HB1450
To Amend The Law Concerning Reports By The Department Of Agriculture.
AI-Generated Summary
This bill proposes to repeal or amend several provisions within Arkansas Code related to reporting requirements for the Department of Agriculture and its associated entities. Specifically, it would repeal the requirement for the State Plant Board to submit an annual report on appropriation dispositions. It also repeals the mandate for the farm to school and early childhood education program coordinator to submit an annual report detailing program activities and stakeholder collaboration. The bill further repeals the requirement for the Buffalo River Conservation Committee to submit an annual review and report on the Buffalo River Watershed Management Plan. Additionally, it repeals the existing reporting requirement for the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture on the State Meat Inspection Program. However, it amends a section to include "activities and programs" in the Department of Agriculture's annual report to the Governor, alongside expenditures and accomplishments. Finally, it repeals a specific reporting requirement for the Department of Agriculture concerning the activities and programs of various promotion boards and the Arkansas Beef Council. The overall effect is to reduce or consolidate certain reporting obligations.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries of this bill, if enacted, would be the various state agencies and committees whose reporting burdens are reduced or altered. This includes the Department of Agriculture, the State Plant Board, the farm to school and early childhood education program coordinator, the Buffalo River Conservation Committee, and potentially the promotion boards and Arkansas Beef Council whose specific reporting requirements are removed. By reducing or modifying these reporting mandates, these entities may experience a decrease in administrative workload and a reallocation of resources that might otherwise be dedicated to report generation. The legislative committees that receive these reports would also experience a change in the volume and nature of information provided to them.
Who Might Suffer?
The groups or entities that could be negatively impacted by this bill are those who rely on the information contained within the repealed or amended reports for oversight, transparency, or planning purposes. This could include the Governor, who would receive less detailed information in some instances, and the citizens of Arkansas, who might have reduced access to specific data regarding the expenditure of appropriations, the successes of farm to school initiatives, the management of the Buffalo River Watershed, and the operations of the State Meat Inspection Program. Furthermore, legislative committees may lose direct access to detailed annual reports from specific boards and commissions, potentially hindering their ability to monitor these entities effectively.