everything you want to know (and don't) about arkansas politics

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Education

SB26

An Act For The University Of Central Arkansas Appropriation For The 2026-2027 Fiscal Year.

Introduced

Last Action (April 1, 2026): Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

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AI-Generated Summary

Senate Bill 26 of the 95th General Assembly is a fiscal appropriation act for the University of Central Arkansas for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. The bill primarily establishes the maximum number of regular, full-time equivalent employees permitted for the university across various administrative, educational, academic, and auxiliary departments. It sets specific salary caps for hundreds of job titles ranging from high-level university executives, such as the President, to faculty, support staff, IT personnel, maintenance workers, and athletic coaches. The legislation does not mandate that these positions be filled, but rather authorizes the university to maintain them within the specified budgetary constraints. As a fiscal session appropriation bill, its core purpose is to provide the legal authorization for the university's personnel expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year.

Potential Impact Analysis

Who Might Benefit?

The primary beneficiaries are the University of Central Arkansas and its employees, as this legislation authorizes the funding and personnel structure required to operate the institution. This benefits faculty, administrative staff, and student employees by ensuring the availability of authorized roles and defined salary ranges. Additionally, the students attending the university benefit from the continued operation of academic, auxiliary, and administrative services enabled by these appropriations.

Who Might Suffer?

There is no group that is directly or negatively impacted in a punitive sense by this bill, as it is a routine appropriation act necessary for the function of a public institution. However, taxpayers could be considered impacted to the extent that the authorized salary ranges and staff positions require state funding. Similarly, the university's internal leadership may be constrained by the maximum salary rates and employee counts stipulated in the bill, which limit their flexibility to adjust staffing levels or compensation packages beyond these statutory caps.

Read Full Bill on arkleg.state.ar.us