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*BSS033* 04-22-2026 15:56:09 BSS033
State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H4/22/26 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 HOUSE BILL 1017 3
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By: Joint Budget Committee 5
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO MAKE AN APPROPRIATION FOR OPERATING, 9
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES FOR THE DEPARTMENT 10
OF AGRICULTURE - PROMOTION BOARDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 11
ENDING JUNE 30, 2027; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12
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Subtitle 15
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 16
- PROMOTION BOARDS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 17
2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. 18
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21
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SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION - BEEF COUNCIL. There is hereby appropriated, 23
to the Department of Agriculture, to be payable from the Beef Council Fund, 24
for operating, research and development expenses of the Department of 25
Agriculture - Arkansas Beef Council for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, 26
the following: 27
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 29
NO. 2026-2027 30
(01) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 31
(A) OPER. EXPENSE $22,076 32
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 5,000 33
(C) PROF. FEES 3,000 34
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 35
(E) DATA PROC. 0 36
As Engrossed: H4/22/26 HB1017
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(02) RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT 1,037,000 1
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $1,067,076 2
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SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION - CATFISH PROMOTION BOARD. There is hereby 4
appropriated, to the Department of Agriculture, to be payable from the 5
Arkansas Catfish Promotion Fund, for operating expenses, research, promotion 6
and consumer activities of the Department of Agriculture - Arkansas Catfish 7
Promotion Board for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 8
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 10
NO. 2026-2027 11
(01) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 12
(A) OPER. EXPENSE $1,000 13
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 0 14
(C) PROF. FEES 0 15
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 16
(E) DATA PROC. 0 17
(02) PROMOTIONAL ITEMS 25,000 18
(03) RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT 94,000 19
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $120,000 20
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SECTION 3. APPROPRIATION - CORN AND GRAIN SORGHUM PROMOTION BOARD. 22
There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of Agriculture, to be payable 23
from the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Promotion Board Fund, for operating, 24
research and development expenses of the Department of Agriculture - Arkansas 25
Corn and Grain Sorghum Promotion Board for the fiscal year ending June 30, 26
2027, the following: 27
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 29
NO. 2026-2027 30
(01) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 31
(A) OPER. EXPENSE $25,000 32
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 0 33
(C) PROF. FEES 0 34
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 35
(E) DATA PROC. 0 36
As Engrossed: H4/22/26 HB1017
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(02) RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 1,975,000 1
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $2,000,000 2
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SECTION 4. APPROPRIATION - RICE RESEARCH AND PROMOTION BOARD. There is 4
hereby appropriated, to the Department of Agriculture, to be payable from the 5
Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Fund, for operating, research and 6
development expenses of the Department of Agriculture - Arkansas Rice 7
Research and Promotion Board for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the 8
following: 9
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 11
NO. 2026-2027 12
(01) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 13
(A) OPER. EXPENSE $14,200 14
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 0 15
(C) PROF. FEES 0 16
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 17
(E) DATA PROC. 0 18
(02) RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 6,966,496 19
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $6,980,696 20
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SECTION 5. APPROPRIATION - RICE RESEARCH AND PROMOTION BOARD- CASH. 22
There is hereby appropriated, to the Department of Agriculture, to be payable 23
from the cash funds as defined by Arkansas Code 19-4-801, for rice research 24
and development of the Department of Agriculture - Arkansas Rice Research and 25
Promotion Board for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 26
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 28
NO. 2026-2027 29
(01) RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT $15,000,000 30
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SECTION 6. APPROPRIATION - SOYBEAN PROMOTION BOARD. There is hereby 32
appropriated, to the Department of Agriculture, to be payable from the 33
Soybean Promotion Fund, for operating, research and development expenses of 34
the Department of Agriculture - Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board for the 35
fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 36
As Engrossed: H4/22/26 HB1017
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 2
NO. 2026-2027 3
(01) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 4
(A) OPER. EXPENSE $60,500 5
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 0 6
(C) PROF. FEES 2,000 7
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 8
(E) DATA PROC. 0 9
(02) RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 8,537,500 10
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $8,600,000 11
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SECTION 7. APPROPRIATION - WHEAT PROMOTION BOARD. There is hereby 13
appropriated, to the Department of Agriculture, to be payable from the 14
Arkansas Wheat Promotion Fund, for operating, research and development 15
expenses of the Department of Agriculture - Arkansas Wheat Promotion Board 16
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, the following: 17
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ITEM FISCAL YEAR 19
NO. 2026-2027 20
(01) MAINT. & GEN. OPERATION 21
(A) OPER. EXPENSE $3,599 22
(B) CONF. & TRAVEL 0 23
(C) PROF. FEES 0 24
(D) CAP. OUTLAY 0 25
(E) DATA PROC. 0 26
(02) RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 440,895 27
TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED $444,494 28
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SECTION 8. SPECIAL LANGUAGE. NOT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ARKANSAS 30
CODE NOR PUBLISHED SEPARATELY AS SPECIAL, LOCAL AND TEMPORARY LAW. 31
SERVICE CHARGE FEE WAIVER. 32
(a)(1) After consultation with the Secretary of the Department of 33
Agriculture, the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State may waive the deductions 34
for the Constitutional Officers Fund and the State Central Services Fund 35
required under §§ 19-21-103 and 19-21-105 for: 36
As Engrossed: H4/22/26 HB1017
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(A) Collections of special revenue under § 2-9-112; or 1
(B) The deductions under §§ 2-20-406(c)(1), 2-20-507(c)(1), 2-20-2
606(b)(2)(A), 2-20-805(c)(2), and 2-35-308(b)(1). 3
(2) The Chief Fiscal Officer of the State shall notify the 4
Treasurer of State and the secretary of the waiver. 5
(b) The provision of this section shall be in effect only from July 1, 6
2026 through June 30, 2027. 7
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SECTION 9. COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS. Disbursement of funds 9
authorized by this act shall be limited to the appropriation for such agency 10
and funds made available by law for the support of such appropriations; and 11
the restrictions of the State Procurement Law, the General Accounting and 12
Budgetary Procedures Law, the Revenue Stabilization Law, the Regular Salary 13
Procedures and Restrictions Act, or their successors, and other fiscal 14
control laws of this State, where applicable, and regulations promulgated by 15
the Department of Finance and Administration, as authorized by law, shall be 16
strictly complied with in disbursement of said funds. 17
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SECTION 10. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the General 19
Assembly that any funds disbursed under the authority of the appropriations 20
contained in this act shall be in compliance with the stated reasons for 21
which this act was adopted, as evidenced by the Agency Requests, Executive 22
Recommendations and Legislative Recommendations contained in the budget 23
manuals prepared by the Department of Finance and Administration, letters, or 24
summarized oral testimony in the official minutes of the Arkansas Legislative 25
Council or Joint Budget Committee which relate to its passage and adoption. 26
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SECTION 11. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 28
General Assembly, that the Constitution of the State of Arkansas prohibits 29
the appropriation of funds for more than a one (1) year period; that the 30
effectiveness of this Act on July 1, 2026 is essential to the operation of 31
the agency for which the appropriations in this Act are provided, and that in 32
the event of an extension of the legislative session, the delay in the 33
effective date of this Act beyond July 1, 2026 could work irreparable harm 34
upon the proper administration and provision of essential governmental 35
programs. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act 36
As Engrossed: H4/22/26 HB1017
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being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health 1
and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 2026. 2
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/s/Joint Budget Committee 4
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