Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 884 of the Regular Session
1 State of Arkansas
2 93rd General Assembly A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2021 HOUSE BILL 1782
4
5 By: Representatives Beck, Bentley
6 By: Senator M. Johnson
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8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DISTRIBUTION
10 OF HIGHWAY REVENUE INTEREST INCOME; TO AMEND THE LAW
11 CONCERNING THE FUTURE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH FUND
12 AND THE TRANSPORTATION-RELATED GRANT PROGRAM; AND FOR
13 OTHER PURPOSES.
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16 Subtitle
17 TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE
18 DISTRIBUTION OF HIGHWAY REVENUE INTEREST
19 INCOME; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING
20 THE FUTURE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH FUND
21 AND THE TRANSPORTATION-RELATED GRANT
22 PROGRAM.
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25 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
26
27 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code 19-5-1258 is amended to read as follows:
28 19-5-1258. Future Transportation Research and Workforce Development
29 Fund.
30 (a) There is created on the books of the Treasurer of State, the
31 Auditor of State, and the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State a miscellaneous
32 fund to be known as the Future Transportation Research and Workforce
33 Development Fund.
34 (b) The Future Transportation Research and Workforce Development Fund
35 shall consist of:
36 (1) If available after the deposit of the funds required under
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1 14-143-130, interest income received under 27-70-204 up to a maximum amount
2 of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) each year from the State Highway
3 and Transportation Department Fund; and
4 (2) Any other revenues authorized by law.
5 (c) The Future Transportation Research and Workforce Development Fund
6 shall be used by the Arkansas Department of Transportation for distributing
7 grants under the Transportation-Related Research and Workforce Development
8 Grant Program, 27-65-145.
9
10 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code 27-65-145 is amended to read as follows:
11 027-65-145. Transportation-Related Research and Workforce Development
12 Grant Program Definition Definitions.
13 (a) As used in this section,:
14 (1) transportation Transportation-related research means the
15 systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to
16 establish facts and reach new conclusions to provide resilient and
17 sustainable logistics, processes, materials, and methods to ensure cost-
18 effectiveness and the furtherance of education and economic development
19 concerning all forms of transportation, including without limitation rail,
20 public transportation, aviation, and waterborne transportation; and
21 (2) "Workforce development" means industry training,
22 apprenticeship, and educational programs that foster skills required for
23 transportation related personnel development.
24 (b) The Transportation-Related Research and Workforce Development
25 Grant Program is established to provide grants to publicly funded
26 institutions of higher education for transportation-related research or
27 workforce development.
28 (c) A publicly funded institution of higher education may submit an
29 application to receive a grant for transportation-related research or
30 workforce development to the Arkansas Department of Transportation, which
31 includes without limitation:
32 (1) A brief description of the transportation-related research;
33 (2) An estimate of the cost-effective benefits of the
34 transportation-related research or workforce development;
35 (3) The economic development anticipated from the
36 transportation-related research; and
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1 (4) Any other information requested by the department.
2 (d) The department may award a grant to a publicly funded institution
3 of higher education using funds available in the Future Transportation
4 Research and Workforce Development Fund for transportation-related research
5 or workforce development that meets the criteria established by the
6 department.
7 (e) The department and the State Highway Commission shall promulgate
8 rules to implement and administer this section, including without limitation
9 the:
10 (1) Application process;
11 (2) Disbursement of grant funds; and
12 (3) Criteria required under subsection (d) of this section.
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15 APPROVED: 4/25/21
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