# Arkansas SB52: AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC DEFENDER COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.

Arkansas SB52, AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC DEFENDER COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR., is a 2026 Fiscal Session Senate bill sponsored by Joint Budget Committee; status enacted, last action 2026-04-27 (Notification that SB52 is now Act 81); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB52-2026F
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Arkansas SB52
- State: Arkansas
- Session: 2026 Fiscal Session
- Title: AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC DEFENDER COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
- Status: enacted
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-04-01
- Last action: 2026-04-27, Notification that SB52 is now Act 81
- Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 2 (129 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 5

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Public defender salaries can reach grade maximums: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027, listed public defender and attorney jobs can pay up to their grade maximums. Covered jobs include Chief Public Defender II and Attorney IV. The commission sets the pay, with approval from the Office of Personnel Management. That office must report approved changes at…
- Arkansas funds lawyers for low-income parents: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027, the State Central Services Fund provides about $4.78 million for the Commission for Parent Counsel. This includes about $3.63 million to pay lawyers and $280,000 for extra help, with seven regular and 14 extra-help positions. Qualified lawyers can receive full-time o…
- Arkansas funds public defense services: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027, the State Central Services Fund provides about $35.63 million for trial defense and $3.98 million for commission operations. Trial defense gets about $24.75 million for salaries, $770,000 for commission programs, and $300,000 for county public defenders. Commission o…
- Private-lawyer cases face public funding limits: cost, low. For July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027, the commission cannot use this law's funds for certain privately represented defendants' case expenses. The restriction applies when the hired lawyer has not completed the commission's attorney certification and designation process. The commission can grant an except…
- Extra-help staff gain flexibility with pay limits: mixed, low. For July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027, the Public Defender Commission can use authorized extra-help positions for up to 1,800 hours. Authorized parent-counsel extra-help positions are exempt from hours limits, and current part-time employees can also work as extra help. Their combined part-time and extra-…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-23 | House | House Vote - Thursday, April 23, 2026 11:39:14 AM | pass | 95 | 0 |   |
| 2026-04-22 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 22, 2026 1:59:05 PM | pass | 34 | 0 |   |

## Actions (22)

- 2026-04-27: Notification that SB52 is now Act 81 (Senate)
- 2026-04-24: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate)
- 2026-04-24: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate)
- 2026-04-23: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate)
- 2026-04-23: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate)
- 2026-04-23: Returned To Senate as Passed. (House)
- 2026-04-23: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (House)
- 2026-04-23: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House)
- 2026-04-23: Considered in the Committee of the Whole, and recommended do pass. (House)
- 2026-04-23: RULES SUSPENDED (House)
- 2026-04-22: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and placed on the CALENDAR. (House)
- 2026-04-22: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House)
- 2026-04-22: Ordered Immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: Read the third time and passed. (Senate)
- 2026-04-21: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate)
- 2026-04-15: Re-referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE (Senate)
- 2026-04-15: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate)
- 2026-04-15: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate)
- 2026-04-15: 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

- SB52 - Introduced, 2026-04-01: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2026F%2FPublic%2FSB52.pdf)
- Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2026F%2FPublic%2F&file=81.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)
- HB1005: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 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)
- 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)
- HB1103: TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX CREDIT. (enacted)

## Sources
- [SB52 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2026F%2FPublic%2FSB52.pdf)
- [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2026F%2FPublic%2F&file=81.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)
- [HB1005: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL Y…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1005-2026F)
- [SB21: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF AGING, ADULT, AND BEH…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB21-2026F)
- [HB1007: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY E…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1007-2026F)
- [HB1103: TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX CREDIT.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1103-2026F)
- [Arkansas bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/arkansas/bills)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB52-2026F (as of 2026-10-16).