(April 2019) A massive 2,047-page bill approved by the state General Assembly and signed into law this month by Gov. Asa Hutchinson is the foundation for the biggest Arkansas state government reorganization in nearly 50 years.
The reorganization emerged from work done by the Transformation Advisory Board (2017-18). It reduces the number of state departments from 42 to 15. PA 910 (sponsor: Rep. Andy Davis, R-Little Rock) creates 15 cabinet-level departments, including a Department of Transformation and Shared Services.
The measure seeks to achieve a number of goals:
- Reorganize the structure of state government;
- Improve the delivery of services to the people of this state;
- Provide sufficient flexibility to meet changing conditions;
- Establish a clear and orderly organizational structure of state government;
- Provide a reasonable opportunity to create budgetary and administrative efficiencies within an orderly organizational structure of state government;
- Effect the grouping of state entities primarily according to function into a limited number of cabinet-level departments; and
- Minimize overlapping of authority and duplication of effort.
Following are page references to departments listed in the act:
- General Provisions (pages 2-14)
- Agriculture (pp. 14-63)
- Commerce (pp. 63-235)
- Corrections (pp. 235-378)
- Education (pp. 378-812)
- Energy and Environment (pp. 812-1065)
- Finance and Administration (pp. 1065-1508)
- Health (pp. 1508-1635)
- Human Services (pp. 1635-1686)
- Inspector General (pp. 1686-1697)
- Labor and Licensing (pp. 1698-1780)
- Military (pp. 1781-1787)
- Parks, Heritage and Tourism (pp. 1787-1852)
- Public Safety (pp. 1852-1949)
- Transformation and Shared Services (pp. 1949-2033)
- Veterans Affairs (pp. 2033-2047)
