ANRC Water and Waste Disposal Bond Question (Act 578 of 2025) — Overview

Page last updated October 4, 2026 · Analysis validated September 9, 2026 · Sources last checked September 9, 2026

Issue 4 — Water, Waste Disposal, and Pollution Abatement Bonds

What it is

Issue 4 is not a constitutional amendment. It is a bond question. On November 3, 2026, voters decide whether the state may borrow money for water and pollution control projects.

How it reached the ballot

The General Assembly referred it by passing a law. Senator Hester sponsored it in 2025 as Senate Bill 421. It was never amended. The Governor approved it on April 14, 2025, and it became Act 578. The Act sets the election itself. The question goes to voters at the 2026 general election, unless the Governor calls a special election first. The Secretary of State's notice puts the question on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot.

What a general obligation bond is

The state borrows money from investors. It promises to pay the money back with interest. "General obligation" means the full faith and credit of the state stand behind that promise. If other money runs short, the state still owes it.

How much

The Act sets three limits.

No more than $500 million in total.
Of that, no more than $165 million may go to irrigation projects.
No more than $60 million may be issued in any two-year period, unless the General Assembly approves a larger amount.

How much the State could borrow, and the irrigation share The $60 million two-year cap above is a rate, not a third ceiling, so it is not shown here.

Total the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (the state agency that would issue the bonds) could borrow	$500 million
Of that total, the most that may go to irrigation projects	$165 million

What the money would build

Projects for water, waste disposal, pollution control and abatement, drainage, irrigation, flood control, and wetlands and aquatic resources. The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (the state agency that would issue the bonds) would choose the projects.

How the state would pay it back

From general revenues. The Act tells the Treasurer to move money into a bond fund every month. It makes those transfers a first charge against general revenues, ahead of every other use, under present law or any law passed later. Other general obligation bonds of the state rank equally with these.

What has to happen before any bonds are issued

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (the state agency that would issue the bonds) must give the Governor a written plan. The plan has to say how projects will be chosen. It has to say how much borrowing is requested for that two-year period. The Governor must then ask the state's Chief Fiscal Officer whether paying that debt would cause undue hardship for agencies or programs funded from general revenues. The Governor must also seek advice from the Joint Budget Committee, or from the Legislative Council when the legislature is not in session. Only then may the Governor authorize the borrowing. The Governor may also decline.

The Act sets no end date for this borrowing authority. The first two-year period begins July 1, 2027. If voters reject the measure, the Act says the subchapter is of no further effect. Nothing in the Act says the authority expires on its own.

Where to read it yourself

The Secretary of State publishes the ballot notice for Issue No. 4 — one page, the ballot title and question. The Arkansas General Assembly publishes the full text of Act 578, which is the measure itself. ARvoters holds both documents. On September 9, 2026, we checked that each file matches the one the State published.

Questions for discussion

Debt service on these bonds would be a first charge against general revenues, ahead of all other uses. What does that mean for the rest of the state budget in a year when revenue falls short?
The Act caps borrowing at $60 million per two-year period, but the General Assembly can raise that. What would that take?
Who decides which projects get funded, and what public record is there of that choice?
How long does this borrowing authority last once voters approve it?
Irrigation has its own $165 million ceiling. Why is it treated differently from the other project types?
Communities across Arkansas have water and sewer needs. How would a town find out whether it qualifies?

The information above is provided as context for this issue. As additional primary-source data becomes available, this Overview will be expanded as warranted, and companion reports may be published providing more detailed analysis of the issue, including its examination through the three constitutional interpretive traditions recognized by ARvoters.com.

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