# Arkansas SB67: AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC DEFENDER COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. Arkansas SB67, AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC DEFENDER COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Joint Budget Committee; status enacted, last action 2025-04-23 (Notification that SB67 is now Act 1016); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB67-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB67 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC DEFENDER COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-15 - Last action: 2025-04-23, Notification that SB67 is now Act 1016 - Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (132 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Arkansas funds legal help for parents: benefit, medium. For July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, the Commission for Parent Counsel gets about $4.78 million from the State Central Services Fund. This includes about $3.63 million for parent counsel reimbursements, not a set payment to parents. The commission can use that money for full-time or part-time contracts… - Arkansas funds public defense offices: benefit, low. For July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, the law provides State Central Services Fund money for public defense. State Operations gets about $3.97 million, with up to 22 regular workers and 3 temporary or part-time workers. The Trial Public Defender Office gets about $35.60 million, with up to 316 regular wo… - Legal service budgets gain transfer flexibility: benefit, low. From July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, the director can shift Parent Counsel budget amounts to meet client needs. Transfers cannot include Personal Services Matching, the budget line for employer payroll-related costs. They require Chief Fiscal Officer approval and prior review by the Legislative… - Certification limits funding for hired lawyers: cost, low. From July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, the commission cannot fund case expenses involving certain hired lawyers. The restriction applies when a defendant’s lawyer has not completed the commission’s attorney certification and designation process. The commission can grant an exception, but it must… - Defender workers get capped pay flexibility: mixed, low. From July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, covered public defender and attorney jobs can pay up to their grade maximum. The Public Defender Commission sets salaries, and the Office of Personnel Management must approve changes; raises are not guaranteed. That office must report approved changes to the… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-16 | House | House Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 12:00:26 PM | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2025-04-15 | Senate | Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 15, 2025 2:31:11 PM | pass | 34 | 0 | | ## Actions (27) - 2025-04-23: Notification that SB67 is now Act 1016 (Senate) - 2025-04-16: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-16: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Returned To Senate as Passed. (House) - 2025-04-16: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (House) - 2025-04-16: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-16: Considered in the Committee of the Whole, and recommended do pass. (House) - 2025-04-16: RULES SUSPENDED (House) - 2025-04-15: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and placed on the CALENDAR. (House) - 2025-04-15: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-15: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-15: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-14: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Amendment # 2 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 2 (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Re-referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE (Senate) - 2025-04-09: REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1 (Senate) - 2025-01-15: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE (Senate) - 2025-01-15: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB67 - Introduced, 2025-01-15: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB67.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=1016.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 - [SB67 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB67.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=1016.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-SB67-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).