Arkansas governor instructs state agencies on potential government shutdown

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday gave state agencies instructions on preparations ahead of a looming shutdown by the federal government. The deadline for U.S. lawmakers to avoid the shutdown is midnight Sept. 30, 2025.

“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,” Sanders said in a news release Tuesday morning.

Sanders said that, 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,” Sanders said. “DFA – Budget and Accounting offices, along with SAS – Office of Personnel Management, will be available to assist agencies in making these determinations.”