# Arkansas SB57: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. Arkansas SB57, AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR., is a 2026 Fiscal Session Senate bill sponsored by Joint Budget Committee; status enacted, last action 2026-04-23 (Notification that SB57 is now Act 26); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB57-2026F - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB57 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2026 Fiscal Session - Title: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-04-06 - Last action: 2026-04-23, Notification that SB57 is now Act 26 - Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (126 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Summer pay options for school workers: benefit, medium. From July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, qualifying exempt school employees can receive extra summer pay with superintendent approval. Their regular duties must require fewer than 2,080 hours; pay is capped at one-twelfth of annual salary per month or partial month worked. With the state's Chief F… - Textbooks and campus support for students: benefit, low. From July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the law provides $223,024 for braille and large-print textbooks. The Department of Education uses school account funds to buy, copy, and ship books for blind and visually impaired students. These students must attend Arkansas public schools, not just the Ar… - Funding for deaf and blind education: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind gets operating funds. The law provides about $21.73 million in state funds, $2.32 million in designated federal funds, and $934,508 in cash funds. State funding includes about $11.04 million for salaries, $4.32 mill… - Staffing limits for specialized school workers: benefit, low. From July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind can employ 235 regular workers. The law sets job types and salary grades for teachers, counselors, interpreters, health staff, and support workers. The school can also use up to 72 temporary or part-time workers wh… - Unused school funds support campus repairs: benefit, low. The law directs the state's Chief Fiscal Officer to move the school's unused General Revenue balance from June 30, 2026. The money goes into a separate fund for special maintenance, renovations, or future construction. The Office of Budget must report carryforward amounts by the September Legislati… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-16 | House | House Vote - Thursday, April 16, 2026 11:43:22 AM | pass | 92 | 0 | 1 | | 2026-04-15 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 15, 2026 2:01:17 PM | pass | 34 | 0 | | ## Actions (18) - 2026-04-23: Notification that SB57 is now Act 26 (Senate) - 2026-04-16: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate) - 2026-04-16: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate) - 2026-04-16: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2026-04-16: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate) - 2026-04-16: Returned To Senate as Passed. (House) - 2026-04-16: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (House) - 2026-04-16: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2026-04-16: Considered in the Committee of the Whole, and recommended do pass. (House) - 2026-04-16: RULES SUSPENDED (House) - 2026-04-15: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and placed on the CALENDAR. (House) - 2026-04-15: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2026-04-15: Ordered Immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2026-04-15: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate) - 2026-04-15: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2026-04-14: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2026-04-08: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE (Senate) - 2026-04-06: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB57 - Introduced, 2026-04-06: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2026F%2FPublic%2FSB57.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2026F%2FPublic%2F&file=26.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 - [SB57 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2026F%2FPublic%2FSB57.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2026F%2FPublic%2F&file=26.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-SB57-2026F (as of 2026-10-16).