AR SB290

State agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy and Environment, are prohibited from instituting moratoriums on permits for agricultural production in watersheds or bodies of water without following formal rulemaking procedures and obtaining Legislative Council approval

"Moratorium" is defined as any prohibition on permit issuance or limitation on agricultural production, including livestock and poultry operations, contained animal feeding operations, and cultivation of crops and orchards

Any approved moratorium automatically expires after 4 years and requires renewed legislative review and approval to continue

Emergency moratoriums remain permitted to protect public health, safety, or welfare or to comply with federal law, and existing moratoriums instituted before the effective date are grandfathered in

Effective date is February 1, 2026; the Department of Agriculture will continue using current Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission rules on Liquid Animal Waste Management Systems until new rules are adopted