§ 19-5-1136 - Animal Rescue and Shelter Trust Fund. - Arkansas Statutes

19-5-1136. Animal Rescue and Shelter Trust Fund.

(a) As used in this section, "registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelter" means an animal rescue or shelter owned by a county or municipality that has submitted notice to the Department of Finance and Administration as required under subsection (f) of this section and is on the official list of registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelters prepared by the Director of the Department of Finance and Administration under subsection (f) of this section.

(b) There is created on the books of the Treasurer of State, the Auditor of State, and the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State a trust fund to be known as the "Animal Rescue and Shelter Trust Fund".

(c) The fund shall consist of those special revenues as specified in 27-24-1409(c)(1)(B) and any other revenues as may be authorized by law.

(d) The fund shall be distributed as follows:

(1) Thirty-five percent (35%) is distributed to and used by the counties as follows:

(A) Each county that has at least one (1) registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelter shall receive a proportional distribution based on the county's population as determined by the most recent federal decennial census;

(B) Funding received by a county under this subdivision (d)(1) shall be used exclusively for the construction, maintenance, or operation of registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelters; and

(C) A county may contract with or provide grants to a private nonprofit organization for the operation of the registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelter;

(2) Thirty-five percent (35%) is distributed to and used by municipalities as follows:

(A) Each municipality that has at least one (1) registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelter shall receive a proportional distribution based on the municipality's population as determined by the most recent federal decennial census;

(B) Funding received by a municipality under this subdivision (d)(2) shall be used exclusively for the construction, maintenance, or operation of registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelters; and

(C) A municipality may contract with or provide grants to a private nonprofit organization for the operation of the registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelter; and

(3) (A) Thirty percent (30%) is distributed to the Department of Rural Services to provide grants to a county or municipality based only on the infrastructure needs for animal rescues or animal shelters.

(B) Moneys distributed under this section shall not be limited to registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelters but shall be used exclusively for infrastructure needs for animal rescues or animal shelters.

(e) Any funds received by a county or municipality under subsection (d) of this section that are not used within one (1) year from the date of receipt by the county or municipality must be returned to the fund.

(f) (1) (A) On or before October 1, 2009, a county or municipality that owns one (1) or more animal rescues or animal shelters on the date that notification is mailed shall notify the director in writing to qualify for funding under this section.

(B) The notification under subdivision (f)(1)(A) of this section shall include the physical address and telephone number of each animal rescue or animal shelter that the county or municipality owns.

(2) (A) On or before October 15, 2009, the director shall provide the Treasurer of State with a list of each county and municipality that has registered as owning an animal rescue shelter.

(B) The list submitted by the Department of Finance and Administration shall be known as the official list of registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelters that are eligible to receive funding under subdivisions (d)(1) and (2) of this section.

(C) The list submitted by the Department of Finance and Administration shall include the physical address, telephone number, and the municipality, if applicable, and county in which the registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelter is located.

(3) (A) A county or municipality that begins to own or operate an animal rescue or animal shelter after October 1, 2009, may notify the Department of Finance and Administration in the same manner as provided under subdivision (f)(1) of this section and shall begin to receive funds under subdivisions (d)(1) and (2) of this section on the first distribution by the Treasurer of State following sixty (60) days after written notice to the Department of Finance and Administration was received.

(B) As soon as practicable to ensure that a county or municipality that begins to own or operate a registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelter after October 1, 2009, the Department of Finance and Administration shall revise the official list of registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelters to include the addition of the most recent registered governmentally owned animal rescue shelters and provide the list to the Treasurer of State.