The Senate Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee on Wednesday advanced a slate of bills affecting agriculture reporting, gardening rules, forestry registration and agency operations, moving each to the next step in the Legislature.

The measures included a Department of Agriculture request to consolidate six annual reports into one, a bill that prevents local governments from banning home vegetable gardens, a change that creates a civil-penalty option before criminal charges for people who falsely hold themselves out as registered foresters, and a technical modernization of the state land-survey coordinate system.

Why it matters: The package touches several everyday functions for Arkansas residents and businesses — from where and how homeowners may grow food to the oversight and discipline of registered foresters, to technical standards used in property surveys. Several items were agency-request bills intended to align statutes with current practice or to remove unused programs.

The committee’s more substantive exchanges included:

Home-garden bill: House Bill 1149
Representative Vaught, presenting House Bill 1149, said the revision was intended to “make it more explanatory where it could be not misinterpreted” and to ensure people “can grow their own food, no matter where they live.” During public comment, Libby Dugan, who identified herself as a farm and ranch operator in Pulaski County, asked whether the bill would affect a separate federal program. Committee chair Senator Caldwell responded, "There's nothing to do with that. All this does is allow, it it prevents the city or county from passing the ordinance said that you can't raise a garden on your own property." An amendment clarified that local governments may still adopt generally applicable ordinances that set permissible parameters for gardens. The committee voted to pass the bill.

Civil-penalty step for unregistered foresters: Senate Bill 249
Senate Bill 249 would allow the Arkansas Forestry Commission (through its existing procedures) to impose a civil penalty — up to $5,000 — or a cease-and-desist order on people who hold themselves out as registered foresters but are not registered, before pursuing criminal charges. Senator Stone described the change as an “intermediate step” so the commission would not need to use a criminal penalty immediately. Kyle Cunningham, State Forester with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, told the committee the $5,000 ceiling is intended to keep penalties consistent with other divisions in the department and that he did not expect the commission would typically impose the maximum amount: "I don't foresee us ever having to go there. It's really to keep us in line with other divisions in the Department of Ag And, you know, I foresee any penalties initially being much, much less than that." The committee approved the bill.

Surveying modernization: House Bill 1441
Senator Stone, running the bill for a House sponsor, said the state’s plain coordinate system "needs to be modernized"; the system dates to 1927. Committee members asked whether the change would affect adverse-possession actions or existing case law. Daniel Phillips, who identified himself as the Arkansas State Land Surveyor, answered, "No, senator. This would, not affect any of that. It's, just a kind of a technical update to the, mathematical, coordinate system." The committee voted to pass the bill.

Forester-investigations committee composition: House Bill 1487
An agency bill would change how the registered-foresters investigative committee is composed and clarify appointment practice. Kyle Cunningham said the revision is intended to “clean[] that up to limit it to 3” registered-forester members on the investigative committee and that the chair’s appointment authority reflects current practice. The committee approved the change.

Other agency and cleanup measures
The committee also moved forward several agency-request and cleanup bills with limited debate, including: consolidation of six Department of Agriculture reports into a single annual report (House Bill 1450); correction of a typographical error in an already-passed bill (House Bill 1279); shortening the retake waiting period for certain pest-control exams from three months to 14 days and clarifying vehicle identification for applicators (Senate Bill 250); aligning two Department of Commerce grant programs (Senate Bill 218); repeal of an unused alternative motor-fuel development program (Senate Bill 267); and a re‑organization cleanup that was amended to add a confirmation requirement for an agency director (Senate Bill 259). All of those measures were reported favorably by the committee.

Votes at a glance
- HB 1450 (Dept. of Agriculture reports consolidation): Motion to pass; mover: Senator Leding; second: Senator Scott; outcome: approved by committee. Key detail: consolidates six separate annual reports into one statewide Department of Agriculture annual report (amendment/reference: submit annually to the governor).

- HB 1149 (home vegetable gardens): Motion to pass; mover: Senator Scott; second: Senator Crowell; outcome: approved. Key detail: prevents cities/counties from prohibiting home gardens on private property; amendment retains local authority to adopt generally applicable ordinances setting parameters.

- HB 1279 (typographical correction, previously passed bill): Motion to pass; mover: Senator Stone; second: Senator Kroll; outcome: approved. Key detail: corrects a duplicated word/typographical error in the engrossed bill.

- HB 1441 (land surveying modernization): Motion to pass; mover: Senator Stone; second: Senator Hickey; outcome: approved. Key detail: technical update to the state's coordinate system (originally established in 1927); sponsors and surveyor said it does not change adverse-possession rules.

- SB 249 (false/unauthorized use of forester title): Motion to pass; mover/second not specified on record; outcome: approved. Key detail: allows the Forestry Commission to issue a civil penalty/cease-and-desist up to $5,000 before pursuing criminal charges.

- HB 1487 (registered-foresters committee composition/ethics process): Motion to pass; mover: Senator Crow; second: not specified; outcome: approved. Key detail: clarifies investigative committee membership and appointment practice; adds ad hoc registered-forester members.

- SB 250 (plant board duties, applicator testing, vehicle identification): Motion to pass; mover: Senator Crowell; second: not specified; outcome: approved. Key details: reassigns plant-board duties to Department of Agriculture, shortens test retake wait from 3 months to 14 days, and requires service vehicles to be plainly marked.

- SB 218 (Commerce grant programs alignment): Motion to pass; mover: Senator Gilmore; second: Senator Scott; outcome: approved. Key detail: aligns two Commerce grant programs so leftover funds can be reused and administration harmonized.

- SB 267 (repeal unused motor-fuel development program): Motion to pass; mover: Senator Gilmore; second: Senator Kroll; outcome: approved. Key detail: eliminates the Arkansas Alternative Motor Fuel Development Act, a program not used since about 2014.

- SB 259 (agency reorganization cleanup; confirmation amendment): Motion to pass as amended; mover: Senator Gilmore; second: not specified; outcome: approved as amended. Key detail: added amendment that certain directors serve "upon confirmation by the Senate."

What the committee did not do: The committee did not take any votes to amend substantive policy beyond the clarifying and cleanup amendments recorded above. Several bills were agency-request measures intended to align statutes with current practice.

Next steps: Each approved bill will move to the next stage of the Legislature for further consideration. For items that amend board or commission procedures, sponsors and department staff noted existing administrative practices would continue to guide implementation.

Ending note: Committee members thanked youth visitors from Future Farmers of America and 4‑H who attended the hearing; no sustained opposition or extensive public testimony was recorded for the bills advanced by the committee.