Senate Bill 31 Summary

• Appropriates funds for personal services and operating expenses of the Department of Health's licensing and regulation boards for fiscal year ending June 30, 2024

• Establishes maximum employee counts and salary grades for multiple boards including the State Medical Board (34 employees), State Board of Nursing (30 employees), State Board of Pharmacy (10 employees), and various other regulatory boards

• Authorizes extra help (temporary/part-time) employees for multiple boards including up to 4 for the State Board of Pharmacy and up to 2 for the State Medical Board

• Appropriates $3.587 billion for the Arkansas State Medical Board, $3.532 billion for the State Board of Nursing, and $2.208 billion for the State Board of Pharmacy, with smaller appropriations for other professional licensing boards

• Includes special provisions allowing boards to contract investigators, transfer funds between line items, and expend funds for educational programs and scholarships related to healthcare professions; effective July 1, 2023