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Committee approves bill allowing livestock commission to impose civil penalties for equine malnutrition
Summary
The committee passed Senate Bill 563 to authorize the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission to impose civil penalties—up to $5,000 per violation—and to allow use of body condition scoring in equine cruelty cases.
Representative Bruce Cozart, R-District 91, introduced Senate Bill 563 and Department of Agriculture livestock staff explained the measure to the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development.
Patrick Fisk, director of Livestock and Poultry for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, told the committee the bill would authorize the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission to impose civil penalties for certain acts of cruelty against equine animals and would permit a body condition score to be used as evidence in nutrition-related cruelty cases.
Fisk said the commission would be authorized to impose civil penalties not to exceed $5,000 per violation for extreme cases of malnutrition or failure to provide adequate food and water. He said the change responds to situations where local officers lack the veterinary expertise to determine whether an animal is malnourished: a single block of hay or a small amount of water can appear adequate to an officer even when the animal is in poor condition.
Fisk described a process that emphasizes warnings and veterinary assessment before penalties are levied: the agency would issue warning letters, conduct a veterinary assessment including a body condition score, and pursue penalties only in extreme or unresolved cases. He said the measure is intended to address nutrition- and welfare-related situations rather than routine or age-related conditions.
Committee members asked about the prior penalty structure; Fisk said under the existing criminal code typical fines were often small (he cited a common $150 fine and an upper range he described), which he said often failed to resolve recurring problems. No member of the public spoke for or against the bill during the committee hearing.
Representative Cozart closed and moved that the committee “do pass.” The chair called for a voice vote; members responded “aye,” and the committee approved the bill.
The bill as presented did not specify implementation dates, a formal schedule for veterinary inspections, or a required appeals process; Fisk described internal procedures the department would use but the committee did not adopt additional statutory detail in the hearing.
