LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Senate on Feb. 10 approved legislation to rename the state’s Department of Transformation and Shared Services and to move the Arkansas Computer and Electronic Waste Management Act into the department’s maintenance and repair (M&R) division.

Senate Bill 147, sponsored by Senator Dodson, changes the department’s name across roughly 102 statutory sections and includes a provision authorizing the Code Revision Commission to correct any missed citations. The bill carried an emergency clause and passed on a roll call of 32 yeas, 1 nay and 1 not voting. Dodson told colleagues the change was intended “for the name to more accurately reflect the role and function of the department.”

Senator Stubblefield queried whether the bills were tied to other state projects, including a previously discussed 3,000-bed prison; Dodson said he was not aware of such a connection. Senator King asked whether outside consultants or prior procurement work related to recent contracts had produced these bills; Dodson replied he did not believe so. Senator Tucker asked about the status of geographic information systems (GIS); Dodson confirmed GIS is a division of Transformation and Shared Services.

Later in the day, Senate Bill 185, described by Dodson as a technical correction, passed 25 yeas, 1 nay, 7 not voting and 1 present. SB185 clarifies that the Arkansas Computer and Electronic Waste Management Act resides with the Department of Transformation and Shared Services (specifically under its M&R function), correcting an omission when agencies were reorganized.

Both measures were presented as administrative housekeeping: SB147 renames the department and authorizes code revisions to update references; SB185 aligns a named statute with the department division that already performs the function. Dodson said SB185 was “basically M and R ... functionally underneath transformation and shared services already, but it just makes that clarification.”

Votes at a glance

- Senate Bill 147 (rename Department of Transformation and Shared Services; emergency clause): Sponsor — Senator Dodson. Vote — 32 yeas, 1 nay, 1 not voting. Outcome — passed; emergency clause adopted; transmit to House.

- Senate Bill 185 (move Arkansas Computer and Electronic Waste Management Act to Department of Transformation and Shared Services/M&R): Sponsor — Senator Dodson. Vote — 25 yeas, 1 nay, 7 not voting, 1 present. Outcome — passed; transmit to House.

What it means

SB147 updates statutory references and permits the Code Revision Commission to correct any remaining cross-references to the department’s name; the emergency clause makes aspects effective immediately under the constitutional rules specified in the bill. SB185 corrects an administrative placement of the computer and electronics waste statute so that responsibility matches current departmental practice.

Community impact and next steps

Both bills are largely administrative and affect state agencies and internal operations rather than direct public services. They were transmitted to the House for further action.

Ending

Lawmakers asked clarifying questions on fiscal impact and ties to other projects during floor debate; sponsors said the measures are technical and not connected to the previously discussed correctional project.