Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 291 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 249 3
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By: Senator Stone 5
By: Representative Beaty Jr. 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING VIOLATIONS AND 9
PENALTIES RELATED TO FORESTRY; TO AMEND THE POWERS OF 10
THE ARKANSAS FORESTRY COMMISSION; AND FOR OTHER 11
PURPOSES. 12
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Subtitle 15
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING VIOLATIONS 16
AND PENALTIES RELATED TO FORESTRY; AND 17
TO AMEND THE POWERS OF THE ARKANSAS 18
FORESTRY COMMISSION. 19
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 17 -31-105(a), concerning violations and 23
penalties related to forestry, is amended to read as follows: 24
(a)(1) Any person required to be registered under this chapter shall 25
be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor if that person The Arkansas Forestry 26
Commission may impose a civil penalty not to exceed five thousand dollars 27
($5,000) on a person required to be registered under this chapter if that 28
person: 29
(1)(A) Practices or offers to practice forestry without a 30
valid certificate of registration issued pursuant to this chapter; 31
(2)(B) Claims to be a forester certified under this chapter 32
without being so certified; 33
(3)(C) In any way tends to convey the impression that he or 34
she is a forester certified under the provisions of this chapter without 35
being so registered; 36 SB249
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(4)(D) Uses as his or her own the certificate of 1
registration of another; 2
(5)(E) Gives false or forged evidence to the Department of 3
Agriculture or the Arkansas Forestry Commission commission; 4
(6)(F) Uses an expired or revoked certificate; or 5
(7)(G) Violates any provision of this chapter. 6
(2) In addition to a civil penalty under subdivision (a)(1) of 7
this section, a person who violates subdivision (a)(1) of this section upon 8
conviction is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. 9
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 17 -31-204, concerning the powers of the 11
Arkansas Forestry Commission, is amended to add an additional subsection to 12
read as follows: 13
(d) The commission may promulgate rules to establish a penalty matrix 14
for violations of the offenses under § 17 -31-105(a). 15
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APPROVED: 3/12/25 18
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