Senate Bill 4 Summary

• Establishes maximum of 11 regular employees for the Arkansas Ethics Commission for fiscal year 2022-2023, including 1 director, 1 IT manager, 4 attorney specialists, 3 compliance specialists, 1 business operations specialist, and 1 administrative specialist.

• Appropriates $977,479 total from the Miscellaneous Agencies Fund Account for the Ethics Commission, consisting of $653,955 for regular salaries, $209,614 for personal services matching, and $114,910 for maintenance and general operations including $110,910 operating expenses and $3,000 for conferences and travel.

• Requires disbursement of funds to comply with State Procurement Law, General Accounting and Budgetary Procedures Law, Revenue Stabilization Law, Regular Salary Procedures and Restrictions Act, and other applicable fiscal control laws and Department of Finance and Administration regulations.

• Specifies that funds must be used in compliance with stated reasons for adoption as documented in budget manuals, agency requests, executive recommendations, legislative recommendations, and official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee.

• Effective date is July 1, 2022, and bill was approved on February 22, 2022.