Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 933 of the Regular Session
*CRH199* 04-09-2025 13:41:33 CRH199
State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S3/19/25 S3/31/25 S4/9/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 400 3
4
By: Senator Irvin 5
By: Representatives Milligan, Cavenaugh, Steimel, Cozart, Wooldridge, Vaught 6
7
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
12
13
Subtitle 14
TO AMEND THE FAIR-FUNDING PROGRAM. 15
16
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 17
18
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 — Definition. 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)(1) A recipient of fair funding under the fair-funding 30
program financial assistance provided by the Department of Agriculture under 31
subsection (a) subsection (b) of this section shall : 32
(i) Maintain records of expenditures; and 33
(ii) Submit an annual financial report to the 34
department and to Arkansas Legislative Audit by the end of each calendar 35
year. 36 As Engrossed: S3/19/25 S3/31/25 S4/9/25 SB400
2 04-09-2025 13:41:33 CRH199
(B) A recipient of fair funding is subject to a decrease 1
in future funding if the recipient of fair funding does not: 2
(i) Submit an annual financial report as required 3
under subdivision (c)(1)(A)(ii) of this section; or 4
(ii) Provide provide proof of yearly continuing 5
education requirements under guidance adopted by the department. 6
(2) A recipient of fair funding under the fair -funding program 7
established financial assistance under subsection (a) subsection (b) of this 8
section is subject to audit by Arkansas Legislative Audit. 9
(b)(1) The department is authorized to provide financial assistance to 10
livestock shows and fairs . 11
(2) Financial assistance provided by the department under 12
subdivision (b)(1) of this section shall be in accordance with the 13
department's annual appropriation approved by the General Assembly. 14
(3) Future fiscal year funding from the state shall not be 15
distributed to a livestock show or fair until all requirements of this 16
section are met. 17
(c)(1) A recipient of financial assistance under subsection (b) of 18
this section shall: 19
(A) Submit the following items each fiscal year to the 20
department and Arkansas Legislative Audit: 21
(i) An annual financial report for the previous 22
state fiscal year that includes without limitation an accounting of state 23
funding utilization; 24
(ii) An annual operating plan for the upcoming year; 25
and 26
(iii) A certificate of good standing from the 27
Secretary of State; and 28
(B) Be subject to an audit at any time by Arkansas 29
Legislative Audit. 30
(2) A county fair that utilizes county facilities or county 31
funds for a livestock show or fair shall submit the information in 32
subdivisions (c)(1)(A)(i)-(iii) of this section to the county quorum court 33
for review before submitting to the department and to Arkansas Legislative 34
Audit. 35
(d) A recipient of financial assistance under this section shall not 36 As Engrossed: S3/19/25 S3/31/25 S4/9/25 SB400
3 04-09-2025 13:41:33 CRH199
utilize funding provided by the state to pay association fees, dues, or other 1
association-related expenses. 2
(e) A county extension agent shall serve as an ex officio member of a 3
county fair board. 4
(f) An exhibitor may participate in one (1) district fair of his or 5
her choice. 6
(g) The following counties shall be members of the districts as 7
follows: 8
(1) Cleburne County, Fulton County, Izard County, Sharp County, 9
Stone County, and Van Buren County shall be in the North Central District; 10
(2) Mississippi County, Craighead County, Greene County, Clay 11
County, Crittenden County, St. Francis County, Cross County, Poinsett County, 12
Jackson County, Lawrence County, Randolph County, Lee County, Independence 13
County, Monroe County, Phillips County , Woodruff County, and White County 14
shall be in the Northeast District; 15
(3) Baxter County, Boone County, Carroll County, Madison County, 16
Marion County, Newton County, and Searcy County shall be in the Northwest 17
District; 18
(4) Arkansas County, Ashley County, Bradley County, Calhoun 19
County, Chicot County, Cleveland County, Dallas County, Drew County, Grant 20
County, Faulkner County, Lincoln County, Lonoke County, Ouachita County, and 21
Prairie County shall be in the South Arkansas District; 22
(5) Clark County, Columbia County, Garland County, Hempstead 23
County, Hot Spring County, Howard County, Lafayette County, Little River 24
County, Miller County, Montgomery County, Nevada County, Pike County, Saline 25
County, Sevier County, and Union County shall be in the Southwest Arkansas 26
District; 27
(6) Benton County, Conway County, Crawford County, Franklin 28
County, Johnson County, Logan County, Perry County, Polk County, Pope County, 29
Scott County, Sebastian County, Washington County, and Yell County shall be 30
in the Arkansas-Oklahoma District as provided under § 2 -36-307; and 31
(7) Lee County, Monroe County, and Phillips County shall be in 32
the Tri-County Fair. 33
(h)(1) For purposes of financial assistance under this section, the 34
Four States Fair hosted in Texarkana, Arkansas, shall be treated the same as 35
a district fair under this section. 36 As Engrossed: S3/19/25 S3/31/25 S4/9/25 SB400
4 04-09-2025 13:41:33 CRH199
(2) Residency restrictions on exhibitors shall not apply to this 1
subsection (h). 2
(i) As used in this section, "fair" means an event that includes 3
without limitation livestock shows, consumer and family science, 4
entertainment, and educational activities and programs . 5
6
/s/Irvin 7
8
9
APPROVED: 4/21/25 10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36