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Read. Follow. Verify.Arkansas appropriates $194.4 million for Department of Human Services Division of County Operations for 2026-2027
Last action · April 29, 2026: Notification that HB1077 is now Act 127
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What This Bill Does
House Bill 1077 enacts the 2026-2027 appropriations totaling $194,421,838 for the Department of Human Services Division of County Operations, funding staff, grants, and assistance programs. The measure requires the state to seek a federal waiver to restrict Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits to essential goods like food and housing and limit cash withdrawals, while transferring $7.5 million of TANF funds to the Arkansas Better Chance Program. The act takes effect on July 1, 2026.
Residents relying on public assistance programs such as SNAP, TANF, Medicaid-funded services, emergency rental assistance, and summer EBT will see continued funding through mid-2027, alongside new restrictions on how TANF financial assistance and cash withdrawals may be used if federal waivers are approved.
- House Bill 1077 was enacted as Act 127 during the 2026 Fiscal Session of the 95th Arkansas General Assembly. context
- The Joint Budget Committee is responsible for reviewing and proposing state agency appropriation measures in Arkansas. 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 County Operations
Receives $194,421,838 in appropriations and authorization for up to 2,010 regular employees for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program recipients
Subject to proposed restrictions on permissible purchases and cash withdrawals via electronic benefit transfer cards if federal waivers are approved.
Arkansas Better Chance Program
Receives a $7,500,000 transfer from the federal TANF block grant.
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 does HB 1077 provide for the Division of County Operations?
What changes are proposed for TANF program participants under this act?
Where does the funding for the Summer EBT program come from, and how much is allocated?
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
19 actions- Apr 29, 2026HouseEnrolledNotification that HB1077 is now Act 127
- Apr 28, 2026HouseCorrectly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office.
- Apr 27, 2026HouseTO BE ENROLLED
- Apr 27, 2026HouseReturned from the Senate as passed.
- Apr 27, 2026SenateReturned to the House as Passed.
- Apr 27, 2026SenateEMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
Show 13 earlier actions
- Apr 27, 2026SenateFloorRead the third time and passed.
- Apr 23, 2026SenateIntroducedRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and placed on the calendar.
- Apr 23, 2026SenateReceived from the House.
- 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, 2026HouseCommitteeReturned by the Committee Do Pass
- Apr 21, 2026HouseREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
- Apr 21, 2026HouseCommitteeAmendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.
- Apr 21, 2026HousePlaced on second reading for the purpose of amendment.
- Apr 8, 2026HouseIntroducedRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE
- Apr 1, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled
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.
TANF Spending Restrictions Mandated
The legislature conditions TANF participation on federal approval of waivers restricting cash withdrawals and purchases to designated essential categories.
Connected Entities
Sources
arkleg.state.ar.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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