TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE ARKANSAS LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY COMMISSION TO THE ARKANSAS BOARD OF ANIMAL HEALTH.
Senate Bill 550 renames the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission to the Arkansas Board of Animal Health. This change updates the official name of the state entity responsible for animal health oversight, including its jurisdiction over milk and milk products, and its administrative and enforcement powers. Additionally, the bill repeals the existing state law that established criteria and training requirements for voluntary equine identification chips.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
Apr 2025
Introduced Mar 20, 2025
Signed Apr 18, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Act 703
→
SB 550
·
5 edits
MODERATE
This bill amends the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission's authority over milk pricing and clarifies the scope of equine identification chip regulations. The changes ensure Class 1 milk pricing requirements apply only to milk produced and sold as fluid milk within Arkansas, while allowing the commission to revise pricing if the state's milk deficit status changes. The equine identification section is being repealed and replaced with updated language about chip embedding safety and commission authority.
Scope change
The bill narrows the applicability of Class 1 milk pricing requirements to only milk produced and sold as fluid milk within Arkansas, and repeals the previous equine monitoring statute to establish new criteria for voluntary chip embedding.
REQUIREMENT
Class 1 pricing requirements for milk now apply only to milk that is both produced in and sold as fluid milk within Arkansas, rather than all milk products marketed in the state.
The commission board is now explicitly authorized to revise Class 1 price requirements if Arkansas is no longer considered a milk-deficit state.
The previous statute requiring equine monitoring by identification chips has been repealed.
New language establishes that embedding identification chips can endanger animals if not properly injected and placed, creating criteria for voluntary chip embedding.
DEFINITION
Clarified that the commission board of animal health has jurisdiction over milk and milk products marketed in Arkansas, including base milk price paid to producers.
Floor votes
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
15
Key actions
7
Committee
2
Apr 18, 2025
Signed into law
Notification that SB550 is now Act 703
upper
Apr 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
Returned from the House as passed.
upper
Apr 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Returned to the Senate as passed.
lower
Apr 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Returned by the Committee Do Pass
lower
Apr 2, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read the third time and passed.
upper
Apr 1, 2025
Upper · Passed
Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
upper
Mar 20, 2025
Introduced
Filed
upper
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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