[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6296265,"mediaKeyId","2516926-a97eafdb098660cea52e4ab59a8ddaf4","parentId",2516926,"title","Committee voice votes advance a package of agriculture and natural-resources bills","audioSeconds",995,"startMs",34000,"endMs",1029000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2516926-a97eafdb098660cea52e4ab59a8ddaf4&start=34&end=1029","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2516926-a97eafdb098660cea52e4ab59a8ddaf4/thumbnail_34000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6296265/Arkansas/Committee-voice-votes-advance-a-package-of-agriculture-and-natural-resources-bills","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296265-03b7f93ac3766ecfed36b9ea9a9d5bbe/orig.mp4?Expires=1773662842&Signature=YO3urTtMlhJgsLRThD848pZltq68CX1912MdvaiIhDNJIMevcSokbPuE7BxmoeXOatFcH0JWq9RivvlrrgnizNMVlRAciSPQ7gsny7v5sDic1ZwM9XdTTaqo9tIWM~xw634PF~Kh~KgYlxLoOx54JauAP9YnS4-etTrKDq04U-IZSmoVDsp63J067NGFxkbnL5Yxk6rpBzCKwesivDke8XY~esC61wDYFet2p5Z-c0ZthunSmsn6hADGI0sTU4F7rzDVfjr2YYK1UJ-zb5lIr7zAr4qVHVkR56ALYAk06giU2HjWEWbyivC6m~GJpAj~B4cZC8Wb-kjQFiceZJ0KmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Arkansas State Legislature","date","2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","article","The Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee advanced a group of largely agency-sponsored and technical bills by voice vote during its Oct. 12 meeting.

Key measures the committee approved included:

- Senate Bill 267: Repeal of the Arkansas Alternative Motor Fuel Development Act, which sponsors said has not distributed funds since fiscal year 2014–15. Presented by Representative Jeremiah Moore, who said the bill was brought by the Oil and Gas Commission as an agency bill.

- Concurrence with Senate amendment No. 1 to HB1279: Committee member Roger Lynch asked for concurrence on the amendment; committee approved.

- Senate Bill 224: Repeal of the Natural Organic Fertilizer Act of 1988 because no product was ever registered under that law and the current fertilizer law already covers natural ingredients. Representative Howard Beatty presented the agency-backed repeal.

- Senate Bill 250: Amendments to the pest control law to remove dated employment language, shorten the re-examination waiting period from three months to 14 days, and require license-holder names on both sides of motor equipment for licensed operators; committee approved.

- Senate Bill 259 (numbered variously in discussion): Clarifies appointment authority for the director of the waterways commission, transferring formal appointment power to the governor and specifying that the director serves at the governor’s pleasure and reports to the secretary of commerce; committee approved.

- Senate Bill 251: Removes a statutory requirement that a particular office serve as executive secretary to the trails council while maintaining the agency’s role on the council; committee approved.

Committee members approved each item by voice vote; the transcript records committee approval for these measures but does not show individual roll-call tallies in the record. No public testimony for or against these bills was recorded in the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Agriculture and Economic Dev Committee - Mar 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee approved several agency and technical bills by voice vote, including repeal measures and administrative updates; individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.","taxTitle","AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT- HOUSE, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Arkansas","taxId",16141,"location","Arkansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6296268,"Committee approves bill allowing Arkansas Forestry Commission to use civil penalties before misdemeanor proceedings",425,993000,1418000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2516926-a97eafdb098660cea52e4ab59a8ddaf4&start=993&end=1418","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2516926-a97eafdb098660cea52e4ab59a8ddaf4/thumbnail_993000.jpg","/articles/6296268/Arkansas/Committee-approves-bill-allowing-Arkansas-Forestry-Commission-to-use-civil-penalties-before-misdemeanor-proceedings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296268-5acfb4affd95fe0ac119bf837666a117/orig.mp4?Expires=1773662842&Signature=XASMdQlyuiF5z5LTJ6bJPblBGlLfYu8GWrLd~UGYwtCmt6XtKdm-u1PCa5N7VvTxq6p-R8NipuNg2UZAJ4fJEfhiFF8PuZXBQGrKxly0psL1C35C1LxN-0-iyxELmMTvLHce-lCtltzjW4J7PkyqneP7Z7I59a~ltcHa~w~zDrVJsp~jcaDTEPfMM6iusvYYhAlKWKTS4UgIyGW9Efh33TRm9JKMdEf19-CV9VVhk7OusQ29polVoYyvZPfdvrqpRqC2I6x6bCg-s8Xn4wQ~SzPIsxgbqxfA4-stZohtzIVrmaXamnGGayDdsW~zRFmqUGz08CIDhMNw4c2yRplwEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 249, presented to the Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee, would add a civil-penalty option to the Arkansas Forestry Commission’s enforcement toolbox and clarify powers related to forestry licensing and disciplinary actions.

Representative Howard Beatty, the bill’s sponsor, said the statute currently requires the commission to pursue disciplinary steps that can include a class A misdemeanor for unregistered practice and that using a graduated civil-penalty approach would align enforcement with the Administrative Procedures Act. \"The civil penalty option is not as severe as immediate, charge and arrest for a class a misdemeanor,\" Beatty told the committee.

Beatty and agency staff said the proposed change would preserve the option to seek misdemeanors in severe cases but would give the commission an immediate civil remedy to encourage compliance and reduce court backlogs.

Representative Richard pressed the sponsor for a clear definition of who is required to be a registered forester. Kyle Cunningham, State Forester with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, explained that the intent is to target individuals who represent themselves as foresters and provide forestry services to landowners without registration. \"What this is intended for is someone, who calls themselves a forester and provides services to forest landowners in the state,\" Cunningham said.

Beatty told the committee the civil-penalty process lets the commission pursue stepwise compliance — warnings, consent agreements, then penalties — and retain the option to escalate to misdemeanor prosecution when warranted.

After discussion, Beatty closed and the committee approved the bill by voice vote; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally.","SB249 would give the Arkansas Forestry Commission the option to impose civil penalties and follow a stepwise enforcement process for unregistered or improperly practicing foresters rather than immediately pursuing class A misdemeanor charges; the committee passed the bill after questions about who must be licensed.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6296273,"Committee narrows HB1385 to require notice for wastewater disposal-well permit applications in affected districts",78,680000,758000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2516926-a97eafdb098660cea52e4ab59a8ddaf4&start=680&end=758","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2516926-a97eafdb098660cea52e4ab59a8ddaf4/thumbnail_680000.jpg","/articles/6296273/Arkansas/Committee-narrows-HB1385-to-require-notice-for-wastewater-disposal-well-permit-applications-in-affected-districts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296273-8fcc6feb3a6e93ef1af0282065d19209/orig.mp4?Expires=1773662842&Signature=P7LIYiUdVyD-2rIXRvtXtMR-H1pG7MMruuivYPQD7nXXTkEajWR3gj8lv2zjjFI3OrMF0zClYhq1Fj9p6oki2JlKW~WSmBP07ZUJMhUbsiiR4VloZF7SdI1lXZB~sUHQqRFAb4m8RDHdQ5kNH~FnpbyeP9oyuq2MoGQkjzNkOmwIlXfTQudBvRyPQxSqqHF9w9X6JNBtik3e6e5JD155Lgb2Fg1qx7bknNya14L4MXK9S-kpqdDsrLYUec4w8ckzL85Hkpkuj8MfH~vIHWJkC6uMaCGDnHVupkVi6HCREB1njegAh0BhCReFHGszc4bhMHucIBUfwPBN-Yi56MQ7Kg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Cameron Cooper, R-District 507, told the Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee that he amended HB1385 to narrow the bill’s notification requirement to the issue he sought to address: wastewater disposal wells.

\"So, in good faith, I made a change to this bill to limit it to the issue that I was trying to solve, and that was on the wastewater disposal wells,\" Cooper said. The amendment also allows the Oil and Gas Commission to notify legislators via email instead of only by written letter.

Cooper said the Oil and Gas Commission already notifies county judges when a permit application is filed in their county; the bill would ask the commission to also notify the representative for the district where a permit application for a wastewater disposal well is filed. He noted that increased drilling activity in the Fayetteville shale could increase demand for disposal wells.

\"So this may become a slightly bigger issue in those counties that are in the Fayetteville shell,\" Cooper said.

Committee members asked no questions; Cooper closed and the committee approved the amendment and the bill by voice vote. The transcript does not show a roll-call tally.","Rep. Cameron Cooper amended HB1385 to limit notifications to lawmakers to permit applications for wastewater disposal wells in their districts and to allow email notices; committee approved the change.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6296278,"House committee approves bill to allow agriculture law enforcement to issue small fines for animal-health violations",391,181000,572000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2516926-a97eafdb098660cea52e4ab59a8ddaf4&start=181&end=572","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2516926-a97eafdb098660cea52e4ab59a8ddaf4/thumbnail_181000.jpg","/articles/6296278/Arkansas/House-committee-approves-bill-to-allow-agriculture-law-enforcement-to-issue-small-fines-for-animal-health-violations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296278-7f02d339d2db9365750e7a7376e8e4ef/orig.mp4?Expires=1773662842&Signature=dm6DA630asFEpwhxg5VQIh7laILOq1etwVYqTba5H7zarTrTnmMJ0avGLuxh-Eoo18Xn5mKMOldpP~c6skpLSxG215n7mZ8EL4n47QokaFuAKYvgloL4boNTsvQxgbMGYmmNvZQBEv2TLgWtHTvISRCRs1tBhOKVWbbr-nHwdSnSQvkCQ7OjcELWJWuKuq92inqrKLz7B8O-m8R2ZOVbQAUOuIJSgse0COL4neGFvmDsG6fedjEt629XOtNvlfgae4TEBCOmG1sTfjuPa7QqhmefRf1H5iTpI~-G8O1LKjvH0peCRgEUf~S6em~0PB8UBb62No4330pW0pXVzR9rJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee on Oct. 12 voted to send HB1516 forward after lawmakers heard that the measure would give the Department of Agriculture’s law enforcement unit a modest fine to enforce animal-health and related requirements.

The bill “adds somebody guilty of a violation is subject to a fine not to exceed $300,” Representative Richmond said while presenting the bill, saying the change is intended to give the department an additional tool to enforce existing law. “We’re not creating new law here, we’re trying to create the ability to enforce existing law,” Richmond said.

The bill’s sponsor and the department emphasized the proposal is aimed at persistent noncompliance. “We’re not trying to money grab here in no way. It’s just simply giving us a tool that this department needs in order to solve a problem that the state has,” Billy Black, chief of law enforcement at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, told the committee. Black said the unit issues few citations overall and that warnings still are the typical first response: “Last year, we got a hundred and $10, this year, up $230,” he said when asked about ticketing trends.

Representative Richmond described scenarios that lawmakers and the department say the change would help address, including instances in which animal owners who do not obtain required tests and who come into contact with other animals can endanger larger livestock investments. Richmond said the penalty option is intended to increase compliance when warnings have not worked.

The bill also updates administrative language to reflect that the enforcement unit was moved into the Department of Agriculture from another agency, clarifies where collected fines would be retained, and mirrors other state law practice for postemployment firearm disposition for retiring officers.

Representative Platt asked whether the department would always issue a warning before a citation; Black replied that it “depends on circumstance” but estimated warnings occur about 90% of the time.

After questions, Richmond closed and moved that the bill “do pass.” The committee approved the motion by voice vote; individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.

If enacted, HB1516 would permit agriculture law enforcement officers to assess civil fines of up to $300 for specified violations and make several administrative updates related to the unit’s placement inside the Department of Agriculture.","The House Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee voted to pass HB1516, which gives the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s law enforcement unit authority to issue fines up to $300 for certain violations and updates administrative provisions after the unit moved into the department.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee voice votes advance a package of agriculture and natural-resources bills

Committee approves bill allowing Arkansas Forestry Commission to use civil penalties before misdemeanor proceedings

Committee narrows HB1385 to require notice for wastewater disposal-well permit applications in affected districts

House committee approves bill to allow agriculture law enforcement to issue small fines for animal-health violations