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SB 60 Arkansas Senate · 2026 Fiscal Session

AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC DEFENDER COMMISSION REAPPROPRIATION.

This bill reappropriates approximately $167,641 to the Arkansas Public Defender Commission to cover expenses related to resentencing juvenile offenders who were previously sentenced to mandatory life without parole. The funds, drawn from the Development and Enhancement Fund, are specifically designated for this purpose and must be used in compliance with state purchasing and budgetary laws. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that these specific funds cannot be combined with the agency's general operating budget for maintenance and other unrelated expenses. By declaring an emergency, the bill ensures the money becomes available on July 1, 2026, to prevent any disruption to the commission's essential services.
Issues: ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly reappropriates $167,641 to fund the Arkansas Public Defender Commission for essential legal services.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill funds resentencing for juveniles with life sentences, a key criminal justice reform measure reducing harsh penalties.90% 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 14, 2026 Signed Apr 27, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Act 83 → SB 60 · 2 edits
MINOR
The bill text was reformatted from 'Act 83' to 'SB 60' for the 95th General Assembly's 2026 session. The most significant change is the removal of the approval date (4/27/26), indicating this is a draft version awaiting final passage rather than an enacted law.
Scope change
The bill's substantive scope and applicability remain unchanged; only the header and approval status were modified.
TECHNICAL

Deleted the approval date line that previously indicated the bill was signed into law as Act 83.

Added blank lines and updated the header to reflect the new bill number (SB 60) and session year (2026).

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Actions timeline

Total actions
18
Key actions
9
Committee
2
Apr 27, 2026
Signed into law
Notification that SB60 is now Act 83
upper
Apr 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Returned from the House as passed.
upper
Apr 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
Returned To Senate as Passed.
lower
Apr 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
lower
Apr 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
lower
Apr 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
Considered in the Committee of the Whole, and recommended do pass.
lower
Apr 22, 2026
Upper · Passed
EMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
upper
Apr 22, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read the third time and passed.
upper
Apr 21, 2026
Upper · Passed
Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
upper
Apr 14, 2026
Introduced
Filed
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.