§ 26-56-228 — Authority of secretary

(a) (1) The Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration shall have the authority to: (A) Stop motor vehicles; (B) Take samples of the fuel used or utilized for the operation of those motor vehicles; (C) Measure the amounts of fuel that could be contained in the supply tanks of the motor vehicles; and (D) Test the fuel, regardless of the location of the motor vehicles. (2) The secretary shall have the authority to: (A) Take samples of distillate special fuel stored in fuel storage tanks or fuel storage facilities outside of the terminal, which fuel may be used or utilized in motor vehicles; (B) Measure the amount of fuel that could be contained in the tanks or facilities, if filled to capacity; and (C) Test the fuel, regardless of the location of the tanks or facilities. (b) (1) (A) Any person who shall refuse to allow the secretary to sample, test, and measure the fuel that could be contained in any fuel supply tank of a motor vehicle, or in any fuel storage tank, or in any fuel storage facility outside of the terminal shall be assessed taxes at the total per-gallon tax rates set out in this chapter upon all fuels as determined by the secretary that could be contained in the fuel supply tank, fuel storage tank, or fuel storage facility, if filled to capacity. (B) Additionally, a penalty of ten dollars ($10.00) per gallon on all the fuel shall be assessed. (2) (A) It shall be prima facie evidence that the entire amount of the fuel in the fuel supply tank, fuel storage tank, or fuel storage facility outside of the terminal is taxable and that, by the refusal to allow the sampling, measuring, or testing, distillate special fuel taxes have not been paid on the fuel. (B) The secretary shall add a penalty of twenty percent (20%) of the total amount of the assessed taxes excluding the ten-dollar-per-gallon penalty to the total amount assessed for willful refusal to allow the sampling, measuring, or testing, which penalty shall be in addition to all other penalties provided in this section, this chapter, and in the Arkansas Tax Procedure Act, § 26-18-101 et seq. (3) The assessments shall be made against the operator of any motor vehicle, fuel storage tank, or fuel storage facility outside of the terminal involved in the assessment or against any other person the secretary deems responsible for the use or utilization of the fuel in any motor vehicle involved in the assessment.

Legislative History

Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 4069, eff. 7/1/2019. Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 4068, eff. 7/1/2019. Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 4067, eff. 7/1/2019. Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 4066, eff. 7/1/2019. Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 4065, eff. 7/1/2019. Acts 1995, No. 954, § 1.