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Arkansas Senate Bill SB476

Arkansas 2023 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SB476 Compare Versions

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11 Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2-Act 706 of the Regular Session
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54 State of Arkansas 1
65 94th General Assembly A Bill 2
76 Regular Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 476 3
87 4
98 By: Senators Hill, Irvin, G. Leding 5
109 By: Representative Vaught 6
1110 7
1211 For An Act To Be Entitled 8
1312 AN ACT TO CREATE THE RURAL VETERINARY STU DENT 9
1413 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM; TO CREATE THE AGRI S CHOLARSHIP 10
1514 PROGRAM TO BE ADMINI STERED BY THE DEPART MENT OF 11
1615 AGRICULTURE; AND TO CREATE THE AGRI SCHO LARSHIP 12
1716 PROGRAM FUND WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF AG RICULTURE; 13
1817 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 14
1918 15
2019 16
2120 Subtitle 17
2221 TO CREATE THE RURAL VETERINARY STUDENT 18
2322 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM; TO CREATE THE AGRI 19
2423 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO BE ADMINISTERED BY 20
2524 THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE; AND TO 21
2625 CREATE THE AGRI SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FUND 22
2726 WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRI CULTURE. 23
2827 24
2928 25
3029 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 26
3130 27
3231 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 2 -16-203(b)(4), concerning sums collected 28
3332 under special revenue programs that are deposited into the Plant Board Fund 29
3433 under the Arkansas Plant Act of 1917, is amended to read as follows: 30
3534 (4)(A) All sums paid or recovered under this section shall be 31
3635 deposited into the State Treasury. 32
3736 (B)(i) Sums Except as provided under subsection (c) of 33
3837 this section, sums collected under special revenue progra ms shall be 34
3938 deposited into the Plant Board Fund. 35
4039 (ii) Sums collected under general services programs 36 SB476
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4443
4544 shall be deposited into the Miscellaneous Agencies Fund Account. 1
4645 2
4746 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 2 -16-203(c), concerning funds collected 3
4847 through a civil penalty assessed by the Arkansas Plant Board under the 4
4948 Arkansas Plant Act of 1917, is amended to read as follows: 5
5049 (c) Moneys collected through a civil penalty assessed by the board 6
5150 shall be distributed as follows: 7
5251 (1) For amounts up to one thousand d ollars ($1,000), as 8
5352 currently used, including funding for the Arkansas State Plant Board 9
5453 Scholarship program; and 10
5554 (2) For amounts more than one thousand dollars ($1,000): 11
5655 (A) The first one thousand dollars ($1,000) of the 12
5756 assessed penalty for schola rships through the Arkansas State Plant Board 13
5857 Scholarship program; and 14
5958 (B) The remainder divided as follows: 15
6059 (i) Sixty percent (60%) for scholarships through the 16
6160 Arkansas State Plant Board Scholarship program; and 17
6261 (ii) Forty percent (40%) dep osited into the 18
6362 University of Arkansas Fund to be used by the University of Arkansas 19
6463 Cooperative Extension Service to the Agri Scholarship Program under § 25 -38-20
6564 212. 21
6665 22
6766 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 2, Chapter 16, Subchapter 2, is amended 23
6867 to add an additional section to read as follows: 24
6968 2-16-215. Scholarships — Degree programs related to agriculture — 25
7069 Post-graduate degree programs related to agriculture or veterinary medicine. 26
7170 (a) The Department of Agriculture may award scholarships to Arkansas 27
7271 residents who are enrolled in or entering an institution of higher education 28
7372 that offers: 29
7473 (1) An undergraduate degree program at an institution of higher 30
7574 education located in the State of Arkansas that is related to agriculture; or 31
7675 (2) A post-graduate degree program at an institution of higher 32
7776 education located either in the State of Arkansas or outside of the State of 33
7877 Arkansas that is related to agriculture or veterinary medicine. 34
7978 (b) The department may contract or otherwise cooperate with a state -35
8079 supported institution of higher education, state agency, nonprofit 36 SB476
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8584 corporation, or other entity, as appropriate, to award scholarships under 1
8685 this section. 2
8786 (c)(1) A recipient of a scholarship under this section shall enter 3
8887 into an agreement with the department that contains the following 4
8988 requirements: 5
9089 (A) The receipt of scholarship funds shall be contingent 6
9190 upon the recipient's compliance with this section and with the agreement 7
9291 required under this subdivision; 8
9392 (B)(i) For a scholarship awarded to an individual enrolled 9
9493 in a qualifying degree program under subdivision (a)(1) of this section, the 10
9594 degree shall be obtained from an institution of higher education located in 11
9695 the State of Arkansas within six (6) years of the receipt of a scholarship 12
9796 under this section. 13
9897 (ii) For a scholarship awarded to an individual 14
9998 enrolled in a qualifying post -graduate degree program under subdivision 15
10099 (a)(2) of this section, the post -graduate degree shall be obtained from an 16
101100 institution of higher education locat ed either in the State or Arkansas or 17
102101 outside of the State of Arkansas within six (6) years of the receipt of a 18
103102 scholarship under this section; and 19
104103 (C) The scholarship recipient shall: 20
105104 (i) Agree to work full time in the state for at 21
106105 least two (2) years after his or her graduation from a degree program under 22
107106 subsection (a) of this section; and 23
108107 (ii) Begin in-state employment as required under 24
109108 subdivision (c)(1)(C)(i) of this section not later than one (1) year after 25
110109 his or her graduation from a degree program under subsection (a) of this 26
111110 section. 27
112111 (2) The agreement under subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall 28
113112 include terms for repayment of the scholarship funds upon the breach of the 29
114113 agreement under § 17 -101-205(d)(4). 30
115114 (d) This section shal l not be construed to require the department to 31
116115 endow or award any scholarship. 32
117116 (e) Scholarships awarded under this section are contingent upon the 33
118117 availability of funds. 34
119118 35
120119 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code Title 17, Chapter 101, Subchapter 2, is 36 SB476
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125124 amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 1
126125 17-101-205. Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program. 2
127126 (a)(1) There is established the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship 3
128127 Program for rural Arkansas to be funded by the Agri Scholarship Program Fund. 4
129128 (2) The Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program shall be: 5
130129 (A) Developed and implemented to provide encouragement, 6
131130 opportunities, and incentives to individuals pursuing a veterinary medicine 7
132131 degree to: 8
133132 (i) Locate their veterinary practices in ru ral 9
134133 Arkansas communities; and 10
135134 (ii) Receive specialized training targeted to meet 11
136135 the needs of livestock producers and rural communities in this state; and 12
137136 (B) Administered by the Department of Agriculture. 13
138137 (b) The department may: 14
139138 (1) Enter into Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program 15
140139 agreements with veterinary students who have met the requirements of this 16
141140 subchapter; 17
142141 (2) Prescribe forms for and regulate the submission of Rural 18
143142 Veterinary Student Scholarship Program applications; 19
144143 (3) Determine the eligibility of applicants; 20
145144 (4) Accept or reject Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship 21
146145 Program applications; 22
147146 (5) Contract, increase, decrease, terminate, and otherwise 23
148147 regulate all Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program disburseme nts and 24
149148 receipts for the repayment of Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program 25
150149 disbursements; 26
151150 (6) Manage, operate, and control all funds and property 27
152151 appropriated for or otherwise contributed to the Rural Veterinary Student 28
153152 Scholarship Program under this subchapter; 29
154153 (7) Accept gifts, grants, bequests, or devises and apply them as 30
155154 a part of the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program under this 31
156155 subchapter; 32
157156 (8) Accept moneys from federal programs that may be used for 33
158157 purposes permitted under this subchapter; and 34
159158 (9) Contract or otherwise cooperate with institutions of higher 35
160159 education, state agencies, nonprofit corporations, or other entities to award 36 SB476
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165164 scholarships. 1
166165 (c) The department shall give preference to students who: 2
167166 (1) Are residents of this state; and 3
168167 (2) Agree to serve in a county that has been determined to be an 4
169168 underserved county for the practice of veterinary medicine, as determined by 5
170169 the department. 6
171170 (d) Each Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program agreement sha ll 7
172171 require that a scholarship recipient: 8
173172 (1) Complete: 9
174173 (A) A veterinary medicine degree program; 10
175174 (B) All required advanced training in public health, 11
176175 livestock biosecurity, foreign animal disease diagnosis, regulatory 12
177176 veterinary medicine, and zo onotic disease; and 13
178177 (C) An externship and mentoring requirement with a 14
179178 licensed and accredited veterinarian in rural Arkansas; 15
180179 (2) Engage in the full -time practice of veterinary medicine: 16
181180 (A) In a: 17
182181 (i) County in Arkansas that has a populati on of 18
183182 fewer than forty thousand (40,000) people; or 19
184183 (ii) Registered veterinary premises under a licensed 20
185184 veterinarian if food -animal patients make up at least fifty percent (50%) of 21
186185 the veterinarian's practice at the time the person entered into the Rural 22
187186 Veterinary Student Scholarship Program agreement; and 23
188187 (B) For a period of at least twelve (12) continuous months 24
189188 for each separate year a student receives an award under the Rural Veterinary 25
190189 Student Scholarship Program, unless the obligation is otherwise satisfied 26
191190 under this section; 27
192191 (3) Commence a full -time practice of veterinary medicine within 28
193192 ninety (90) days of completing a veterinary medicine degree program, or if 29
194193 the person enters a post -degree training program, including a graduate 30
195194 school, internship, or residency program, within ninety (90) days of 31
196195 completing of the post -degree training program; and 32
197196 (4)(A) Upon failure to satisfy the obligation to engage in the 33
198197 full-time practice of veterinary medicine as required by subdivision (d) (2) 34
199198 of this section, repay to the Veterinary Medical Examining Board, within 35
200199 ninety (90) days of the failure to satisfy the obligation to engage in the 36 SB476
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205204 full-time practice of veterinary medicine, the amount equal to the amount 1
206205 awarded to the person, less a prorated amount based on any periods of 2
207206 practice of veterinary medicine that meet the requirements of this section, 3
208207 plus interest calculated at the prime rate of interest plus two percent (2%) 4
209208 from the date the award was received. 5
210209 (B) The interest unde r subdivision (d)(4)(A) of this 6
211210 section shall be compounded annually. 7
212211 (e) If a person is engaging in the full -time practice of veterinary 8
213212 medicine under the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program agreement in 9
214213 a county that no longer meets the popu lation requirement after the date that 10
215214 the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program agreement was entered into 11
216215 by the department and the recipient, both parties to the agreement shall 12
217216 continue to hold the terms of the agreement in full force and effect subject 13
218217 to the other requirements of this section that are able to be met. 14
219218 (f) An obligation to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine in 15
220219 accordance with this section shall be postponed during: 16
221220 (1) Any period of temporary medical disability du ring which an 17
222221 individual obligated under the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program 18
223222 agreement is unable to practice veterinary medicine due to the temporary 19
224223 medical disability; and 20
225224 (2) Any other period of postponement agreed to or determined in 21
226225 accordance with criteria agreed upon in the Rural Veterinary Student 22
227226 Scholarship Program agreement. 23
228227 (g) An obligation to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine in 24
229228 accordance with the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program agreement 25
230229 and this section shall be satisfied: 26
231230 (1) If the obligation to engage in the practice of veterinary 27
232231 medicine in accordance with the Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program 28
233232 agreement has been completed; 29
234233 (2) If, due to a permanent disability, an individual ob ligated 30
235234 under a Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program agreement is unable to 31
236235 practice veterinary medicine; or 32
237236 (3) An individual obligated under a Rural Veterinary Student 33
238237 Scholarship Program agreement dies. 34
239238 (h) This section does not require the department to endow or award any 35
240239 scholarship. 36 SB476
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244243
245244 (i) Scholarship awards are contingent upon the availability of funds. 1
246245 2
247246 SECTION 5. Arkansas Code Title 19, Chapter 5, Subchapter 12, is 3
248247 amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 4
249248 19-5-1277. Agri Scholarship Program Fund. 5
250249 (a) There is created on the books of the Treasurer of State, the 6
251250 Auditor of State, and the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State a miscellaneous 7
252251 fund to be known as the “Agri Scholarship Program Fund”. 8
253252 (b) The fund shall cons ist of: 9
254253 (1) Moneys obtained from private or public grants, gifts, or 10
255254 donations that are designated to be credited to the fund; and 11
256255 (2) Any other funds authorized or provided by law. 12
257256 (c) The fund shall be used by the Department of Agriculture to cre ate 13
258257 and maintain the Agri Scholarship Program under § 25 -38-212. 14
259258 (d) Moneys remaining in the fund at the end of each fiscal year shall 15
260259 carry forward and be made available for the purposes stated in this section 16
261260 in the next fiscal year. 17
262261 18
263262 SECTION 6. Arkansas Code § 19-6-429 is amended to read as follows: 19
264263 19-6-429. Veterinary Examiners Board Fund. 20
265264 (a) The Veterinary Examiners Board Fund shall consist of those special 21
266265 revenues as specified in § 19 -6-301(95),. 22
267266 (b) The fund shall there to be used: 23
268267 (1) For for the operation, maintenance, and improvement of the 24
269268 Veterinary Medical Examining Board in exercising the powers, functions, and 25
270269 duties as set out in the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Practice Act, § 17 -101-26
271270 101 et seq.; and 27
272271 (2) To fund: 28
273272 (A) The Agri Scholarship Program created under § 25 -38-212 29
274273 and administered by the Department of Agriculture, with deposits to the Agri 30
275274 Scholarship Program Fund in the amount of up to thirty thousand dollars 31
276275 ($30,000) per year; and 32
277276 (B) The Rural Veterinary Student Scholarship Program, § 33
278277 17-101-205. 34
279278 35
280279 SECTION 7. Arkansas Code Title 25, Chapter 38, Subchapter 2, is 36 SB476
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285284 amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 1
286285 25-38-212. Agri Scholarship Program. 2
287286 (a) There is created the Agri Scholarship Progr am. 3
288287 (b) The Department of Agriculture may: 4
289288 (1) Establish and administer scholarship programs for students 5
290289 seeking degrees in agriculture -related fields; 6
291290 (2) Adopt rules as necessary to implement the Agri Scholarship 7
292291 Program, including without limitation eligibility requirements; and 8
293292 (3) Accept gifts and apply for and receive federal funds for the 9
294293 Agri Scholarship Program. 10
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