# Arkansas SB39: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. Arkansas SB39, AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Joint Budget Committee; status enacted, last action 2025-04-14 (Notification that SB39 is now Act 609); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB39-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB39 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-13 - Last action: 2025-04-14, Notification that SB39 is now Act 609 - Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (126 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 11 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Funding for disability and blind services: benefit, medium. Through June 30, 2026, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services receives $30 million for grants, aid, and purchased services. Blind Services receives $6 million for the same types of support; neither appropriation sets an individual benefit amount. Both agencies can carry unspent funds remaining on June 30… - Funding for unemployed workers’ benefit payments: benefit, medium. For July 2025 through June 2026, the law sets aside $702.000001 million for unemployment payments and related services. This includes $200 million for federally paid benefits, $500 million for taxable employers’ workers, and $1 million for reimbursable employers’ workers. It also includes $350,000… - Equipment grants and loans for disabilities: benefit, low. Through June 30, 2026, the disability telecommunications equipment program receives $310,000 for assistive equipment purchase grants. Another $750,000 funds loans for people with disabilities to obtain essential assistive technology or adaptive equipment. That loan funding also covers administratio… - Help paying for adult learners’ tests: benefit, low. The law sets aside $400,000 for GED tests and official practice tests through June 30, 2026. The money covers test costs for people taking either test. The law does not state a per-person amount or further eligibility rules. - Funding for manufacturing and supply networks: benefit, low. Through June 30, 2026, the Arkansas Manufacturing Extension Network receives $1.162614 million for staff, operations, grants, and aid. Federal funding provides $400,000 for staff and operations supporting creation of a national supply chain network. The state’s Chief Fiscal Officer selects the payi… - Funding for adult education and literacy: benefit, low. Through June 30, 2026, adult basic and general education grants receive $22.770569 million. Federal adult basic education grants receive $10.369442 million. Another $2.661788 million pays for adult education staff and operations, and literacy councils receive $1 million in grants. These funds suppo… - Funding for apprenticeships and construction training: benefit, low. Through June 30, 2026, construction craft training receives $916,399, including $800,000 in training grants. Federal funding provides $1.13015 million to expand apprenticeships registered under the National Apprenticeship Act. That money supports grants, agreements, contracts, and related arrangeme… - Funding for workers’ skills and training: benefit, low. Through June 30, 2026, the law provides $30 million in federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act grants. The Skills Development Fund receives $26.210963 million, including $8 million for workforce grants and $15 million for industry training. That total also includes $1.611456 million for ap… - Funding keeps workforce agency services running: benefit, low. Through June 30, 2026, workforce agency staff and operations receive $16.258332 million plus $63.578577 million from the agency’s Trust Fund. Federal funding provides another $21.346317 million for reemployment program staff and operations. The New Hire Registry receives $250,000, and the agency re… - Adult education funding gains performance rules: mixed, low. For July 2025 through June 2026, state adult education funds can match available federal money for the same approved purposes. Funding must go to administrative units judged to run efficient programs under Division of Workforce Services criteria. Those criteria include efficiency across counties se… - Limited flexibility for workforce budget transfers: mixed, low. For July 2025 through June 2026, the workforce director can transfer budget authority between eligible items. Spending forecasts must show a shortfall in one item and a matching excess in another. Transfers need prior Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee approval, plus approval from the Ch… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-08 | House | House Vote - Tuesday, April 8, 2025 4:13:55 PM | pass | 92 | 0 | 1 | | 2025-04-07 | Senate | Senate Vote - Monday, April 7, 2025 4:10:09 PM | pass | 34 | 0 | | ## Actions (25) - 2025-04-14: Notification that SB39 is now Act 609 (Senate) - 2025-04-09: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Returned To Senate as Passed. (House) - 2025-04-08: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (House) - 2025-04-08: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-08: Considered in the Committee of the Whole, and recommended do pass. (House) - 2025-04-08: RULES SUSPENDED (House) - 2025-04-07: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and placed on the CALENDAR. (House) - 2025-04-07: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-07: Ordered Immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-07: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Amendment # 2 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 2 (Senate) - 2025-03-10: Re-referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE (Senate) - 2025-03-10: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-03-10: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-03-10: Withdrawn from Committee and placed on 2nd reading for purpose of amendment # 1 (Senate) - 2025-01-13: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE (Senate) - 2025-01-13: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB39 - Introduced, 2025-01-13: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB39.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=609.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R) ## Related bills - HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. (enacted) - HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS. (failed) - HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO SET PENALTIES FOR A VIOLATION OF THE PROHIBITION OF SOLICITATION OF INJURED INDIV… (failed) - SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE USE OF ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS; AND TO REGULATE ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS FACILITIES. (failed) - HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO ALLOW A MUNICIPALITY TO PETITION TO SET ASIDE THE SALE OF PROPERTY TO CERTAIN P… (failed) - HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY; TO REQUIRE THAT A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BE SELECTED A… (failed) ## Sources - [SB39 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB39.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=609.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R) ## Related - [HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1265-2025) - [HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1686-2025) - [HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1237-2025) - [SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE US…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB440-2025) - [HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1695-2025) - [HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HR1012-2025) - [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-SB39-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).