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Committee approves revenue stabilization schedule with $100M Medicaid transfer and two $150M emergency allocations
Summary
The Joint Budget Committee approved a revenue stabilization schedule that moves several allocations and includes transfers: $100 million to Medicaid sustainability, $70 million to the Arkansas Children's Educational Freedom Account, $43.7 million to discretionary set-asides, $5 million to motor vehicle set-aside and two $150 million transfers that carry an emergency clause.
The Joint Budget Committee adopted amendments to the revenue stabilization law and approved a schedule that reclassifies several allocations and directs multiple fund transfers to specified set-asides.
A presenter summarized that allocations for county operations and higher education moved from category B to category A compared with the governor's version and that the C1 and C2 amendments mirror identical House Bill 1100 and Senate Bill 75 filed in each chamber. The presenter flagged fund‑transfer language beginning on page 11 of the packet and identified specific transfers: a $100,000,000 transfer to the Medicaid sustainability set-aside (section 4); $70,000,000 to the Arkansas Children's Educational Freedom Account set-aside (section 5); $43,700,000 to various general discretionary majority‑vote set‑asides (section 6); $5,000,000 to the motor vehicle set‑aside (section 7); and two $150,000,000 transfers (sections 8 and 9) — one to the quick‑action closing fund and one to public highway improvements. Sections 8 and 9 include an emergency clause, effective upon passage.
Representative Wooten asked for clarification on the schedule figures and whether the general government fund and other funds showed the increases he read; Representative Eugene, the bill sponsor, clarified that the general education fund showed no increase (0) and confirmed that the other‑funds allocation represented approximately a $132.4 million increase in the total allocation compared with the prior period. Eugene characterized the increase in the general government category as about a 9% rise.
After discussion, a motion to adopt the amendment and the schedule was made and the committee adopted the amendment by voice vote. The committee then passed House Bill 1100 (do‑pass as amended) and Senate Bill 75 (do‑pass as amended) on subsequent voice votes.
What happens next: With the emergency clause tied to sections 8 and 9, those specific transfers would be effective upon passage if enacted; further procedural steps will follow the normal legislative process.
