A measure filed at the Arkansas Legislature on Monday would renew funding for state grants awarded to pregnancy help organizations.
S.B. 286 by Sen. Scott Flippo (R – Bull Shoals) authorizes $1 million in state-funded grants for crisis pregnancy centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies, and social services agencies that provide material support to women with unplanned pregnancies.
The bill also contains language clarifying that grant funding cannot go to abortion providers or their affiliates.
The Department of Finance and Administration would be responsible for awarding the grants, which would become available when Fiscal Year 2024 begins this summer.
S.B. 286 is virtually identical to a good appropriation measure the Arkansas Legislature passed last year. It ensures that the grant program that lawmakers authorized in 2022 will continue to provide funding for pregnancy help organizations in the coming year.