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ArkansasSB42026 Fiscal SessionSenateWALLET

AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH - LICENSING AND REGULATION BOARDS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.

Sponsored By: Joint Budget Committee

Enacted

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

10 provisions identified: 9 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Licensing pathway sets foreign doctors’ requirements

Beginning July 1, 2026, foreign-licensed doctors can qualify for an Arkansas license through a full-time employment pathway. The job offer must come from a provider serving medically underserved people or operating in a federally designated Arkansas shortage area. These include medically underserved areas, medically partially underserved areas, and primary care health professional shortage areas. Doctors must hold an active foreign license without restrictions and have practiced during the four years before applying. They also need credential review, an active certificate, and a passing exam from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.

Chiropractic board funds operations and investigations

For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the chiropractic board gets $202,630 and has a two-person regular staff limit. The money comes from a Treasury cash fund chosen by the state's chief fiscal officer. The board must hire a qualified outside investigator as needed for complaints, including public-health risks and rule violations. It can use $10,000 from its Professional Fees funding for this work. Complaint and investigation reports are due to the House and Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs committees by December 1 annually.

Boards can fund healthcare worker recovery

From July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, three licensing boards can fund healthcare worker recovery programs. Authorized spending is $15 per licensed dentist, $30 per licensed physician, and $10 per licensed podiatrist. These amounts come from authorized board funds, rather than creating a stated new charge to license holders. Recipients must be Arkansas 501(c)(3) foundations with healthcare professionals on their boards. They must identify, treat, and monitor healthcare professionals with alcohol or drug abuse problems.

Funding for spinal injury care

For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission gets about $3.09 million. This includes about $3.01 million in state funds, $28,000 in federal funds, and $50,000 in cash funds. State funding includes $261,610 for long-term attendant care and $772,000 for the Spinal Treatment Program. Savings from the state appropriation can also support treatment, with advice and approval from the state finance department.

Funding and staffing for counseling boards

For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the counseling board gets $454,415 for staff and operations. The separate Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors board gets $31,966. Both use Treasury cash funds chosen by the state's chief fiscal officer. The counseling board can have four regular employees and up to two temporary or part-time workers when needed. Extra workers must be paid from money set aside for that purpose, within applicable state pay limits.

Funding for nutrition and treatment boards

For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the acupuncture board gets $11,000 for operating costs. The athletic training board gets $20,517, and the dietetics board gets $124,020 for staff and operations. The dietetics board can have no more than two regular employees. All three use Treasury cash funds chosen by the state's chief fiscal officer. The money supports licensing boards rather than direct payments to households.

Funding for vision and hearing boards

For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the dispensing opticians board gets $93,993 from its own fund. The hearing instrument dispensers board gets $50,678 for staff and operations. The speech-language pathology and audiology board gets $216,978. Those last two boards use Treasury cash funds chosen by the state's chief fiscal officer. These appropriations fund board operations, not direct household payments.

Medical and dental boards receive funding

For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the medical board gets about $3.53 million for staff and operations. The dental board gets $372,734 and can have no more than two regular employees. Both appropriations use Treasury cash funds chosen by the state's chief fiscal officer. This money supports board operations, not direct household payments.

Medical board money supports residency expansion

Beginning July 1, 2026, the medical board must transfer $500,000 annually to the state's Graduate Medical Education Fund. It transfers less when available money is below $500,000. Transfers must come from board cash funds that are not already obligated or allocated. The money must support the Graduate Medical Education Residency Expansion Board appropriation through the Division of Higher Education.

Nursing student loans can receive funding

From July 30, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the nursing board can request a student loan funding transfer. It can move up to $100,000 per fiscal year from its board fund to the Student Loan Program cash fund. The state's chief fiscal officer must approve the transfer. This authority does not set individual loan amounts or repayment terms.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Joint Budget Committee

    Affiliation unavailable

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 126 • No: 5

House vote • 4/29/2026

House Vote - Wednesday, April 29, 2026 10:30:55 AM

Yes: 91 • No: 5 • Other: 3

Senate vote • 4/28/2026

Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 28, 2026 2:43:42 PM

Yes: 35 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Notification that SB4 is now Act 146

    5/1/2026Senate

  2. DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR.

    4/29/2026Senate

  3. Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor.

    4/29/2026Senate

  4. ORDERED ENROLLED

    4/29/2026Senate

  5. Returned from the House as passed.

    4/29/2026Senate

  6. Returned to the Senate as passed.

    4/29/2026Senate

  7. EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED

    4/29/2026Senate

  8. Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.

    4/29/2026Senate

  9. Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and placed on the CALENDAR.

    4/28/2026Senate

  10. RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE

    4/28/2026Senate

  11. Ordered Immediately transmitted to the House.

    4/28/2026Senate

  12. EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED

    4/28/2026Senate

  13. Read the third time and passed.

    4/28/2026Senate

  14. REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED

    4/27/2026Senate

  15. Amendment # 2 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed.

    4/27/2026Senate

  16. Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment.

    4/27/2026Senate

  17. Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 2

    4/23/2026Senate

  18. Re-referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

    4/21/2026Senate

  19. REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED

    4/21/2026Senate

  20. Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed.

    4/21/2026Senate

  21. Withdrawn from Committee and placed on 2nd reading for purpose of amendment # 1

    4/21/2026Senate

  22. Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

    4/8/2026Senate

  23. Filed

    4/1/2026Senate

Bill Text

  • SB4 - Introduced

    4/1/2026

    PDF

  • Act Version

    PDF

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