TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF THE MILITARY TO ENTER INTO PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING GIFTS RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE MILITARY.

HB 1526 authorizes Arkansas' Department of Military and Arkansas National Guard to form public-private partnerships (e.g., with businesses for facility maintenance or training support) while adding transparency requirements. It directly affects the military department, National Guard, and private entities entering such agreements. The bill requires the department to report partnerships valued between $10,000-$50,000 annually or $350,000 total to the Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee for review, and mandates full committee review for partnerships exceeding those thresholds. This updates existing gift rules to cover partnership agreements, ensuring legislative oversight of significant military spending without creating new funding.