HB1262

House Bill 1262 is an appropriations bill that allocates funding for the Arkansas State University – Arkansas Biosciences Institute for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. The bill authorizes a maximum of 43 regular full-time employees and provides specific salary guidelines for various administrative, academic, and research positions within the institute. The total appropriation of $5,643,838 is to be sourced from the Tobacco Settlement Program Fund. The bill also includes provisions regarding the transfer of appropriations between line items, subject to legislative and executive oversight. It stipulates that the continuation of these positions is dependent on the availability of Tobacco Settlement funds. Finally, the bill includes an emergency clause to ensure funding is available by the start of the 2025-2026 fiscal year.