Bill > SB301

This bill amends Arkansas law to create stronger penalties for cargo theft by first defining key terms like "cargo" and "moving in commerce" and then establishing enhanced sentencing for theft of goods during transportation. Specifically, the bill defines "cargo" as commercial shipments of freight moving through various transportation systems, explicitly excluding direct-to-consumer goods, and clarifies that "moving in commerce" means the entire journey from origin to final destination. The bill introduces an enhanced sentencing provision that allows prosecutors to add up to ten additional years of imprisonment for cargo theft, with the enhanced sentence to be served consecutively to any other sentence. Additionally, individuals convicted under this enhanced provision will be ineligible to receive earned release credits for the additional sentence. The bill includes an emergency clause, justifying the immediate implementation by citing the economic harm caused by cargo theft and the need to provide a stronger deterrent. The emergency provision allows the law to take effect immediately upon gubernatorial approval, expiration of the Governor's review period, or veto override.