# Arkansas SB81: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, HERITAGE, AND TOURISM - STATE PARKS AND TOURISM DIVISIONS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. Arkansas SB81, AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, HERITAGE, AND TOURISM - STATE PARKS AND TOURISM DIVISIONS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Joint Budget Committee; status enacted, last action 2025-04-21 (Notification that SB81 is now Act 897) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB81-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB81 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, HERITAGE, AND TOURISM - STATE PARKS AND TOURISM DIVISIONS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-21 - Last action: 2025-04-21, Notification that SB81 is now Act 897 - Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (128 yes, 2 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 11 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Park contest winners can receive prizes: benefit, low. From July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, authorized state park events can offer merchandise, gift certificates, and cash prizes. Winners must place first, second, or third, and the Division Director must authorize the event. Cash prizes across all contests cannot exceed $10,000 for the fiscal year;… - Construction funding for Delta Heritage Trail: benefit, low. For July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, the law provides about $37.88 million for Delta Heritage Trail construction. The money comes from cash funds held in the State Treasury, as determined by the state’s chief fiscal officer. It funds trail construction, not direct payments to households. - Construction funding for parks and museum facilities: benefit, low. For July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, the law provides about $83.57 million for Conservation Tax Operations. The money comes from Amendment 75 conservation tax proceeds. It includes about $45.87 million for construction, $3.50 million for equipment and other major purchases, and $4 million for special ma… - Funding for Arkansas parks and museum services: benefit, low. For July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, the law provides about $18.09 million for State Parks and Tourism operations. This includes about $12.57 million for regular salaries and $30,000 for tourism and museum grants. It also provides about $41.50 million from the Parks Cash Fund for staff, operations, resa… - State and federal grants support outdoor recreation: benefit, low. For July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, the state Outdoor Recreation Grants Program gets about $10.02 million. About $9.72 million of that amount is for grants. The statewide outdoor recreation plan also gets about $8.45 million in federal funds designated by the state’s chief fiscal officer. About $8.31 m… - Small towns get dedicated festival funding: benefit, low. From July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, the agency must budget $150,000 for festivals in communities with fewer than 10,500 people. This is part of the tourism-promotion budget, funded by the 2% tourism tax credited to the Tourism Development Trust Fund. The money can cover festival expenses, adve… - Delayed park repairs need legislative approval: cost, low. From July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, State Parks needs prior approval to spend its $4 million special-maintenance budget. Approval must come from the Arkansas Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee. The money covers park and museum repairs delayed because those facilities’ budgets lacked… - Beautification funding comes with staffing limits: mixed, low. For July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, Keep Arkansas Beautiful gets about $1.06 million from Amendment 75 conservation tax proceeds. This includes $40,000 for grants and $600,000 for advertising. The program can have up to three regular employees and one temporary or part-time worker when needed. The temp… - Stadium funding comes with worker limits: mixed, low. For July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, War Memorial Stadium gets $435,210 for staff, operations, maintenance, renovation, and repairs. A separate cash-fund budget provides about $1.51 million for staff and operations, including $144,000 for temporary workers. The stadium can use up to 144 temporary or par… - Tourism promotion funding with spending limits: mixed, low. For July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, the Tourism Development Trust Fund provides about $33.40 million for tourism promotion. This includes about $24.26 million for advertising and $2.92 million for tourist promotion. A separate $968,619 supports retirement and relocation promotion, including $898,619 fo… - Parks workers face staffing and pay limits: mixed, low. For July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, State Parks and Tourism can have up to 726 regular employee positions. The divisions can also use up to 807 temporary or part-time workers when needed. Regular salaries and temporary workers’ pay cannot exceed the limits for their job classifications. Temporary worke… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joint Budget Committee ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-10 | House | House Vote - Thursday, April 10, 2025 4:50:22 PM | pass | 97 | 0 | | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 9, 2025 2:02:20 PM | pass | 31 | 2 | 1 | ## Actions (18) - 2025-04-21: Notification that SB81 is now Act 897 (Senate) - 2025-04-14: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate) - 2025-04-10: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Returned To Senate as Passed. (House) - 2025-04-10: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (House) - 2025-04-10: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-10: Considered in the Committee of the Whole, and recommended do pass. (House) - 2025-04-10: RULES SUSPENDED (House) - 2025-04-09: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and placed on the CALENDAR. (House) - 2025-04-09: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-09: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-09: EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-01-21: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE (Senate) - 2025-01-21: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB81 - Introduced, 2025-01-21: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB81.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=897.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) - 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) - HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS. (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 - [SB81 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB81.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=897.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) - [HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1237-2025) - [HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1686-2025) - [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-SB81-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).