Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SB581 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2	2	CRH151 03/31/2025 10:46:55 AM CRH151
3	3	State of Arkansas 1
4	4	95th General Assembly A Bill 2
5	5	Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 581 3
6	6	4
7	7	By: Senator B. King 5
8	8	6
9	9	7
10	10	For An Act To Be Entitled 8
11	11	AN ACT CONCERNING POULTRY INTEGRATORS; TO CREATE THE 9
12	12	POULTRY INTEGRATORS DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES AND 10
13	13	TAXPAYER PROTECTION ACT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11
14	14	12
15	15	13
16	16	Subtitle 14
17	17	TO CREATE THE POULTRY INTEGRATORS 15
18	18	DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES AND TAXPAYER 16
19	19	PROTECTION ACT. 17
20	20	18
21	21	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
22	22	20
23	23	SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 4, Chapter 88, is amended to add an 21
24	24	additional subchapter to read as follows: 22
25	25	Subchapter 15 — Poultry Integrators Deceptive Trade Practices and Taxpayer 23
26	26	Protection Act 24
27	27	25
28	28	4-88-1501. Title. 26
29	29	This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Poultry 27
30	30	Integrators Deceptive Trade Practices and Taxpayer Protection Act". 28
31	31	29
32	32	4-88-1502. Poultry integrator transparency — Definition. 30
33	33	(a) As used in this section, "poultry integrator" means a company that 31
34	34	owns poultry throughout the poultry growing process by supplying food, 32
35	35	medicine, or other needs for the poultry under a contract with a grower. 33
36	36	(b) An owner or operator of a poultry integrator shall not: 34
37	37	(1) Fail to disclose a material fact related to the business 35
38	38	health of the poultry integrator's business to a grower in contract 36 SB581
39	39
40	40	2 03/31/2025 10:46:55 AM CRH151
41	41	negotiations or under contract with the poultry integrator; 1
42	42	(2) Require the grower to make costly capital improvements or 2
43	43	changes to the grower's poultry houses or the manner of growing without 3
44	44	adequate assurance that the poultry integrator will fulfill its obligations 4
45	45	under the poultry contract with the grower; 5
46	46	(3) In the event the poultry integrator will no longer be able 6
47	47	to remain in business, fail to take all reasonable steps to ensure the 7
48	48	poultry subject to a contract between the poultry integrator and the grower 8
49	49	will be adequately taken care of; or 9
50	50	(4) Commit any deceptive and unconscionable trade practice as 10
51	51	described in § 4-88-107. 11
52	52	12
53	53	4-88-1503. Liability for poultry integrators — Penalties. 13
54	54	(a) An owner or operator of a poultry integrator that violates this 14
55	55	subchapter is liable if the poultry integrator knowingly engages in an action 15
56	56	described under § 4-88-1502(b). 16
57	57	(b)(1) As authorized under § 4 -88-103, a prosecutor may initiate an 17
58	58	enforcement action against the owner or operator of a poultry integrator who 18
59	59	allegedly violates § 4 -88-1502. 19
60	60	(2) As authorized under § 4 -88-104, the Attorney General may 20
61	61	initiate an enforcement action against the owner or operator of a poultry 21
62	62	integrator who allegedly commits a violation of § 4 -88-1502. 22
63	63	(c) The owner or operator of a poultry integrator that violates this 23
64	64	subchapter is, upon conviction, guilty of a Class B felony. 24
65	65	(d) A grower who is injured by the violation of this subchapter by a 25
66	66	poultry integrator may: 26
67	67	(1) File a civil action for damages; and 27
68	68	(2) Be awarded damages, fees, costs, and reasonable attorney's 28
69	69	fees. 29
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