Arkansas furloughed 264 state employees Wednesday as the federal government shutdown took effect, according to the Department of Finance and Administration.
The furloughs affected 14 workers at Finance and Administration, 23 at the Department of Health, 41 at the Department of Human Services, 180 at the Department of Military and six at the Department of Public Safety. Despite the cuts, the Department of Human Services said it does not expect immediate disruptions to programs such as Medicaid or SNAP.
Other state and federal operations reported limited impact. The Northwest Arkansas National Airport said security screenings are expected to continue without interruption. The U.S. Postal Service said post offices will remain open since it operates independently of federal appropriations. National Park Service trails will stay open, though visitor centers may close.
The University of Arkansas said federally funded research projects will continue unless agencies issue stop-work orders.
The Arkansas Army National Guard designated all Soldiers, Airmen, civilian employees and technicians as excepted personnel, meaning they will maintain normal duty status.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders directed cabinet secretaries to follow protocol for suspending federally funded services during the shutdown. Agencies may continue operating if programs are deemed vital to public health and safety or if they have sufficient grant funding. All other federally dependent positions and programs are suspended until the shutdown ends.
The Governor’s full memo is below:
September 30, 2025 at midnight is the deadline to avoid a shutdown of the federal government. While we are hopeful congressional Democrats will not obstruct President Trump’s plans to fund the government, as a state, we must be prepared to ensure the continuation of those services vital to the protection of public health, safety, and welfare, while temporarily suspending government services that rely on federal funding.
Should a shutdown occur, cabinet secretaries, in consultation with the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) and the Department of Shared Administrative Services (SAS), will be responsible for determining which programs must be suspended and which employees will be furloughed based on the following criteria:
1. If a program or employee has been identified by the federal government as being necessary to protect public health, safety, or welfare, and the federal government has provided documentation guaranteeing funding during the shutdown, the program and federally funded employment may continue uninterrupted by the shutdown.
2. If an agency has sufficient federal funding and authorization from current or previous federal grants to fund a program or position, it may do so as long as funding remains available.
3. In all other cases, programs and employment that are wholly or partially dependent on federal funding will be suspended, effective Wednesday, October 1, for the duration of the shutdown. The federal government will not allow us to make any exceptions unless the protection of public health, safety, and welfare would be compromised.
My administration will do everything in our power to keep the vital functions of government working. DFA – Budget and Accounting offices, along with SAS – Office of Personnel Management, will be available to assist agencies in making these determinations. Please contact DFA and SAS for more information.
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