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 400 3
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By: Senator Irvin 5
By: Representatives Milligan, Cavenaugh, Steimel, Cozart, Wooldridge, Vaught 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING AGRICULTURE; TO 9
AMEND THE FAIR-FUNDING PROGRAM; AND FOR OTHER 10
PURPOSES. 11
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Subtitle 14
TO AMEND THE FAIR-FUNDING PROGRAM. 15
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 17
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 2-36-101 is amended to read as follows: 19
2-36-101. Fair-funding program Funding for livestock shows and fairs — 20
Requirements — Districts. 21
(a) There is created within the Department of Agriculture a fair -22
funding program that shall be used to provide fair-funding assistance to 23
junior livestock shows, county fairs, district fairs, and the Arkansas State 24
Fair and Livestock Show. 25
(b) The department shall utilize a historical average of total fair 26
funding provided by the State of Arkansas to previous fair -funding recipients 27
in determining an equitable distribution of available funding appropriated by 28
the General Assembly. 29
(c)(1)(A) A recipient of fair funding under the fair -funding program 30
under subsection (a) of this section shall: 31
(i) Maintain records of expenditures; and 32
(ii) Submit an annual financial report to the 33
department and to Arkansas Legislative Audit by the end of each calendar 34
year. 35
(B) A recipient of fair funding is subject to a decrease 36 SB400
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in future funding if the recipient of fair funding does not: 1
(i) Submit an annual financial report as required 2
under subdivision (c)(1)(A)(ii) of this section; or 3
(ii) Provide proof of yearly continuing education 4
requirements under guidance adopted by the department. 5
(2) A recipient of fair funding under the fair -funding program 6
established under subsection (a) of this section is subject to audit by 7
Arkansas Legislative Audit (1) The Department of Agriculture is authorized 8
to provide financial assistance to livestock shows and fairs . 9
(2) Financial assistance provided by the department under 10
subdivision (a)(1) of this section shall be in accordance with the 11
department's annual appropriation approved by the General Assembly. 12
(3) Future fiscal year funding from the state shall not be 13
distributed to a livestock show or fair until all requirements of this 14
section are met. 15
(b)(1) A recipient of financial assistance under subsection (a) of 16
this section shall: 17
(A) Submit the following items each fiscal year to the 18
department and Arkansas Legislative Audit: 19
(i) An annual financial report for the previous 20
state fiscal year that includes without limitation an accounting of state 21
funding utilization; 22
(ii) An annual operating plan for the upcoming year; 23
and 24
(iii) A certificate of good standing from the 25
Secretary of State; and 26
(B) Be subject to an audit at any time by Arkansas 27
Legislative Audit. 28
(2) A county fair that utilizes county facilities or county 29
funds for a livestock show or fair shall submit the information in 30
subdivisions (b)(1)(A)(i) -(iii) of this section to the county quorum court 31
for review and approval before submitting to the department and to Arkansas 32
Legislative Audit. 33
(c) A recipient of financial assistance under this section shall not 34
utilize funding provided by the state to pay association fees, dues, or other 35
association-related expenses. 36 SB400
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(d) A county extension agent shall serve as a member of a county fair 1
board. 2
(e) An exhibitor may only participate in the district fair of his or 3
her primary residence. 4
(f) The following counties shall be members of the districts as 5
follows: 6
(1) Cleburne County, Fulton County, Independence County, Izard 7
County, Sharp County, Stone County, and Van Buren County shall be in the 8
North Central District; 9
(2) Mississippi County, Craighead County, Greene County, Clay 10
County, Crittenden County, St. Francis County, Cross County, Poinsett County, 11
Jackson County, Lawrence County, Randolph County, Lee County, Woodruff 12
County, and White County shall be in the Northeast District; 13
(3) Baxter County, Boone County, Carroll County, Madison County, 14
Marion County, Newton County, and Searcy County shall be in the Northwest 15
District; 16
(4) Arkansas County, Ashley County, Bradley County, Calhoun 17
County, Chicot County, Cleveland County, Dallas County, Drew County, Grant 18
County, Faulkner County, Lincoln County, Lonoke County, Ouachita County, and 19
Prairie County shall be in the South Arkansas District; 20
(5) Clark County, Columbia County, Garland County, Hempstead 21
County, Hot Springs County, Howard County, Lafayette County, Little River 22
County, Miller County, Montgomery County, Nevada County, Pike County, Saline 23
County, Sevier County, and Union County shall be in the Southwest Arkansas 24
District; and 25
(6) Benton County, Conway County, Crawford County, Franklin 26
County, Johnson County, Logan County, Perry County, Polk County, Pope County, 27
Scott County, Sebastian County, Washington County, and Yell County shall be 28
in the Arkansas-Oklahoma District as provided under § 2 -36-307. 29
(g)(1) For purposes of financial assistance under this section, the 30
Four States Fair hosted in Texarkana, Arkansas, shall be treated the same as 31
a district fair under this section. 32
(2) Residency restrictions on exhibitors shall not apply to this 33
subsection (g). 34
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