(a)

(1) The quorum court of each county in this state may provide for the participation of its county in the services and activities of the Association of Arkansas Counties, a domestic corporation organized and existing under the provisions of the Arkansas Nonprofit Corporation Act, §§ 4-28-201 -- 4-28-206 and 4-28-209 -- 4-28-224.

(2) If the quorum court of a county authorizes the participation of the county in the association, then the quorum court shall annually appropriate from county general funds an amount that shall be equal to one percent (1%) of the general revenues received by that county from the County Aid Fund in the State Treasury during the preceding fiscal year.

(3) Participation by each county in the association shall be optional with the quorum court of each of the respective counties as provided in this section.

(b)

(1) The funds so received by the association shall be used exclusively by it to finance the object of its existence, namely, to aid in the improvement of county government in the State of Arkansas.

(2) All funds so received by the association shall be subject to audit by the State of Arkansas, and the association shall make available to the auditors at all reasonable times all books, files, and records concerning such funds.

(c) Moneys appropriated by the court as the county's contribution to the association shall be paid to the association during the month of July for the fiscal year commencing on July 1 and ending on June 30 next following.

(d) The association is recognized as the official agency of the counties of this state to receive funds and use them for making a continuing study of ways and means to improve county government in Arkansas.

(e)

(1) There is created on the books of the Association of Arkansas Counties a trust fund to be known as the "Automated Records Systems Fund".

(2)

(A) The Automated Records Systems Fund shall be funded by counties in Class 6 and Class 7 in the State of Arkansas.

(B) The county recorder of the Class 6 and Class 7 counties shall remit one dollar ($1.00) for each document recorded in the county recorder's office directly to the Automated Records Systems Fund on a monthly basis.

(3)

(A) The Automated Records Systems Fund shall be administered by a committee composed of the county recorders of the counties in Class 6 and Class 7 to be known as the "Automated Records Systems Fund Committee".

(B) The committee shall meet biannually to review grant applications made by county recorders in Class 1 -- Class 5 solely for purposes directly related to office automation.

(C) The committee shall not disburse any moneys from the Automated Records Systems Fund to counties in Class 6 and Class 7.

(D) The committee shall expend substantially all of the money from the fund on an annual basis.

(E) Each member of the committee may receive expense reimbursement in accordance with § 25-16-901 et seq.