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SB 47

AN ACT FOR THE SAU-TECH APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.

2026 Fiscal Session

Allocates substantial state and cash funds for SAU-Tech operations, with major capital improvements ($23M) and expanded staffing across campuses, academies, and programs.

Notification that SB47 is now Act 21
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Bill Summary · SB 47

Summary of SB 47 (Session 2026F, Arkansas) – SAU-Tech Appropriation for 2026-2027

Purpose
- SB 47 proposes a comprehensive annual appropriation for SAU-Tech (Southern Arkansas University Tech) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027.
- It covers funding for regular salaries, operating expenses, contingencies, and specific programmatic line items across multiple SAU-Tech divisions (campus operations, fires training academy,Environmental Training Academy, Career Academy, and related auxiliary enterprises).

Key Provisions and Changes
- Regular Salaries and Staffing
- Establishes the maximum number of regular employees and corresponding salary rates for 2026-2027.
- Includes a broad roster of positions across twelve-month General Operations, Academic positions (including Division Chairs, faculty, librarians), and multiple administrative and technical titles (e.g., Chancellor, Vice-Chancellors, Directors, IT staff, Public Safety, Maintenance, Financial Aid, Registrar, etc.).
- Specific salary caps are listed for many titles (e.g., Chancellor at $214,799; IT roles ranging from roughly $60,000 to over $200,000 for certain pool positions; various director-level roles around $100k–$172k; faculty at $114,926; part-time faculty at $57,840).
- Includes dedicated positions for specialized programs (e.g., Director of Adult Education, Career Academy roles, Environmental Training Academy leadership).

  • Extra Help (Temporary/Part-Time)

    • Authorizes up to 175 extra-help positions for SAU-Tech operations (Section 2), with pay set according to Uniform Classification and Compensation Act or the act’s schedule.

  • State Operations Appropriation (General Fund)

    • Regular Salaries: $4,200,000
    • Personal Services Matching: $1,200,000
    • Maintenance & General Operation:
    • Operating Expense: $504,546
    • Conference & Travel: $56,627
    • Capital Outlay/Data Processing: $0
    • Contingency: $298,059
    • Total State Operations (Section 3): $6,259,232

  • Cash Funds Appropriation (SAU-Tech Fund)

    • Regular Salaries: $3,000,000
    • Extra Help: $150,000
    • Personal Services Matching: $1,100,000
    • Maintenance & General Operation:
    • Operating Expense: $4,500,000
    • Conference & Travel: $200,000
    • Professional Fees: $300,000
    • Capital Outlay: $1,300,000
    • Data Processing: $0
    • Capital Improvements: $23,000,000
    • Debt Service: $375,000
    • Fund Transfers, Refunds, and Investments: $600,000
    • Total Cash Funds (Section 4): $34,525,000

  • Fire Training Academy

    • Extra Help: Authorizes up to 55 part-time/temporary employees (Section 5).
    • State Operations – Fire Training Academy: $3,045,637 (Section 7) for personal services and operating expenses.
    • Cash Funds – Fire Training Academy: $915,951 (Section 8).
    • Total Fire Training Academy (Sections 6, 7, 8 combined): $3,045,637 state + $915,951 cash = $3,961,588.

  • Environmental Training Academy

    • Extra Help: Up to 50 temporary/part-time employees (Section 9).
    • State Operations – Environmental Training Academy: $444,110 (Section 10).
    • Cash Funds – Environmental Training Academy: $677,900 (Section 11).

  • Compliance and Legislative Intent

    • Section 12 reiterates compliance with procurement, budgeting, and related fiscal laws.
    • Section 13 states legislative intent to align disbursements with budget manuals and documented recommendations.
    • Section 14 declares an emergency clause, making the act effective on July 1, 2026, to ensure uninterrupted operation.

Effective Date
- Immediate effectiveness upon governor signature due to emergency clause; funding is intended to cover the 2026-2027 fiscal year (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027).

Impact and Scope
- Revenue/Expenditure Scope: Combines state general funds and cash funds to support SAU-Tech operations, specialized academies, and capital investments.
- Capital Investments: Notably includes a substantial capital outlay/capital improvements line in the cash funds portion ($23,000,000), indicating a major investment in facilities or infrastructure.
- Staffing and Compensation: Establishes a detailed salary framework for a broad range of positions, potentially enabling SAU-Tech to recruit and retain personnel for campus operations, IT, public safety, academic programs, and specialized academies.
- Program Extensions: Supports Fire Training Academy and Environmental Training Academy with dedicated funding and staffing provisions, signaling expansion or continuation of those programs.

This summary provides a high-level overview of the bill’s structure, funding allocations, and the programs it aims to support. For implementation details, readers should consult the bill’s full text and the agency budget requests.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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