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Read. Follow. Verify.Arkansas appropriates $147.9 million for the Division of Children and Family Services for fiscal year 2027
Last action · April 27, 2026: Notification that SB22 is now Act 77
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What This Bill Does
Arkansas enacted SB 22 (now Act 77) to fund the Department of Human Services - Division of Children and Family Services for the ending June 30, 2027. The law authorizes up to 1,420 regular employees, 65 temporary employees, and allocates $147,997,010 in total operational and grant funding.
The measure determines staffing levels, operational budgets, and state grants for foster care, residential treatment, and child abuse prevention programs across Arkansas for the 2026-2027 .
- SB 22 was introduced during the 2026 Fiscal Session by the Joint Budget Committee and enacted as Act 77. context
- The Arkansas General Assembly utilizes fiscal sessions in even-numbered years primarily to address state agency budgets and appropriations. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Department of Human Services - Division of Children and Family Services
Receives operational funding, staffing authorizations, and grant allocations for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Foster care recipients and families
Depend on the distribution of state and TANF foster care grant funds authorized by the legislation.
Children's Advocacy Centers statewide
Eligible to receive Safe Harbor Grants for services and treatment of sexually exploited children.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much total funding is appropriated for the Division of Children and Family Services?
How many regular employees are authorized for the division?
What funding is designated specifically for foster care?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
18 actions- Apr 27, 2026SenateEnrolledNotification that SB22 is now Act 77
- Apr 24, 2026SenateEnrolledDELIVERED TO GOVERNOR.
- Apr 24, 2026SenateReported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor.
- Apr 23, 2026SenateORDERED ENROLLED
- Apr 23, 2026SenateReturned from the House as passed.
- Apr 23, 2026HouseReturned To Senate as Passed.
Show 12 earlier actions
- Apr 23, 2026HouseEMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
- Apr 23, 2026HouseFloorRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
- Apr 23, 2026HouseConsidered in the Committee of the Whole, and recommended do pass.
- Apr 23, 2026HouseRULES SUSPENDED
- Apr 22, 2026HouseIntroducedRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and placed on the CALENDAR.
- Apr 22, 2026HouseRECEIVED FROM THE SENATE
- Apr 22, 2026SenateOrdered Immediately transmitted to the House.
- Apr 22, 2026SenateEMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
- Apr 22, 2026SenateFloorRead the third time and passed.
- Apr 21, 2026SenateCommitteeReturned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
- Apr 8, 2026SenateIntroducedRead first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE
- Apr 1, 2026SenateIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Substantial TANF Support for Foster Care
The act dedicates over $102.9 million specifically from TANF funds toward foster care, exceeding the state-funded foster care grant allocation.
Connected Entities
Sources
arkleg.state.ar.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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