Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 706 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas 1
94th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 476 3
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By: Senators Hill, Irvin, G. Leding 5
By: Representative Vaught 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO CREATE THE RURAL VETERINARY STU DENT 9
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM; TO CREATE THE AGRI S CHOLARSHIP 10
PROGRAM TO BE ADMINI STERED BY THE DEPART MENT OF 11
AGRICULTURE; AND TO CREATE THE AGRI SCHO LARSHIP 12
PROGRAM FUND WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICU LTURE; 13
AND FOR OTHER PURPOS ES. 14
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Subtitle 17
TO CREATE THE RURAL VETERINARY STUDENT 18
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM; TO CREATE THE AGRI 19
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO BE ADMINISTERED BY 20
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE; AND TO 21
CREATE THE AGRI SCHOLARSHIP PRO GRAM FUND 22
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 23
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 26
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 2 -16-203(b)(4), concerning sums collected 28
under special revenue programs that are deposited into the Plant Board Fund 29
under the Arkansas Plant Act of 1917, is amended to read as follows: 30
(4)(A) All sums paid or recovered under this section shall be 31
deposited into the State Treasury. 32
(B)(i) Sums Except as provided under subsection (c) of 33
this section, sums collected under special revenue programs shall be 34
deposited into the Plant Board Fund. 35
(ii) Sums collected under general services programs 36 SB476
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shall be deposited into the Miscellaneous Agencies Fund Account. 1
2
SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 2 -16-203(c), concerning funds collected 3
through a civil penalty assessed by the Arkansas Plant Board under the 4
Arkansas Plant Act of 1917, is amended to read as follows: 5
(c) Moneys collected through a civil penalty assessed by the board 6
shall be distributed as follows: 7
(1) For amounts up to one thousand dollars ($1,000), as 8
currently used, including funding for the Arkansas State Plant Board 9
Scholarship program; and 10
(2) For amounts more than one thousand dollars ($1,000): 11
(A) The first one thousand dollars ($1 ,000) of the 12
assessed penalty for scholarships through the Arkansas State Plant Board 13
Scholarship program; and 14
(B) The remainder divided as follows: 15
(i) Sixty percent (60%) for scholarships through the 16
Arkansas State Plant Board Scholarship progra m; and 17
(ii) Forty percent (40%) deposited into the 18
University of Arkansas Fund to be used by the University of Arkansas 19
Cooperative Extension Service to the Agri Scholarship Program under § 25 -38-20
212. 21
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SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 2, Chapter 16, S ubchapter 2, is amended 23
to add an additional section to read as follows: 24
2-16-215. Scholarships — Degree programs related to agriculture — 25
Post-graduate degree programs related to agriculture or veterinary medicine. 26
(a) The Department of Agriculture ma y award scholarships to Arkansas 27
residents who are enrolled in or entering an institution of higher education 28
that offers: 29
(1) An undergraduate degree program at an institution of higher 30
education located in the State of Arkansas that is related to agri culture; or 31
(2) A post-graduate degree program at an institution of higher 32
education located either in the State of Arkansas or outside of the State of 33
Arkansas that is related to agriculture or veterinary medicine. 34
(b) The department may contract or otherwise cooperate with a state -35
supported institution of higher education, state agency, nonprofit 36 SB476
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corporation, or other entity, as appropriate, to award scholarships under 1
this section. 2
(c)(1) A recipient of a schola rship under this section shall enter 3
into an agreement with the department that contains the following 4
requirements: 5
(A) The receipt of scholarship funds shall be contingent 6
upon the recipient's compliance with this section and with the agreement 7
required under this subdivision; 8
(B)(i) For a scholarship awarded to an individual enrolled 9
in a qualifying degree program under subdivision (a)(1) of this section, the 10
degree shall be obtained from an institution of higher education located in 11
the State of Arkansas within six (6) years of the receipt of a scholarship 12
under this section. 13
(ii) For a scholarship awarded to an individual 14
enrolled in a qualifying post -graduate degree program under subdivision 15
(a)(2) of this section, the post -graduate degree shall be obtained from an 16
institution of higher education located either in the State or Arkansas or 17
outside of the State of Arkansas within six (6) years of the receipt of a 18
scholarship under this section; and 19
(C) The scholarship recipient shall: 20
(i) Agree to work full time in the state for at 21
least two (2) years after his or her graduation from a degree program under 22
subsection (a) of this section; and 23
(ii) Begin in-state employment as required under 24
subdivision (c)(1)(C)(i) of this section not later than one (1) year after 25
his or her graduation from a degree program under subsection (a) of this 26
section. 27
(2) The agreement under subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall 28
include terms for repayment of the scholarship funds upon the breach of the 29
agreement under § 17 -101-205(d)(4). 30
(d) This section shall not be construed to require the department to 31
endow or award any scholarship. 32
(e) Scholarships awarded under this section are contingent upon the 33
availability of funds. 34
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SECTION 4. Arkansas Code Title 17, Chapter 101, Subchapter 2, is 36 SB476
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amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 1
17-101-205. Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program. 2
(a)(1) There is established the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship 3
Program for rural Arkansas to be funded by the Agri Scholarship Program Fund. 4
(2) The Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program shall be: 5
(A) Developed and implemented to provide encouragement, 6
opportunities, and incentives to individuals pursuing a veterinary medi cine 7
degree to: 8
(i) Locate their veterinary practices in rural 9
Arkansas communities; and 10
(ii) Receive specialized training targeted to meet 11
the needs of livestock producers and rural communities in this state; and 12
(B) Administered by the Depa rtment of Agriculture. 13
(b) The department may: 14
(1) Enter into Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program 15
agreements with veterinary students who have met the requirements of this 16
subchapter; 17
(2) Prescribe forms for and regulate the submission of Rural 18
Veterinary Student Scholarship Program applications; 19
(3) Determine the eligibility of applicants; 20
(4) Accept or reject Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship 21
Program applications; 22
(5) Contract, increase, decrease, terminate, and otherwise 23
regulate all Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program disbursements and 24
receipts for the repayment of Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program 25
disbursements; 26
(6) Manage, operate, and control all funds and property 27
appropriated for or otherwise contributed to the Rural Veterinary Student 28
Scholarship Program under this subchapter; 29
(7) Accept gifts, grants, bequests, or devises and apply them as 30
a part of the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program under this 31
subchapter; 32
(8) Accept moneys from federal programs that may be used for 33
purposes permitted under this subchapter; and 34
(9) Contract or otherwise cooperate with institutions of higher 35
education, state agencies, nonprofit corporations, or other entities to award 36 SB476
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scholarships. 1
(c) The department shall give preference to students who: 2
(1) Are residents of this state; and 3
(2) Agree to serve in a county that has been determined to be an 4
underserved county for the practice of veterinary medicine, as determined by 5
the department. 6
(d) Each Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program agreement shall 7
require that a scholarship recipient: 8
(1) Complete: 9
(A) A veterinary medicine degree program; 10
(B) All required advanced training in public health, 11
livestock biosecurity, for eign animal disease diagnosis, regulatory 12
veterinary medicine, and zoonotic disease; and 13
(C) An externship and mentoring requirement with a 14
licensed and accredited veterinarian in rural Arkansas; 15
(2) Engage in the full -time practice of veterinary me dicine: 16
(A) In a: 17
(i) County in Arkansas that has a population of 18
fewer than forty thousand (40,000) people; or 19
(ii) Registered veterinary premises under a licensed 20
veterinarian if food -animal patients make up at least fifty percent (50%) of 21
the veterinarian's practice at the time the person entered into the Rural 22
Veterinary Student Scholarship Program agreement; and 23
(B) For a period of at least twelve (12) continuous months 24
for each separate year a student receives an award under the Rur al Veterinary 25
Student Scholarship Program, unless the obligation is otherwise satisfied 26
under this section; 27
(3) Commence a full -time practice of veterinary medicine within 28
ninety (90) days of completing a veterinary medicine degree program, or if 29
the person enters a post-degree training program, including a graduate 30
school, internship, or residency program, within ninety (90) days of 31
completing of the post -degree training program; and 32
(4)(A) Upon failure to satisfy the obligation to engage in the 33
full-time practice of veterinary medicine as required by subdivision (d)(2) 34
of this section, repay to the Veterinary Medical Examining Board, within 35
ninety (90) days of the failure to satisfy the obligation to engage in the 36 SB476
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full-time practice of veterinary med icine, the amount equal to the amount 1
awarded to the person, less a prorated amount based on any periods of 2
practice of veterinary medicine that meet the requirements of this section, 3
plus interest calculated at the prime rate of interest plus two percent (2%) 4
from the date the award was received. 5
(B) The interest under subdivision (d)(4)(A) of this 6
section shall be compounded annually. 7
(e) If a person is engaging in the full -time practice of veterinary 8
medicine under the Rural Veterinary Student Sch olarship Program agreement in 9
a county that no longer meets the population requirement after the date that 10
the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program agreement was entered into 11
by the department and the recipient, both parties to the agreement shall 12
continue to hold the terms of the agreement in full force and effect subject 13
to the other requirements of this section that are able to be met. 14
(f) An obligation to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine in 15
accordance with this section shall be po stponed during: 16
(1) Any period of temporary medical disability during which an 17
individual obligated under the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program 18
agreement is unable to practice veterinary medicine due to the temporary 19
medical disability; and 20
(2) Any other period of postponement agreed to or determined in 21
accordance with criteria agreed upon in the Rural Veterinary Student 22
Scholarship Program agreement. 23
(g) An obligation to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine in 24
accordance with the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program agreement 25
and this section shall be satisfied: 26
(1) If the obligation to engage in the practice of veterinary 27
medicine in accordance with the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program 28
agreement has been c ompleted; 29
(2) If, due to a permanent disability, an individual obligated 30
under a Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program agreement is unable to 31
practice veterinary medicine; or 32
(3) An individual obligated under a Rural Veterinary Student 33
Scholarship Program agreement dies. 34
(h) This section does not require the department to endow or award any 35
scholarship. 36 SB476
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(i) Scholarship awards are contingent upon the availability of funds. 1
2
SECTION 5. Arkansas Code Title 19, Chapter 5, Subchapter 12, is 3
amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 4
19-5-1277. Agri Scholarship Program Fund. 5
(a) There is created on the books of the Treasurer of State, the 6
Auditor of State, and the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State a miscellaneous 7
fund to be known as the “Agri Scholarship Program Fund”. 8
(b) The fund shall consist of: 9
(1) Moneys obtained from private or public grants, gifts, or 10
donations that are designated to be credited to the fund; and 11
(2) Any other funds authorized or provided by law . 12
(c) The fund shall be used by the Department of Agriculture to create 13
and maintain the Agri Scholarship Program under § 25 -38-212. 14
(d) Moneys remaining in the fund at the end of each fiscal year shall 15
carry forward and be made available for the purpo ses stated in this section 16
in the next fiscal year. 17
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SECTION 6. Arkansas Code § 19 -6-429 is amended to read as follows: 19
19-6-429. Veterinary Examiners Board Fund. 20
(a) The Veterinary Examiners Board Fund shall consist of those special 21
revenues as specified in § 19-6-301(95),. 22
(b) The fund shall there to be used: 23
(1) For for the operation, maintenance, and improvement of the 24
Veterinary Medical Examining Board in exercising the powers, functions, and 25
duties as set out in the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Practice Act, § 17 -101-26
101 et seq.; and 27
(2) To fund: 28
(A) The Agri Scholarship Program created under § 25 -38-212 29
and administered by the Department of Agriculture, with deposits to the Agri 30
Scholarship Program Fund in the amount of up to thirty thousand dollars 31
($30,000) per year; and 32
(B) The Rural Veterinary Student Sc holarship Program, § 33
17-101-205. 34
35
SECTION 7. Arkansas Code Title 25, Chapter 38, Subchapter 2, is 36 SB476
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amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 1
25-38-212. Agri Scholarship Program. 2
(a) There is created the Agri Scholarship Program. 3
(b) The Department of Agriculture may: 4
(1) Establish and administer scholarship programs for students 5
seeking degrees in agriculture -related fields; 6
(2) Adopt rules as necessary to implement the Agri Scholarship 7
Program, including without limitation eligibility requirements; and 8
(3) Accept gifts and apply for and receive federal funds for the 9
Agri Scholarship Program. 10
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APPROVED: 4/11/23 13
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