Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee - Senate

At members there are calling public health committee meeting to order at your sis five we see a quorum and with that and. Senator void if you will go to the end of the table and that president Senator hammer Senate bill seventy nine for concurrence. Thank you. Thank you madam chairs senator Justin Boyd district twenty seven here to present amendment number one to Senate bill seventy nine this this bill just provide some clarification it takes out under a collaborative practice agreement and puts it under a board required agreement with a physician and then the leak on page two line eight delete full so just a good man amendment to clean up the language yeah it's my understanding that these two amendments tightened up the language and for the bill the side yes yes ma'am okay so so that was amendment one the one the president amendment to are we going to do it separately. We can do about the same time okay so amendment to this Page two delete lines six through twelve and substitute from another state territory or foreign country that authorizes certified nurse practitioner clinic school nurse specialist to practice with prescriptive authority if the certified nurse practitioner or clinical nurse practitioner nurse specials has prescriptive authority in the state territory foreign country and provides proof of his or her license or in good standing from the state territory or foreign country in and then uses the Arkansas state board of nursing again it just helps tighten up the language and make it clear what our intent and so they're just good amendments to improve the. The bill okay thank you are there any questions from the members of the committee. C. nine is anyone here to speak for or against these amendments. C. nine U. close I'm close Preciado good vote make a motion to pass on these both these amendments okay so the motion would be concurred to concur amendment won an amendment to is there a second second all those in favor say aye opposed ayes have it congratulations Senate bill seventy nine concurs with both amendments okay members I just have to other bills listed on the agenda and these are for discussion only okay we're not taking any action because these bills have been signed out of the committee and they are on the floor of the Senate and they're on our calendar but for the matter of public testimony I've just asked senator Mickey and center Penzo if they would just discuss these two bills and this committee for the sake of the public testimony so with that Senator McKee you're recognized just to this is for discussion only we are not taking any action it is house bill eighteen forty. If you to state your name for the record. Thank you madam chair and a key state senators District six. Yes Sir you're recognized thank you. Eighteen forty. Is a bill that was the Department commerce help to draft there's no opposition that we know of under current law an individual that commits criminal fraud violent unemployment insurance must pay back the money stolen and pay a fifty percent penalty once paid the individual is eligible to get back on in addition at the work force director's discretion the case can be referred to the prosecutor's office this bill keeps all that the same but as a ten year minimum lock out to those who commit criminal fraud. by taking a thousand dollars or more from the state by unemployment. So if they steal money from the state for unemployment benefits and they're convicted of that they don't get back on planet for ten years. Questions Senator Boyd you're recognized for a question thank manager so just clarifies so this is someone who has been found guilty of fraud not just somebody made an error or something in. Okay. So that's in the affirmative yes okay okay quick question who is the investigative body his investigative body that would be the Department conversely okay so the department of commerce's the investigative body that does this I believe they're the ones I could be incorrect on that that's that was just fine or standing do you have a. At does anyone in the audience know the answer to that question I wasn't anticipating discussing this at this time so I didn't bring anybody with me that's fine that's okay Senator Solomon. If we look into this a while back when all the problems going on in there I know workforce services did some contacting I don't know to order for the investigated but the prosecutor's office I think is the one that eventually they're the only ones that have the authority to process international the the only one who can say. The courts on when they can say they've committed fraud correct so this bill. Create a path then there's already a pathway. For that investigation to happen correct and I know we've been. We have a prosecuted many cases at all the last ten years so I don't know what the eventual outcome would be but I support with the intent of the bill this to punish those who are doing that and committing we had so much of that going on over at rental properties and people paying their rent so that support what you're doing these people that are committing this kind of fraud are taking resources that could be used by people that need to. And if you have to lie to give them. We don't play that game thank you so yes I think it division of workforce services then would make a recommendation to the prosecuting attorney in the prosecuting attorney with the investigation we're giving you a trial run sentencing center boy. Thank manager so Senator civil Sullivan rightly appointed pointed out the punishment aspect but the thing maybe that having such a stiff penalty might actually be somewhat of a deterrent as well that would be my hope. Yeah okay thank you I wouldn't I'm sorry no go ahead I would imagine that the word will get out really quickly. Don't mess around yeah yes I think so are there any other questions or issues for discussion on this legislation. Right yes senator Boyd. I know what we're at discussion I just I appreciate the opportunity to discuss this publicly in this form so thank you for this welcome both of these bills actually do have some significant impact on the public which is why I wanted to have a discussion on the record in this public health committee meeting had I known we were meeting today this morning to concur I we would to just waited and and take an action which I don't think there would be a different there would not have been a different outcome but I do think public is tuning in and watching and so it is a good point of discussion to have out there that if you commit fraud at that which is the intention of this bill if you commit unemployment fraud and you are investigated and found guilty of that that you would then be locked out of being able to collect any unemployment for the next ten years so I I think it's a significant bill the significant policy statement I appreciate you coming and discussing the bill with us thank you thank you all right center Penzo has another bill that's in similar I think importance and we just. I think both of us may have just had a brain dead moment if we passed over this bill yesterday I didn't know who the Senate sponsor was center Penzo if you don't mind discussing with us house bill eighteen twenty nine. It is the the law to concerning the sexual assault collection kits and anonymous kids. Thank you madam chair Page be eighteen twenty nine police said the man's law concerning sexual soul collection kits an anonymous kids this probably start with what in an anonymous kit is that's a rape kit that's collected it is either stored in the hospital or an old law enforcement facility in their storage in the but the the victim has not yet decided to press charges so it's not process currently what we want is for the rape kits to be process to the the state crime lab has requested this pass because there isn't a clear standard process of handling anonymous kits we've already paid for the kids so there's no additional fiscal impact having process and like I said the prosecutor you know. The victim decides to go ahead and press charges they go looking for the rate kids they can't find them so cases are lost because these rapists are process in a in a timely manner so with this does is it just the sets a procedure for all rape kits to be processed medially and makes it a crime lab sports's thank you one of the reasons I wanted to discuss this bill is because it's my understanding that the young lady who was kidnapped and murdered in Memphis when she was jogging. The person that kidnapped her and murdered her that there was a rape kits that was eight months old. And that was not processed had it been process. That criminal would have been picked up off the streets because it was a violation I think of of his parole or record. So how that rape kit been processed sooner it may have saved that young lady's life and I think that significant and one of the reasons I wanted to discuss this bill are there any questions from the members of the committee. Right C. nine thank you so much for the discussion so at house bill eighteen twenty nine and house bill eighteen forty like I said on our Senate calendar to be considered and I just wanna thank Marty Garrity for seventeen in the director of our hero of Legislative Research for stepping in and filling the staff role this morning we we just love to having you and of course Carissa who is always wonderful to us and so we are finally I think done with public health committee with that we're adjourns.