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Arkansas Legislative Council adopts subcommittee reports, holds select contract items and refers RIF review
Summary
At its March 20, 2026 meeting, the Arkansas Legislative Council adopted multiple subcommittee reports, filed an APERS investment review, referred a Department of Commerce Reduction in Force to the Joint Performance Review Subcommittee, and recorded a failed PEER budget-transfer review for a $250,000 land purchase request.
The Arkansas Legislative Council convened March 20, 2026, in Committee Room A of the Big MAC Building in Little Rock and adopted a suite of subcommittee reports after receiving updates from standing and oversight panels.
Senate Co-Chair Ben Gilmore called the meeting to order and Representative Mary Bentley moved adoption of the February 20, 2026 minutes, which passed by voice vote. The Council then heard a sequence of standing-subcommittee reports and adopted each report by voice vote, including Executive, Administrative Rules, Claims Review & Litigation Reports Oversight, Game and Fish/State Police, Higher Education, Highway Commission Review, Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities, Occupational Licensing Review, State Insurance Programs Oversight, and Uniform Personnel Classification and Compensation Plan subcommittees.
The Executive Subcommittee approved a cooperative purchasing waiver for Stuttgart School District construction services, two contracts (consulting services for the Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities study and actuarial services for State Property Insurance oversight), and the use of Bureau of Legislative Research funds for Committee Room C renovations; the report was adopted by voice vote (Les D. Eaves presented the report).
During Review Subcommittee business, several in-state and out-of-state contracts were discussed. In-state Contract #4 (Arkansas Department of Education) and DHS In-State Contracts #6 and #7 were held for ALC pending follow-up information; agency representatives from DHS and the Department of Education responded to members’ questions in the chamber. Senator Blake Johnson moved to adopt the Review Subcommittee report, taking a separate vote on Out-of-State Contract #22; both motions were approved by voice vote. Senator Terry Rice initially sought a hold on Item #19 (Department of Public Safety — Central Flying Service Inc.) but withdrew his hold after the requested information was provided.
Representative Jeff Wardlaw reported items reviewed by the PEER Subcommittee, including temporary appropriations and ARPA/IIJA requests. A motion to review Item G.1, a $250,000 Budget Classification Transfer Request from the Commissioner of State Lands for a building purchase, failed in PEER, leaving that request unresolved in that subgroup.
Senator Missy Irvin moved to adopt the Uniform Personnel Classification and Compensation Plan Subcommittee report and concurrently referred the Department of Commerce Reduction in Force report to the Joint Performance Review Subcommittee for further discussion; the motions passed by voice vote. The Council also voted to file the Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System investment-summary request submitted under A.C.A. §19-69-101 (Senator Jonathan Dismang moved to file the request).
With no further business, the Council adjourned at 10:31 a.m. The meeting record lists the actions taken and items held or referred for follow-up by the relevant subcommittees and staff.
