Arkansas Statutes - Subchapter 6 and 7

Subchapter 6		Out-of-State Tuition Assistance
§ 17- 29- 601		Purpose
The purpose of this subchapter is to establish a permanent program to provide financial assistance to qualified Arkansas citizens attending accredited colleges of funeral service education outside of Arkansas.

§ 17- 29- 602		Definition
As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise requires, an "accredited college of funeral service education" means a college accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education, Inc.

§ 17- 29- 603		Program establishment - Authority of Department of Health
(a)	There is established within the Department of Health a program to provide financial assistance to residents of Arkansas attending accredited colleges of funeral service education outside of Arkansas.
(b)	The Department of Health is authorized and designated as the state agency to administer the program established in this subchapter and to accept applications therefor and make grants to applicants to assist in defraying the cost of attending accredited colleges of funeral service education outside of Arkansas.

§ 17- 29- 604		Application - Certification - Priorities
(a)	Any resident of the State of Arkansas desiring to obtain an assistance grant under the provisions of this subchapter may make application to the Department of Health containing such information as the department shall deem necessary to determine the eligibility of the applicant to participate in the program.
(b)	In order to qualify for an assistance grant, the applicant shall have served a one-year apprenticeship in the State of Arkansas under the supervision of an Arkansas licensed funeral director and licensed embalmer prior to enrollment in an accredited college of funeral service education.
(c)	If the applicant is found to be a bona fide resident of Arkansas and has served the apprenticeship, the department shall certify the student as qualified to participate under the program established in this subchapter to the extent that funds are available.
(d)	The names of all qualified applicants shall be kept on a register in the order in which their application was received by the board of trustees. Applicants who have been accepted for admission by accredited colleges of funeral service education outside the state shall be given priority in receiving benefits under the provisions of this subchapter, to the extent that funds are available therefor, in the order in which the applications appear on the register maintained by the department.

§ 17- 29- 605		Limitation on Assistance
In no case shall an assistance grant made to an applicant under this program exceed the normal student tuition charge made by the accredited colleges of funeral service education in which the applicant is or will be enrolled or one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200) per individual, whichever is less.

§ 17- 29- 606		Program Administration
The Department of Health shall be the administering and disbursing agency for the State of Arkansas for making assistance grants to mortician students under the provisions of this subchapter. As disbursing agent, the department may expend sums that are specifically appropriated for the operation and administration of the program, but such expenditures shall be limited to the amount specifically appropriated for the program and the award of any particular grant shall not obligate the State of Arkansas to maintain the program provided for in this subchapter except to the extent that specific appropriation is made for the program.

Subchapter 7		Eye Enucleation
§ 17- 29- 701		Authority
A funeral director or embalmer licensed pursuant to subchapter 3 of this chapter, who has completed a course in eye enucleation and has received a certificate of competence from the Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' College of Medicine may enucleate the eyes of a deceased person pursuant to a disposition or gift thereof by the decedent or another person in the manner prescribed in §§ 20-17-401 - 20-17-405 [repealed] or §§ 20-17-601 - 20-17-617, after proper certification of death by a physician.

§ 17- 29- 702		Exemption from Liability
A properly certified funeral director or embalmer acting in accordance with the terms of this subchapter shall not be criminally or civilly liable for eye enucleation.