Judiciary Committee- House

We've been into recess a chair sees a quorum members obviously we have a very limited amount of time but I'm going to start real quick is my understanding representative Richmond we're not running senate bill four seventeen okay members we can take senate bill four seventeen off of our agenda the next bill up representing Clowney recognized to present Senate bill four four four Senate bill four four four please identify yourself and you are recognized to present your bill thank you madam chair I'm Nicole Clowney state representative district twenty one Senate bill four forty four aims to address just an oversight of some previous legislation so in two thousand nineteen and we passed the fair sentencing for minors act in in that bill it allowed for a a person who was convicted as a minor who had received a lifetime sentence to be discharged from fall and have their voting rights restored it created a pathway for that the problem is that it only created a pathway for somebody who was convicted as a minor and sentenced to life so somebody who was convicted as a minor and sentenced to a lesser penalty did not have that same pathway available to them this bill fixes that and I'd be happy to answer any questions members are there any questions. Seeing the questions we have no one who signed up to speak for against the bill represent Clowney recognized to close for your bill close for my bill and I make a motion to pass please members we have a motion to do pass on the table is there any discussion on the motion all in favor of the motion please say aye. All opposed say no the ayes have it congratulations you've passed bill thank you most of you. Do we have anyone here to run senate bill four forty eight. Senate bill four forty eight. Senator Penzo this bill on an act to amend the definition of serious harm. If anybody here to run that bill. Okay. All right seeing no one here to run that bill. Gazaway. the can you present Senate bill four sixty nine very quickly you this house sponsor is the act to reduce violent crime in Arkansas we only have just a few minutes if you. And I'm not pushing you if you if you want to wait until after session that spawned. Just take a quick look if you think it's pretty fast fine if not we'll hold off and going back up. Represent guess what you're recognized go to the end of the table and run Senate bill for sixty nine member Senate bill four sixty nine. You're recognized. Thank you madam chair Jimmy Gazaway state representative district thirty one so this is a bill Senator Tucker. Past from the Senate concerning reducing violent crime in Arkansas establishing the grant program to fund law enforcement essentially with resources to come back violent crime all it does is it sets up again this grant program not whether or not the grant program what the ultimately be funded I can't we can't be certain but if it is funded certainly then there's not anything wrong with awarding grants to law enforcement agencies who could use those to. Basically adopt strategies to help reduce violent crime in their jurisdictions But it's not once again it's not. Mandatory and there's certainly no there's certainly no guarantee that it will be funded but it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and have this set up just and in case we find the money and then the it gives some language for the department of public safety that they're encouraged to essentially look at data related to violent crime rates clearance rates did a by law enforcement agencies a budget challenges combating violent crime conduct qualitative research to assess capacity of law enforcement agencies to investigate and solve violent crime. things of that nature once again that's just there encouraged to do that they're not required to do that then it would set up a grant fund on the books of the state treasure so that if there is money allocated toward this there would. Essentially of fund available to fund these grants. In the event that there's money so that's all it does happy to answer any questions members are there any questions representation recognized for a question so representative Gazaway I to be clear this will not be coming to general revenue we won't be looking for at the last minute this is in a grant form is that correct okay isn't the what now this will not be coming out general revenue money has not been appropriated for this no it is it will come to a grant form well there's not been any there's not been any appropriation made to find the grout it says nine section two The fund shall consist of moneys obtained from private grants or other sources or other sources that are designated to be credited to the fund and any other revenues authorized by law as opposed if we did the devote general revenue to it that would of course have to be decision the legislation there's been no decision to do that I think is a and this is coming back to me now to some degree. The council of state governments which is a public policy group. is interested in doing this kind of research in Arkansas and so they may be willing to devote the money to it once again as the private fund so that law enforcement agencies would be able to access the money and work on it but again there's no appropriation there's there's no certainly no guarantee that this is going to be funded before what we would have to approve it to the General Assembly so thank you thank you madam chair members any other questions seeing no further questions we have no one who signed up to speak for against the bill represent guess what you're recognized close for your bill thank you manager closer bill make a motion to pass members we have a motion to do pass on the table is there any discussion seeing no discussion all in favor of the motion please say aye opposed say no the ayes have it congratulations you've passed your bill and with that members we are back in recess please move back up stairs thank you.