Joint Budget Committee advances dozens of agency appropriation bills, defeats youth-grant and zoo-hospital measures

The Arkansas Joint Budget Committee on April 2 advanced scores of agency appropriation items and special-language amendments but rejected two high-profile measures after chamber division votes: Senate Bill 362 (youth organization grants) and House Bill 16-35 (an appropriation-only request to support a veterinary teaching hospital at the Little Rock Zoo).

The committee approved a broad slate of agency budget items and special-language amendments by voice vote, adopting personnel and special-language subcommittee reports and voting to move dozens of bills “do pass” or “do pass as amended.” The items acted on in bulk included appropriations and authority measures for departments ranging from education and commerce to public safety and health.

Why it matters: the actions advance fiscal authority and appropriation language that agencies will use as they complete operating plans for the coming fiscal period. The two defeated measures drew substantial debate about statutory constraints, program targeting and long-term costs.

What the committee approved

By voice vote or unanimous consent the committee advanced numerous measures, including (motion language summarized): - Personnel subcommittee report adoption (items held until passage of the pay plan referenced in Senate Bill 392) — adopted. - Special language subcommittee report adoption — adopted, including six amendments across multiple bills. - Do-pass (as amended) recommendations for: House Bill 1089; House Bill 1191; Senate Bill 88 (Division of Higher Education); Senate Bill 37 (Department of Commerce); Senate Bill 39 (Division of Workforce Services); Senate Bill 359 (Out of School Time Program Grants); Senate Bill 332 (Department of Education appropriation authority); and a large set of additional Senate and House appropriation bills listed later in the meeting packet (see “Votes at a glance” below).

Several individual appropriation-only or authority items also passed after brief explanations from sponsors, including a measure covering the sexual-assault nurse examiner program (House Bill 16-39) and a correction to a prior appropriation date (House Bill 19-27). Many other agency items (insurance, UAMS, ASU Jonesboro, public safety, state library, DFA management, State Treasurer county/municipal aid, and others) were moved forward without extended debate.

Debates and defeats

Senate Bill 362 — youth organization grants (failed after division vote) Senate Bill 362, described in committee as a grants program for youth organizations, drew substantive pushback over whether its language effectively singled out particular local providers. Representative Collins asked that the vote be a roll call “by chamber,” and several members sought clarification about eligibility language and memoranda of understanding with national affiliates. Senator Hammer, the bill sponsor in committee, defended the measure: “I think characterizing as targeting is a misrepresentation of what it does,” he said, adding that the bill incorporates language from the LEARNS Act and related rules and that the Department of Education would be the “gatekeeper” for compliance. The committee ultimately proceeded to a division roll call; the bill failed on the recorded vote.

House Bill 16-35 — Little Rock Zoo veterinary hospital appropriation (initial voice vote then failed on roll call) A proposal requesting $5,000,000 in state authority to help build a veterinary teaching hospital at the Little Rock Zoo generated extended discussion about scale, long-term costs and whether existing or planned veterinary training programs could provide clinical placements without state funding. The sponsor described university support and a public–private partnership and said the total project cost was expected to be $8–10 million. After an initial voice vote where the “ayes” were recorded, several members requested a roll call by chamber; during the subsequent roll call the motion did not pass.

Discussion-only items and follow-up requests

Perpetual-care cemeteries and infrastructure repairs (House bill presentation) Representative Crawford presented an appropriation request to create grants for perpetual-care cemeteries experiencing financial hardship, saying funding derives from cemetery sales but that revenue has declined because of cremation trends. The sponsor said there are “a hundred and 4 perpetual care cemeteries” in the state and noted the potential for receivership and fines for noncompliance with maintenance regulations. Committee members asked for additional data (how many cemeteries are in fiscal distress, past state interventions); the sponsor asked members to meet with her and offered to return with more detail at the next meeting.

Human development centers appropriation request (House Bill 13-89) — advanced A House proposal to continue capital funding for human development centers was described at length by the sponsor, who said earlier capital work had cost millions and that more funding was needed to improve living conditions. The committee moved the item forward.

Votes at a glance (selected items recorded in meeting) - Personnel subcommittee report — approved (motion adopted by voice vote). - Special language subcommittee report — approved (motion adopted by voice vote). - House Bill 1089 — do pass as amended (approved by voice vote). - House Bill 1191 — do pass as amended (approved by voice vote). - Senate Bill 88 — do pass as amended (approved by voice vote). - Senate Bill 37 — do pass as amended (approved by voice vote). - Senate Bill 39 — do pass as amended (approved by voice vote). - Senate Bill 359 — do pass as amended (approved by voice vote). - Senate Bill 362 — youth organization grants (failed after roll call/division vote). - Senate Bill 332 — appropriation-only for Department of Education (approved by voice vote). - Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 92 (office of property risk / captive insurance positions) — adopted. - House Bill 16-35 — Little Rock Zoo veterinary hospital (failed after roll call/division vote). - House Bill 16-39 — sexual-assault nurse examiner program (approved). - House Bill 19-27 — correction to previously passed appropriation date (approved). - House Bill 13-89 — human development center appropriation request (approved). - Multiple additional Senate and House appropriations listed in the meeting packet were advanced by voice vote near the meeting’s close (Senate Bills 25, 93, 128, 130 and House Bills 1090, 1091, 1095, 1097, 1102, 1124, 1127, 1152, 1176 among others).

Sources and quotes Senator Hammer (bill sponsor for SB362): “I think characterizing as targeting is a misrepresentation of what it does.” Representative Collins (requesting a roll call): “Would it be possible to get a roll call on this by chamber?” Sponsor (House Bill 16-35): “The project is supported by both of the universities” and the sponsor described a public–private partnership and an anticipated total project cost of about $8–10 million. Representative Crawford (on perpetual-care cemeteries): “There are a hundred and 4 perpetual care cemeteries.” Representative Lademan (human development centers sponsor): “We treat them worse than we do people in our prisons.”

Next steps Committee members asked sponsors to provide additional data where questions remained (for example, lists and counts of cemeteries in fiscal distress and further project-level detail for the zoo hospital). The committee scheduled personnel and special-language subcommittees and asked members with holds to reconcile issues with agencies before the next joint budget meeting.

(See the committee packet for the full list of bills and the special-language attachments referenced during the meeting.)