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SB 58 Arkansas Senate · 2026 Fiscal Session

AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - DIVISION OF HIGHER EDUCATION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.

Senate Bill 58, now Act 138, provides funding for the Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Higher Education for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The bill authorizes specific job positions and sets salary limits for staff within the division, including roles for program management, grants administration, and IT support. Additionally, it allocates money to support various student financial aid programs, such as the Arkansas Future Grants and the Arkansas Heroes Scholarship. The legislation also includes operating expenses for the State Board of Private Career Education to cover its administrative costs.
Issues: ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly allocates funding for higher education and student financial aid programs, strengthening state budget support for essential services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides funding for higher education administration and student financial aid programs, directly supporting educational access.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill includes funding for IT support staff, indicating a supportive stance toward technology infrastructure within the department.50% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill funds the Arkansas Heroes Scholarship, a program specifically designed to support veterans in higher education.85% confidence
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Apr 6, 2026 Signed Apr 29, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Act 138 → SB 58 · 2 edits
MINOR
The provided text contains only formatting and header changes, such as the removal of a reference to 'Act 138' and the addition of blank lines. No substantive policy changes, funding amounts, dates, or eligibility criteria were identified in the snippet.
TECHNICAL

Removed the reference to 'Act 138 of the Fiscal Session' from the header, likely to update the bill's citation or clear previous draft text.

Added two blank lines in the header section, likely for formatting consistency or spacing.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
19
Key actions
9
Committee
2
Apr 29, 2026
Signed into law
Notification that SB58 is now Act 138
upper
Apr 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Returned from the House as passed.
upper
Apr 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
Returned To Senate as Passed.
lower
Apr 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
lower
Apr 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
lower
Apr 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
Considered in the Committee of the Whole, and recommended do pass.
lower
Apr 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
upper
Apr 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read the third time and passed.
upper
Apr 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
upper
Apr 6, 2026
Introduced
Filed
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.