All Roll Calls
Yes: 131 • No: 0
ArkansasSB362025 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF AGING, ADULT, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.
Sponsored By: Joint Budget Committee
Enacted
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
13 provisions identified: 13 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Arkansas Health Center must stay open
From July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, the Department of Human Services cannot close the Arkansas Health Center. It must keep accepting clients it finds need skilled nursing and specialized services. Moving center funds or cutting them below the approved March 1, 2003 level requires prior Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee approval. That funding restriction does not apply to money used as federal matching funds.
Funding supports care outside nursing homes
From July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, nursing home alternative funds can support meals, adult day care, and household help. They can also support respite care, personal care, health promotion, and other community services. The funds can provide matching money for Medicaid community-based programs. The law separately provides $400,000 for Independent Choices grants and aid for the year ending June 30, 2026. These provisions do not set individual payment amounts or eligibility rules.
Extra pay allowed for state clinicians
From July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, certain state behavioral health clinicians can receive special pay allowances. Covered jobs are Psychiatric Specialist, DHS Behavioral Health General Physician, and Psychologist Supervisor. Allowances can use patient professional income or federal or private funds under pay rules available to University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences physicians and faculty. An allowance cannot exceed 2.5 times the employee's salary authorized by the legislature. Each allowance needs State Chief Fiscal Officer approval and review by the Legislative Council Personnel Committee or Joint Budget Committee.
State Hospital teachers get matched workdays
From July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, the division director must align workdays for covered Arkansas State Hospital teachers. Certified Masters and Certified Bachelors Teachers must work the same number of days as matching jobs at the Arkansas Schools for the Blind and Deaf. Teachers hired on or after July 1, 2013, also receive matching rules for earning, using, and carrying over sick days, personal days, and holidays. Covered teachers are eligible for hazardous duty pay for time worked in eligible areas.
Funding and staff for state care
For fiscal year 2025–2026, the law provides about $148.5 million for Arkansas aging, adult, and behavioral health operations. The money covers salaries, benefits, overtime, operating costs, travel, professional fees, and equipment. The division can employ up to 1,179 regular workers and 347 temporary or part-time workers. Temporary workers' pay cannot exceed the allowed rate for their job class. This funding does not guarantee any household a payment or service.
Grants support community alcohol safety
The law provides about $2.4 million for community alcohol safety grants and aid for the year ending June 30, 2026. The money comes from the Highway Safety Special Fund. It supports local safety work, not a direct household payment or statewide benefit entitlement.
Matching funds support Arkansas Senior Olympics
The law provides $70,000 in state matching funds for the Arkansas Senior Olympics from the Behavioral Health Services Fund Account. From July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, the state pays two dollars for each local dollar. The Senior Arkansas Sports Organization must certify its share before the state pays. This supports the program rather than providing direct payments to participants.
Crisis care funding can carry forward
For the year ending June 30, 2026, the law provides $5 million for crisis intervention grants and operating costs. The money comes from the Behavioral Health Services Fund Account, and unspent crisis funds can carry into the next year for the same purposes. The agency must submit a written explanation for carryforward before June 30, 2025. State finance officials must report amounts and related information by the September Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee meeting. The agency must also report project status at least 30 days before presenting its budget request.
Funding for mental health and treatment
For the year ending June 30, 2026, the law provides about $47.6 million for mental health grants and aid. It provides about $49.7 million for alcohol and drug education, prevention, and treatment from the Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Fund. A separate $70,000 cash appropriation supports the Patient Benefit Fund. These appropriations do not set individual eligibility rules, benefit amounts, or guaranteed access to treatment.
Funding for senior meals and services
For the year ending June 30, 2026, aging and adult services receive about $56.2 million. This includes about $22.8 million for nutrition, $10 million for senior centers, and $4.8 million for nursing home alternatives. It also includes about $17.4 million for project grants, $1.05 million for older workers, and $75,000 for senior volunteers. A separate $2.4 million from the Aging and Adult Services Fund Account supports Meals on Wheels and elderly transportation. These amounts fund programs, not guaranteed individual payments or service eligibility.
Mental health grants support veterans
The law provides $5 million for veterans mental health grants for the year ending June 30, 2026. Grants go to veterans service organizations to support veterans and their families. The State Chief Fiscal Officer determines the paying account. The law does not set an individual veteran's benefit amount or eligibility rules.
New matching grants for senior meals
Beginning July 1, 2025, the new Fight Senior Hunger program has $400,000 for state matching grants. Counties, cities, and nonprofits qualifying under the 501(c)(3) rules as they existed January 1, 2025, can apply. Applicants need an approved written food plan and proof of local pledges or contributions covering at least half the cost. State grants are discretionary, cover at most half the estimated cost, and cannot exceed $20,000; in-kind matches count only kitchen and dining space operating costs. Area Agencies on Aging must report on senior hunger programs and spending annually and during legislative sessions and interims; payments follow state fiscal and procurement laws.
Senior centers get protected funding
For July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, senior center funds follow the federal Older Americans Act funding formula. Added money must supplement existing service funding, not replace it. Increases require any needed federal Medicare and Medicaid agency approval and added state general revenue; they cannot exceed available funding. Beginning July 1, 2025, eligible recovered state revenue must also go to senior centers, up to $500,000. Revenue reserved for other carryforward purposes is excluded; center funds carry forward under the same formula, with reporting at least 30 days before the department's budget request.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Joint Budget Committee
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/10/2025
House Vote - Thursday, April 10, 2025 4:50:22 PM
Yes: 97 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/9/2025
Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 2:15:35 PM
Yes: 34 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Notification that SB36 is now Act 890
4/21/2025SenateDELIVERED TO GOVERNOR.
4/14/2025SenateReported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor.
4/14/2025SenateORDERED ENROLLED
4/10/2025SenateReturned from the House as passed.
4/10/2025SenateReturned To Senate as Passed.
4/10/2025HouseEMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
4/10/2025HouseRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
4/10/2025HouseConsidered in the Committee of the Whole, and recommended do pass.
4/10/2025HouseRULES SUSPENDED
4/10/2025HouseRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and placed on the CALENDAR.
4/9/2025HouseRECEIVED FROM THE SENATE
4/9/2025HouseOrdered Immediately transmitted to the House.
4/9/2025SenateEMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
4/9/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
4/9/2025SenateReturned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
4/8/2025SenateRe-referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE
4/3/2025SenateREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
4/3/2025SenateAmendment # 2 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed.
4/3/2025SenateWithdrawn from Committee and placed on 2nd reading for purpose of amendment # 2
4/3/2025SenateRe-referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE
3/17/2025SenateREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
3/17/2025SenateAmendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed.
3/17/2025SenateWithdrawn from Committee and placed on 2nd reading for purpose of amendment # 1
3/17/2025SenateRead first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE
1/13/2025Senate
Bill Text
SB36 - Introduced
1/13/2025
Act Version
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