# Arkansas SB36: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. Arkansas SB36, AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR., is a 2026 Fiscal Session Senate bill sponsored by Joint Budget Committee; status enacted, last action 2026-04-29 (Notification that SB36 is now Act 135); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB36-2026F - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB36 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2026 Fiscal Session - Title: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-04-01 - Last action: 2026-04-29, Notification that SB36 is now Act 135 - Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (127 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 12 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Scholarship funding for agriculture career students: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the law provides $970,000 for agriculture internships and scholarships. It also provides $40,000 for Foresters for the Future scholarships and $30,000 for rural veterinary student scholarships. The veterinary scholarships are part of a $168,238 Veterinary Me… - Funding for forestry and fire control: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the law authorizes about $16.74 million from the State Forestry Fund. It supports forestry operations, grants, office replacement, forest planning, federal initiatives, landowner outreach, and planting aid. Another $3.75 million from the State Forestry Trust… - Funding supports county fairs and livestock shows: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the Agri Fair Fund provides about $1.66 million for fairs. About $1.10 million of that total goes to county fairs. The budget also supports named state, district, and regional fairs and livestock shows, along with staff and operations. It does not establish… - Funding tackles farm pests and pesticides: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, Plant Board administration and pest control gets about $11.75 million. This Plant Board Fund budget includes $1 million for pest eradication and $394,140 for planning, education, and outreach grants. A dedicated disposal trust fund provides $1.5 million for… - Grants and loans for rural firefighting: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the law authorizes about $1.70 million in federal rural fire protection funding. This includes $822,563 in matching grants to buy firefighting equipment. It also authorizes $1.2 million from the Rural Fire Protection Revolving Fund for community fire protect… - Grants support forests and community trees: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, Forest Legacy gets about $7.63 million in designated federal funds. It covers operations, grants, the White River Headwaters Project, and Forest Legacy Program work. Federal funds also provide $230,000 for Southern Pine Beetle prevention grants and $40,000 f… - Funding for meat inspections and grading: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, meat inspection gets $606,083 from the State Meat Inspection Program Fund. Another state account provides $250,000 for meat inspection staff and operations, bringing the total to $856,083. Poultry and egg grading gets about $4.69 million from its dedicated f… - Agriculture agency operations and watershed funding: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, shared services gets about $10.12 million from a state-designated account. This includes $60,000 for promotional items. Department operations gets about $16.16 million from the Department of Agriculture Fund Account, including $5,000 for boll weevil work. An… - Committed water grants carry forward: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the Chief Fiscal Officer must move committed state water, sewer, and solid waste funds into their revolving fund at year-end. The officer must also allow committed, certified water quality matching grants and Water Quality Technician grants to carry forward. Before June 30,… - Funding protects farm animal health: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, animal disease control gets about $1.18 million from its disease-control fund. Agricultural laboratory testing gets about $2.45 million from the Animal Health Special Revenue Fund. The equine infectious anemia program gets $439,157 from its dedicated fund. D… - Funding supports grain, bee, hemp oversight: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the Plant Board Fund provides $348,064 for public grain warehouse inspections. It also provides $208,116 for the bee program. The Industrial Hemp Program Fund provides $99,500 for hemp program staff and operations. Another $50,500 in cash funds covers Plant… - Marketing grants support agricultural producers: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the law authorizes about $4.51 million in designated federal agriculture marketing funds. The budget includes $854,899 for product marketing grants and aid and $5,000 for promotional items. It supports the Agricultural Product Marketing Program rather than d… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-27 | House | House Vote - Monday, April 27, 2026 3:41:26 PM | pass | 94 | 1 | | | 2026-04-23 | Senate | Senate Vote - Thursday, April 23, 2026 12:21:05 PM | pass | 33 | 0 | | ## Actions (23) - 2026-04-29: Notification that SB36 is now Act 135 (Senate) - 2026-04-28: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate) - 2026-04-28: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate) - 2026-04-27: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2026-04-27: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate) - 2026-04-27: Returned To Senate as Passed. (House) - 2026-04-27: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (House) - 2026-04-27: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2026-04-27: Considered in the Committee of the Whole, and recommended do pass. (House) - 2026-04-27: RULES SUSPENDED (House) - 2026-04-23: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and placed on the CALENDAR. (House) - 2026-04-23: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2026-04-23: Ordered Immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2026-04-23: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate) - 2026-04-23: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2026-04-23: Rules suspended. (Senate) - 2026-04-23: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Re-referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE (Senate) - 2026-04-21: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Withdrawn from Committee and placed on 2nd reading for purpose of amendment # 1 (Senate) - 2026-04-08: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB36 - Introduced, 2026-04-01: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2026F%2FPublic%2FSB36.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2026F%2FPublic%2F&file=135.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2026F) ## Related bills - SB31: AN ACT FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. (enacted) - HB1066: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. (enacted) - HB1007: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION - PUBLIC SCHOOL FUND APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. (enacted) - SB21: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF AGING, ADULT, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. (enacted) - HB1005: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. (enacted) - HB1103: TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX CREDIT. (enacted) ## Sources - [SB36 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2026F%2FPublic%2FSB36.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2026F%2FPublic%2F&file=135.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2026F) ## Related - [SB31: AN ACT FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB31-2026F) - [HB1066: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1066-2026F) - [HB1007: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY E…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1007-2026F) - [SB21: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF AGING, ADULT, AND BEH…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB21-2026F) - [HB1005: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL Y…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1005-2026F) - [HB1103: TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX CREDIT.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1103-2026F) - [Arkansas bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/arkansas/bills) - [Arkansas state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/arkansas) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB36-2026F (as of 2026-10-16).