| 3 | 2 | | *LGL089* 02/26/2025 11:17:46 AM LGL089 |
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| 4 | 3 | | State of Arkansas 1 |
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| 5 | 4 | | 95th General Assembly A Bill 2 |
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| 6 | 5 | | Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1607 3 |
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| 7 | 6 | | 4 |
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| 8 | 7 | | By: Representative Rose 5 |
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| 9 | 8 | | By: Senator B. Davis 6 |
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| 10 | 9 | | 7 |
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| 11 | 10 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 8 |
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| 12 | 11 | | AN ACT TO CREATE THE OFFICE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION 9 |
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| 13 | 12 | | WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, HERITAGE, AND 10 |
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| 14 | 13 | | TOURISM; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11 |
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| 15 | 14 | | 12 |
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| 16 | 15 | | 13 |
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| 17 | 16 | | Subtitle 14 |
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| 18 | 17 | | TO CREATE THE OFFICE OF OUTDOOR 15 |
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| 19 | 18 | | RECREATION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF 16 |
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| 20 | 19 | | PARKS, HERITAGE, AND TOURISM. 17 |
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| 21 | 20 | | 18 |
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| 22 | 21 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19 |
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| 23 | 22 | | 20 |
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| 24 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 14 -270-202(a), concerning the 21 |
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| 25 | 24 | | elements of the FUN Parks Grants Program, is amended to read as follows: 22 |
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| 26 | 25 | | (a) There is hereby established the FUN Parks Grants Program to be 23 |
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| 27 | 26 | | administered by the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism Office of 24 |
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| 28 | 27 | | Outdoor Recreation. 25 |
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| 29 | 28 | | 26 |
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| 30 | 29 | | SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 14 -270-203 is amended to read as follows: 27 |
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| 31 | 30 | | 14-270-203. Authorization. 28 |
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| 32 | 31 | | The Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism Office of Outdoor 29 |
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| 33 | 32 | | Recreation is herein authorized to may promulgate procedures, rules, or 30 |
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| 34 | 33 | | guidelines necessary for the administration of the FUN Parks Grants Program. 31 |
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| 35 | 34 | | 32 |
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| 36 | 35 | | SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 25, Chapter 43, Subchapter 13, is 33 |
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| 37 | 36 | | amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 34 |
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| 38 | 37 | | 25-43-1310. Office of Outdoor Recreation — Creation — Powers and 35 |
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| 39 | 38 | | Duties. 36 HB1607 |
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| 40 | 39 | | |
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| 41 | 40 | | 2 02/26/2025 11:17:46 AM LGL089 |
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| 42 | 41 | | (a) There is created the Office of Outdoor Recreation within the 1 |
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| 43 | 42 | | Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. 2 |
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| 44 | 43 | | (b) The Secretary of the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism 3 |
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| 45 | 44 | | may delegate duties and responsibilities to the office. 4 |
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| 46 | 45 | | (c)(1) The secretary may employ a Director of the Office of Outdoor 5 |
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| 47 | 46 | | Recreation. 6 |
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| 48 | 47 | | (2) The director shall serve as the coordinator for the 7 |
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| 49 | 48 | | development of an organizational framework to ensure that outdoor recreation 8 |
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| 50 | 49 | | programs and policies are well -planned and coordinated. 9 |
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| 51 | 50 | | (3)(A) The director, in cooperation with the Parks, Recreation, 10 |
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| 52 | 51 | | and Tourism Grant Advisory Committee, shall administer the FUN Parks Grants 11 |
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| 53 | 52 | | Program under § 14-270-202. 12 |
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| 54 | 53 | | (B) Funding for the FUN Parks Grants Program shall be from 13 |
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| 55 | 54 | | the Parks and Tourism Outdoor Recreation Grants Fund as specified in § 19 -5-14 |
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| 56 | 55 | | 1051. 15 |
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| 57 | 56 | | (d) The office shall promulgate rules necessary for the implementation 16 |
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| 58 | 57 | | and maintenance of the FUN Parks Grants Program including without limitation 17 |
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| 59 | 58 | | rules concerning the: 18 |
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| 60 | 59 | | (1) Grant application procedure; 19 |
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| 61 | 60 | | (2) Grant selection criteria; 20 |
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| 62 | 61 | | (3) Usage limitations on grant money; and 21 |
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| 63 | 62 | | (4) Accountability procedures for grant recipients. 22 |
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| 64 | 63 | | (e) The director shall provide an annual written report to the State 23 |
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| 65 | 64 | | Parks, Recreation, and Travel Commission on the activities of the office. 24 |
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| 66 | 65 | | 25 |
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| 67 | 66 | | 26 |
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