Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 268 3
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By: Senators D. Wallace, J. Payton 5
By: Representative Cavenaugh 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE DISTRIBUTIONS FROM THE GENERAL 9
REVENUE FUND ACCOUNT; TO TRANSFER GENERAL REVENUE TO 10
THE AGING AND ADULT SERVICES FUND ACCOUNT TO BE USED 11
FOR FOOD SERVICES BENEFITING THE ELDERLY; TO DECLARE 12
AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
TO TRANSFER GENERAL REVENUE TO THE AGING 17
AND ADULT SERVICES FUND ACCOUNT TO BE 18
USED FOR FOOD SERVICES BENEFITING THE 19
ELDERLY; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 20
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 19-5-406(c), concerning the transfer of 24
remaining revenues under the Revenue Stabilization Law, is amended to read as 25
follows: 26
(c)(1) After the distributions under subsections (a) and (b) of this 27
section, an amount not to exceed seven million dollars ($7,000,000), or so 28
much as is available, shall be transferred to the Aging and Adult Services 29
Fund Account to be used exclusively for meal and food services benefitting 30
the elderly, including without limitation congregate meals at senior citizen 31
centers and home-delivered meal programs. 32
(2) An amount not to exceed four hundred ninety thousand dollars 33
($490,000), or seven percent (7%) of what is available to be transferred 34
under subdivision (c)(1) of this section, shall be set aside for the Fight 35
Senior Hunger Community Grant Match Program. 36 SB268
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(3) The remaining ninety -three percent (93%) under subdivision 1
(c)(1) of this section shall be allocated following the intrastate funding 2
formula and with the following restrictions: 3
(A) Fifty percent (50%) shall be used for raw food costs 4
in accordance with the Nutrition Services Incentive Program, 45 C.F.R. § 5
1321.87(d)(3), as it existed on January 1, 2025; and 6
(B)(i) Fifty percent (50%) shall be used for the direct 7
operating and labor costs of preparing and delivering meals or food for the 8
elderly. 9
(ii) Indirect food preparation and delivery costs 10
shall not exceed ten percent (10%). 11
(d) Any additional revenues available after the distributions in 12
subsection (b) subsections (a)-(c) of this section shall be transferred on 13
the last day of business in each calendar month to the General Revenue 14
Allotment Reserve Fund, there to be used for the respective purposes as 15
provided by law. 16
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 20, Subtitle 5, Chapter 76, is amended 18
to add an additional subchapter to read as follows: 19
Subchapter 9 — Fight Senior Hunger Community Grant Match Program 20
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20-76-901. Fight Senior Hunger Community Grant Match Program — 22
Creation — Definitions. 23
(a) There is created a grant program to be known as the "Fight Senior 24
Hunger Community Grant Match Program" to incentivize Arkansas counties, 25
cities, and nonprofit organizations to help fight senior hunger in their 26
respective communities. 27
(b) The Department of Human Services is authorized to award a grant to 28
a county, city, or nonprofit organization from funds provided under § 19-5-29
406(c) if: 30
(1) The county, city, or nonprofit organization develops a 31
written plan for providing meals or food to senior citizens in its community 32
and submits the written plan to the Area Agency on Aging in its region for 33
approval; and 34
(2) The members of the county quorum court, city council, or 35
nonprofit organization submits proof that, through either donations of money 36 SB268
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or property in kind, citizens of the county or city, or persons associated 1
with the nonprofit organization, have pledged or will make available no less 2
than one-half (1/2) of the cost of the program. 3
(c)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (c)(2) of this section, upon 4
the Area Agency on Aging's approval of compliance required by subdivision 5
(b)(1) of this section, the department may approve a state grant to be used 6
for the benefit of the county, city, or nonprofit organization program in an 7
amount that equals up to one -half (1/2) of the estimated program cost. 8
(2) The state's share of the county, city, or nonprofit 9
organization program shall not exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000). 10
(d) As used in this section: 11
(1) "Nonprofit organization" means an organization formed under 12
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as it existed on January 1, 13
2025; and 14
(2) "Property in kind" is limited to kitchen and dining space 15
operational costs that would be associated with the county, city, or 16
nonprofit organization's program. 17
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20-76-902. Reporting. 19
Each Area Agency on Aging shall report on its active programs and 20
expenditures to address senior food insecurity under this subchapter to the: 21
(1) House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative 22
and Military Affairs at least one (1) time each year and during a legislative 23
session; and 24
(2) Senate Interim Committee on Children and Youth at least one 25
(1) time each year during a legislative interim. 26
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SECTION 3. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 28
General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the percentage of Arkansas's 29
elderly population is increasing; that food insecurity within Arkansas's 30
elderly population is also increasing; that if unaddressed, this food 31
insecurity will continue to worsen and lead to needless mental and physical 32
suffering and increased financial stress; that this act creates the Fight 33
Senior Hunger Community Grant Match Program to address the issue of food 34
insecurity; and that it is necessary that this act become effective on July 35
1, 2025, to align the start of the grant program created by this act with the 36 SB268
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start of the state's fiscal year and thereby ensure proper funding and 1
appropriation for the grant program. Therefore, an emergency is declared to 2
exist, and this act being necessary for the preservation of the public peace, 3
health, and safety shall become effective on July 1, 2025. 4
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