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HB 1803

City of Olive Branch; extend date of repeal on hotel/motel tax and issuance of bonds for tourism, parks and recreation.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Justin Keen

Creates the Maurice Lee Footsie Britt Memorial Bust Fund to erect and maintain a Capitol bust, funded by gifts/donations first, before drawing on the general preservation fund.

Died In Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 1803

Summary — HB 1803 (Arkansas, 95th General Assembly, 2025)

Status (provided): Died In Committee
Introduced: January 9, 2025
Primary sponsors (Arkansas): Rep. Joey Carr; Sen. D. Wallace (Sen. M. Johnson added as Senate cosponsor via Amendment S1)
Companion: SB 1109
Note: The provided file also contains unrelated text for an Illinois HB1803 (a separate income‑tax credit bill). This summary covers the Arkansas bill regarding a memorial bust.

Purpose / Intent

To authorize and provide for the placement, funding, and maintenance of a memorial bust honoring Maurice Lee “Footsie” Britt on the Arkansas State Capitol grounds, and to create a dedicated trust fund to accept gifts/grants/donations for erecting and maintaining the bust. The bill also places that dedicated fund on the list of monument‑specific funds that the Secretary of State must use before expending monies from the Arkansas Capitol Grounds Monument and Memorial Preservation Fund.

Key provisions

  • Adds the "Maurice Lee 'Footsie' Britt Memorial Bust Fund" to the list of monument‑specific funds in Arkansas Code § 19‑5‑1125(e)(2). This requires the Secretary of State to use gifts/grants/donations dedicated to that specific monument for its maintenance/repair/upkeep before accessing the general preservation fund.
  • Establishes a trust fund in state fiscal records:
    • New § 19‑5‑1162 creates the "Maurice Lee 'Footsie' Britt Memorial Bust Fund" on the books of the Treasurer, Auditor, and Chief Fiscal Officer.
    • The fund consists of gifts, grants, and donations made under the memorial bust act (§ 22‑3‑225) and other lawfully provided funds.
    • The fund is to be used exclusively to erect and maintain the memorial bust.
  • Enacts the "Maurice Lee 'Footsie' Britt Memorial Bust Act" as new § 22‑3‑225:
    • Directs the Secretary of State to permit and arrange placement of a memorial bust commemorating Britt.
    • Specifies placement on the second floor of the State Capitol Building in proximity to the Winthrop Rockefeller bust.
    • Requires the bust’s design and sculpture to be similar in style to existing Capitol busts.
    • Gives the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission, authority to approve the artist, final design, and exact location.
    • Authorizes the Secretary of State to accept gifts/grants/donations to be deposited into the memorial fund.

Who is affected

  • Secretary of State: tasked with arranging placement and accepting funds; consults with the Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission on artist, design, and location.
  • Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission: consultative/approval role.
  • Donors/organizations: may contribute to a dedicated trust fund to cover creation and upkeep.
  • State Capitol grounds and its monument‑preservation funding structure: the new dedicated fund is added to the list of funds that the Secretary must exhaust before using the general preservation fund for this monument.

Fiscal and procedural notes

  • The bill anticipates no direct appropriation from general revenue for the bust; funding is to come from gifts, grants, and donations deposited into the dedicated trust fund.
  • Procedural history (provided) is inconsistent: the header states the bill “Died In Committee,” but the document shows it was engrossed and amended (S4/1/25) and an amendment (S1) adding a cosponsor. Users should verify final disposition with the official Arkansas legislative status page for HB 1803 (95th GA).

Potential impact

  • Enables commemoration of Maurice Lee "Footsie" Britt via a permanent Capitol bust while shielding the preservation fund by requiring use of dedicated donations first.
  • Creates a mechanism to accept private funding, minimizing immediate fiscal impact on the state general fund.
  • Requires administrative work by the Secretary of State and consultation with the Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission to select an artist, finalize design, and place the bust.

If you want, I can check the official Arkansas legislature site and confirm the bill’s final status and any enrolled/act number.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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