SB 63 Summary

• Appropriates funds for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 2024-2025, including personal services, operating expenses, and various specialized programs across multiple divisions and funds.

• Establishes maximum of 63 regular employees for Shared Services division and 539 regular employees for Operations division, plus authorizes up to 176 temporary/part-time employees across both divisions.

• Appropriates $9.7 million for Shared Services and $15.8 million for Operations, with additional appropriations for specialized programs including forestry operations ($19.3 million), plant board administration ($10.5 million), and livestock/poultry programs ($6.9 million combined).

• Provides $3 million for feral hog eradication, $1.5 million for agricultural fair funding, $970,000 for agricultural scholarships, and $300,000 for industrial hemp research programs.

• Authorizes fund transfers between livestock and poultry accounts and pest eradication programs with prior approval from the Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee; effective July 1, 2024.