens or restrictions on specific groups. Therefore, no particular groups or entities are directly and negatively impacted by the passage of this bill in the sense of being subjected to new regulations or prohibitions. Any potential negative impact would be indirect, stemming from the allocation of funds to these specific government functions, which by implication means those funds are not available for other potential uses. The detailed spending and reimbursement requirements, such as the 60-day deadline for judicial travel reimbursements, could pose a minor administrative challenge for the individuals or offices responsible for compliance, but this is not a negative impact on a broad group.