Arkansas Code Title 2. Agriculture § 2-35-401. Objective

(1) The Arkansas law which creates the Arkansas Beef Council authorizes an assessment of twenty-five cents (25¢) per head on all cattle sold in the state;

(2) Since the enactment of the Arkansas law, the United States Congress and the United States Department of Agriculture have established a national beef promotion and research program under which there is an assessment of one dollar ($1.00) per head on all cattle sold;

(3) Under the national program, a qualified state beef council is authorized to retain fifty cents (50¢) of each one dollar ($1.00) per head assessment for financing a state beef promotion and research program if authorized by state law;

(4) The one dollar ($1.00) per head national assessment is currently required to be collected but is subject to a referendum within twenty-two (22) months after the issuance of the beef promotion and research order by the United States Secretary of Agriculture;

(5) It is essential that appropriate legislation be enacted in Arkansas to provide for the collection of the one dollar ($1.00) per head assessment and the retention by the state of fifty cents (50¢) of each one dollar ($1.00) assessment during the interim from the date of the order until the referendum process is completed and thereafter in the event the producers voting at the referendum approve a continuation of the assessment; to further assure that in the event the producers voting at the referendum vote against continuing the one dollar ($1.00) per head assessment, the present Arkansas law providing for an assessment of twenty-five cents (25¢) per head will be automatically reactivated.