SB9

Senate Bill 9 is an appropriation act that provides funding for the Arkansas Public Defender Commission for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. The bill establishes maximum personnel levels for various departments within the commission, including State Operations, the Trial Public Defender Office, the Ombudsman Program, and the Commission for Parent Counsel. It authorizes funding for regular salaries, extra help (part-time or temporary employees), personal services matching, and maintenance and operating expenses for these divisions. Additionally, the bill includes specific appropriations for parent counsel reimbursements and bail bond county public defender programs. It also grants the Commission for Parent Counsel the authority to use specific funds to enter into professional service contracts with attorneys representing indigent parents in dependency-neglect cases. The total appropriations authorized by this bill provide the financial resources necessary for the commission to fulfill its legal obligations during the 2023-2024 fiscal year.