House Convenes

The House will come to order. Members ready something a little different today I would ask for the representatives who represent the districts that were directly impacted by the storms of Friday if they would come down front as we observe a moment of silence. For those impacted and in memory of those who lost their lives. And then I will. At the conclusion of the moment of silence ask that we be led in prayer by father bill Elser of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church of hot springs village against a representative group be followed by the pledge of lead. Please join me a moment's silence. This being Holy Week and Christianity in the Catholic Church on Good Friday really in every of our services we pray for our a public officials in a special way on Good Friday we do so amongst other things that we pray for as we commemorate the death. And resurrection of Jesus Christ so I'm rather than do a spontaneous per which I could do I'm going to use the prayer that will universally be used knowing I hope you'll know then not only today but is Presley on Good Friday you and all those in public office will be prayed for in Catholic churches in our country. Almighty ever living god in whose hand lies every human heart and the rights of peoples look with favor we pray on those who govern with authority over us especially those in this house of representatives in Arkansas that throughout the whole world the prosperity of people's the assurance of peace and freedom of religion made to your gift be made secure. In Jesus name we pray. Members please indicate your presence by pushing yellow present but prepared machine madam Clark. Cast of the ballot madam Clerk. With one hundred members present The chair sees quorum. Representative Jeff Wardlaw moves we dispense with the reading of the previous day's Journal no objection so ordered. Are there any Reports from select committees please read the reports Mr Speaker you committee on house arrest to whom was referred Senate bill two O. once in about three seventy two Senate bill for seventy two Senate bill four seventy five beg the report we have here and the same consideration here concerns I recognize that it do pass as quickly submitted. Representative DM Vaught chair Mister Speaker we are Committee on Advanced Communications and information technology to whom was referred senate bill three seventy six the report we have the same consideration here concerning the same recommendation that a do pass as amended number one Mr Speaker you Committee on Advanced Communications and information was referred house bill seventeen eighty house bill seventy ninety nine basically require we have the same consideration here return same recognition that a do pass spectrally submitted your religious vice chair. Other reports from standing committees please read the reports Mr Speaker your committee on agriculture forcing economic development. To whom was referred house bill seventy forty six of the seventeen sixty three house Senate here concerns I recognize that do pass thankfully submitted Jack Fortner chair Mister Speaker we are committee on City County and local affairs to whom was referred house bill twelve a seven day before we have the same consideration here concern same recognition that do pass concurrence in Amendment number one Mr Speaker your committee on city county local to whom was referred house bill seventeen fifty nine house bill seventeen sixty four house bill seventeen seventy seven Senate bill for up to Senate bill four forty six Senate bill four five thirty three big league report we have the same consideration here for same same recommendation that it do pass as quickly submitted Lanny Fite share Mr Speaker we are committee on aging children and youth Legislative Military Affairs to whom was referred house resolution ten sixty to House resolution seventy four house bill seventeen seventy five as the seventy six sixty seven Senate bill four oh eight beg leave before we same consideration here concerns a recommendation that a do pass thankfully submitted finally Eubanks Barker chair. Is there any unfinished business. Are there any Executive communications. Members are doctor of the day is Thomas the graph the third general medicine L. A. The Little Rock Air Force Base. Our nurses of the day R. Brent Hewitt and Joe Smith please recognize. Our state our state troopers for the day is Cavenaugh grounds and when the card right please recognize them. We have with us many guests today in the east gallery. the enduring Hein. Marching band along with Ron Smith who's the director Andrew called the athletic director our guest representative road please recognize that. In the north gallery we have brandy Sam and Jack Schultz representative tells wife and sons please recognize and. Also today and we have the accent in it who is the son of representive in it who is paging for us today. We also have Morgan manning. Daughter Jenny manning who is. Beijing today. Manafort please read the bills. As the current resolution ten fourteen. The objection read resolution second time house concurrent resolution ten fourteen. House Management. Representan eleven moves that we place house bill eleven seventy three back on second reading for the purpose of amendment. Without objection read Amendment number two madam Clerk. House bill eleven seventy three I'm in Amendment number two to House Bill Evans seventy three. Representative Wooldridge you're recognized to present the amendment. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues eleven seventy three is a bill that passed out of committee unanimously there was cement language there they had some concerns representatives pull that down re referred to committee this is all agreed up on language for the amendment makes a good bill better and what that would create a good vote. Thank you. The representative will reach has explained the Amendment. What am I like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment. Seeing none you closed represent will resist close for the amendment. Question before the House is in Amendment number two to HB eleven seventy three. All in favor signify by saying aye. Those opposed nay. Nice have it. The amendment is adopted. Representative Cavenaugh moved that we place house bill eleven I'm sorry look seventeen sixty back on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read the member number one madam Clerk Amendment number one to House Bill seventeen sixty. Representative Cavenaugh you're recognized to present the amendment. Thank you Mr Speaker this amendment I simply add Senator English as a cosponsor I'd appreciate a good vote. Representative Cavenaugh has presented the amendment we would like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment. Seeing a representative Cavenaugh you closed representative Cavenaugh is closed for the amendment question before the floor is Amendment number one approval of amendment number one to HB seventeen sixty all in favor signify by saying aye. Those opposed nay. Is have it resolutions amendments passed. Ms we're gonna move to the motion to amend section on the supplemental calendar. Representative Dalby moved that we place S. B. four oh six back on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read a member number one medical or member number one Senate bill four oh six the representative you're recognized to present the amendment. Thank you Mr Speaker members of the Senate bill got over here to us and we found out last night about two o'clock there's a drafting error so we have corrected that drafting error and I would appreciate a good vote. Representative Dali has presented the amendment when a man likes the speak against the amendment. Speak for the amendment thing on you closed represented all his clothes for the amendment questions on the floor is approval of amendment number one to S. B. four oh six all in favor signify by saying aye. Those opposed nay. The ayes have it the amendments been adopted. Representative loan moves that we place H. B. sixteen eighty six back on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read a member number one medical or member number one to House Bill sixteen eighty six. Representative long you're recognized to present the amendment. Thank you Mr Speaker my amendment by bill presented by the. Representative long has presented the amendment we would like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment. Seeing none you closed represent long as close for the moment. Question before the House is approval of amendment number one to HB sixteen eighty six all in favor signify by saying aye. Those opposed nay. The ayes have it Newman has been adopted. Representative long moved that we place H. B. ten forty eight back on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number two madam Clerk Amendment number two to House Bill ten forty eight. Represent long you're recognized to present the amendment thank you Mr Speaker my bill my amendment a good vote. Representative long has presented the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment. Seeing none you closed represent long as close for the amendment question before the. The question on the floor is passage of amendment number two for H. B. ten forty eight all in favor signify by saying aye. Those opposed nay. The eyes have it. Members adopted. Okay members we're going to move to the resolutions. And we have a lot of resolutions today so the resolutions will only be read by title only. Fifty nine madam Clerk please read resolution H. R. ten fifty nine. House resolution ten fifty nine by representative. To designate April thirtieth twenty twenty three is there B. animal day and in the state of Arkansas. Representative you're recognized to present. The resolution. If you Mr Speaker I am I'm a constituent bring this to me from their passion of their work that they do with their pets and in other organizations that just take pet therapy animals to hospitals nursing homes schools and other facilities just to kind encourage and to help them with different promise that they might be had experience in as well help the elderly folks in isolation and they just assets that we recognize their B. animal day in Arkansas on April thirtieth two thousand twenty three thank you. Representative Luke has presented the resolution. Yes. We would like to speak against the resolution. For the resolution. The ninety you closed. Representatives close for the resolution. Question before the House is passage of HR ten fifty nine. All in favor say aye. All opposed nay. The ayes have it resolutions passed. Madam Clerk read House resolution. read house resolution HR ten sixty four House resolution ten sixty four by representative called to recognize the firehouse museum and hostile of Arkansas. Representative recalling you're recognized to present resolution. Thank you Mr Speaker in the interest of time after the resolution if you are kind enough to pass that we have some guests here from the to a farmhouse museum in hostile of Arkansas Mister Johnny repeals the director and also some other people there with the museum the fire house museum in a hospital of Arkansas is located on commerce street here in Little Rock we have one of the highest fire death rates per one hundred thousand in America here we have seventeen thousand paid and volunteer firefighters and over one thousand fire departments possible hostelling is also a place to stay that safe when you're traveling hostelling Arkansas was formed in two thousand three and obtain former fire station in the macarthur park historic district in Little Rock in twenty sixteen hostelling Arkansas Arkansas opened the fire house museum and hostile of Arkansas to teach fire prevention and safety to all visitors. This museum has seen unprecedented interest in its there's a plan to expand the facilities over twelve thousand square feet so we want to recognize the firehouse museum in house of Arkansas for its contributions to the state of Arkansas and man park please read the resolution and title only. Manafort please read all as resolution title only to recognize the firehouse museum in hostile of Arkansas. Represent McCollum has explained the resolution. We would like to speak against the resolution. For the resolution. Seeing none are you close for resolution. Question before the House is passage of resolution H. R. ten sixty four all in favor signify by saying aye. All opposed nay. Is haven't resolution has been passed. We're going to pass over resolution HR ten fifty six. Manenberg please read resolution HR ten seventy one House resolution ten seventy one by representative Collins recognize anything just met for over fifty years of service to the university of Arkansas for medical sciences to her patients into the state of Arkansas. Representative calling you're recognized to present the resolution. Thank you Mr chair could I please have representative PTAS representative Allen I representative can Ferguson come down and anyone who has been impacted by Joe Smith at U. M. aspen like come join us you're welcome to come join us. today we're recognizing a Joe Smith that you're recognized who as been for fifty years one of the people if not the person who has made one of the biggest differences to people who have come for you I am asking and she is the director of special services but that doesn't begin to come close to reflect her impacts and the scope of what she does and what she's done for people I'll let some of these folks described in more detail what she needs of them but she is you know it's we have this tornado obviously and and what we're trying to do now is solve problems and really get to you know the need of what we have to do that's exactly what she's done you a nice she's a problem solver she helps people get what they need and that is so impactful and so many for so grateful so I'll turn it over to these guys to let them speak morning when the lights come out. Thank you representative Collins and the great having you here with us today. No it's and I you know my story is a. It's a most of you remember that of. Last session that. When I when I come up here to present the bill I was on a Walker actually I actually was in a wheelchair for a law. you know what I was going to do. Hello Mister NO in. She set up an appointment and within within a day I had subject somebody looking at me within a week two weeks of having surgery and then a few weeks I was back here with you that's what I wanted this lady right here and I'm very grateful and as I said when a student is well thanks to her and thanks to a great document almighty god walk again thank you. And I'm gonna make this short and sweet but for those of you who know that I'm a graduate of UAMS and have been involved with you a mess and have ask me about references to positions or or therapies at UAMS I have a confession to make I am not the one who's making those appointments it's always St Joe so she is the first one I call she is the one that takes care of all of this and I can't thank her enough so thank you very much jim. Thank you represent all of the allow me to make a few comments I can truly say that whenever I call Joseph if she's available she's one of the few people that I know that I can call at one o'clock to two o'clock in the morning if she'll answer her phone if I know if I call many of you at two o'clock in the morning you would now CFO but she was certainly answers the phone is one word that I can see about you you also thank you. This real quick Joe Smith is an institution she will be sorely missed and she is a beautiful beautiful person appreciation. And I'll close now by saying one thing fifty years and she's not yet ready to retire so we're still with her and so she will eventually be miss but not not anytime soon we have and with that I would ask for a good vote on the resolution. And if you could just read the title the resolution. Manafort read the resolution but not only. To recognize Nancy just met for over fifty years of service to the university of Arkansas for medical sciences to her patients into the state of Arkansas. Collins has presented the resolution we would like to speak against the resolution. For the resolution. The ninety you closing your resolution. The question before the floor is passage of resolution HR ten seventy one all in favor signify by saying aye. All opposed nay. The ayes have it resolutions passed. Please read H. R. ten seventy two House resolution ten seventy two by representative hot to recognize the gentry high school pioneers each sports team for their hard work and accomplishments representative park you're recognized to present HR ten seventy two thank you Mr Speaker I am here today because gentry E. sports team was ranked number one by USA today in Arkansas and all the fifty state rankings and I lost track of where they are sitting there up here in the gallery I just want to say two things last year three students receive scholarships in Oklahoma universities for any sports this year one of our seniors Tyson is going to John Brown University on an E. sports scholarship this fall so congratulations to the team I also wanted to share two comments that I heard today one from a young lady who said I have a heart condition and this is a sport I can play so she's really excited to be a part of a team to be able to play in the sports and the other is that they've never been to the Arkansas capital so today was their first day to visit the capital and I'm really proud of them they left home about five forty five AM this morning to be here today so thank you. Senate hawk has. President of the resolution. We would like to speak against the resolution. For the resolution. Seeing none are you closing your resolution. Question before the floor is passage of resolution H. R. ten seventy two all in favor signify by saying aye. Those opposed nay. Is haven't resolutions passed. Please read resolution H. C. R. ten thirteen House resolution ten thirteen by representative rose to commend the Van Buren high school marching band. Representative road you're recognized to present house concurrent resolution ten thirteen thank you Mr Speaker this time I'd like to ask representative Charlene Fite to join me here at the well. Today I'm presenting eight C. R. ten thirteen to commend the vamp hearing high school marching band members from the banner joining us in the east gallery along with band directors Ron Smith Dustin chambers and TrueCar owned and VB schools superintendent Dr hal Jeffcoat would you join me in welcoming them as they stand this morning afternoon. On October thirty first twenty twenty to the Van Buren high school marching band was declared the class six A. state champion concert band by the Arkansas school band and orchestra stressed Association this championship was the school's fifth state title in the past six years the marching band had many accomplishments this past season including championships at the northwest Arkansas invitational the Branson invitational and the Arkansas region eight marching band championship with the unanimous superior rating the accolades extend beyond the championship for Van Buren with sixty eight team members qualifying for region eight all conference band and forty of those qualifying to try out for the Arkansas all state band the following team members the Van Buren high school marching band were named as first band first chair all conference Morgan gruel dachshund Arnold clay Harris Alejandro Sanchez login partnow and Brian Ramose many accomplishments of the band program and testament to the commitment to the excellent of director Ron Smith and what he requires from its students in a way that yields admiration for the director and forges lasting bonds among the band members I would appreciate a good vote madam Clark please read the resolution title only. Madam Clark please read the resolution title only to commend the Van Buren high school marching band. Representive road has presented the resolution we would like to speak against the resolution. For the resolution. Seeing none you closing your resolution. Representative road close for his resolution. The question before the House is passage of resolution HCR ten thirteen all in favor signify by saying aye. Those opposed nay ayes have it resolutions passed. Madam Clerk please read resolution HR ten sixty seven. House resolution ten sixty seven by representative Michael and insert Arkansas institutions of higher education to relocate Chinese language programs for mainland China to hi everyone. Representative Michael Anthony you're recognized to present the resolution. Good afternoon thank you today I bring you House resolution ten sixty seven it's a resolution that urges Arkansas institutions of higher education to relocate their Chinese language and cultural programs from mainland China to Taiwan. As many of you were involved last session in passing a bill that outlawed the Confucius institutes in our institutions of higher learning. as backlash began across the country for these Confucius institutes that have bond began rebranding itself as a ministry of education center for language exchange and cooperation consequently Chinese language and cultural programs began to pop up at many universities across the country country many of them just one day after they close their Confucius institutes this includes our own you CA. This resolution encourages the learning of Chinese cultural and language just without the influence and oversight of the Chinese Communist Party madam Clark could you please read the resolution title only. Madam Clark please read resolution time only to urge Arkansas institutions of higher education to relocate Chinese language programs from mainland China to Taiwan. Representative Michael Leding. Has represent has presented resolution HR ten sixty seven we would like to speak against the resolution. For the resolution. Seeing none you close for resolution. Representative Michael Landon is close for the resolution question before the. The question before the House is passage of HR ten sixty seven. All in favor signify by saying aye. Those opposed nay. You guys have a resolution has been adopted. Members we're gonna move back to the supplemental calendar. Manafort. Please read House more resolution H. M. R. one thousand six House somewhere resolution one thousand six by representative Jay Richardson to remember Senator Rice the bill Allen junior as recognizes dedicated service an invaluable contributions to the state of Arkansas into his local community. Represent flowers you're recognized to present the resolution. Thank you Mr Speaker. Colleagues as you will we'll remember. We pay tribute to senator well in with a moment of silence shortly after his death and today. We are honored to present this citation and recognize Senator Llewellyn for his service with his family here and so I would first like to draw your attention to the north gallery where his family is if you will please stand the well and family. Which includes former state representative will let me know me well in as well as former secretary of transportation Rodney Slater. And now very briefly if of members of the really of the chamber however would like to join me at the front and certainly representative McElroy in whose district. Senate on the well in resided in his family resides. I know we have a full schedule and run not reading anything I'm just going to give you a little bit of information because many of you do not have the pleasure of knowing Senator Llewellyn. I'll just say that he was a fierce and brilliant advocate and public servant not only is city council member not only a state legislative but also as an attorney and as an attorney he represented the lake view school district the solidified cut the constitutional standard of equity and adequacy for public education in the state of Arkansas would lead which led to great improvement and many changes for our kids he was the second African American to serve in the Senate during the twentieth century and since reconstruction. He was a founding member of the Arkansas legislative black caucus and serve for a term as chair he sponsored legislation creating the Arkansas minority health commission the Civil Rights Act of nineteen ninety three and of course several other policy measures that improved our criminal justice system and system of education to name a few he was preceded in death by his beautiful wife of forty three years Doris and Brantley the well and and with that if representative McElroy might have any remarks. I can't say enough good things about. Mr Liu L. he was wonderful man He carried out in this heart everywhere you went he was a leader who will be missed and we we pray for his family and his legacy to continue. And with that Mr Speaker we ask that the title only be read thank you. Miller please read the resolution by title only to remember Senator racy bill Llewellyn junior and to recognizes that a paid service an invaluable contributions to the state of Arkansas and to his local community. Represent the flowers as. Senate the resolution we would like to speak against the resolution. For the resolution seeing none are you closing the resolution representative flowers close for resolution question before the House is passage of H. M. R. one thousand and six all in favor signify by saying aye. Those opposed nay you guys have it the resolutions passed. The morning hours in the. Okay members we're going to the regular. Calendar and Under the concurrence and amendments. minute park if you would I'm sorry representative Johnson recommends that we concur in Senate Amendment number one to HB twelve sixty one madam Clark please read Senate Amendment number one. Senate Amendment number one to House Bill twelve sixty one. Representative Johnson you're recognized to present the amendment thank you Mr Speaker as colleagues this is just an amendment that we added on the Senate side help clarify some language for the insurance companies it was agreed to language of happy answering questions on the amendment. C. nine appreciate your vote thank you. Representative Johnson has explained the Amendment. You would anyone like to speak against the amendment for the amendment. Are you close for your moment representative Johnson close for the amendment questions for the houses concurrence within the member number one to HB twelve sixty one prepare the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. By a vote of. Yes of the ballot measure employee. By a vote of ninety four U. A. zero nine zero present The Amendment as been adopted. Representative Gonzalez recommends that we concur on Senate Amendment number one to HB fourteen fifty two madam Clark please read Senate Amendment number one. Senate Amendment number one to House Bill fourteen fifty two. Representative Gonzalez you're recognized to explain the member number one. I have no idea what this amendment does I don't know them into my bill but if we if we kill it is this one is going to kill the bill and it's a pretty good bill so I guess I guess we need to approve this can go in law thank you president give a. Represent Gonzalez has explained The Amendment We would like to speak against the amendment. Bore the Amendment. Close for the amendment. Questions for the houses concurrence was sent member number one to HB fourteen fifty to prepare the machine madam Clerk. Is everybody voted. Casts up the ballot madam Clerk. With ninety eight is one nine zero president. The The Amendment as been. Approved. Representative Dalby recommends that we concur on Senate member number one to HB fifteen twenty two madam Clark please read Senate member number one sentiment number one to House Bill fifteen twenty two. Representative Ali you're recognised explained Amendment number one. Thank you Mr Speaker members this is the US salary bill for the District Court personnel and as I told you when I brought it earlier when it got down on the Senate in there were two counties that needed amendment so that's all this is is adopting those amendments for those two counties I appreciate a good vote. Representive Dolly has explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment saying nine represent all his clothes for the amendment. Question before the House is concurrence on Senate Amendment number one to HB fifteen twenty to prepare the machine medical or. Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot madam Clerk. With ninety two yeas to nays zero present The Amendment as been concurred. Representative Gazaway recommends that we can current Senate amendment one to HB fourteen twenty seven. Adam Clark please resend the member number one Senate Amendment number one to House Bill fourteen twenty seven. Represent gas well you're recognized to present amendment number one. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues friendly amendment concerns when. they your legislative research tires the code revise or if they're gonna fire the code revisor they have to come back to the commission and tell the commission why they why they fired the code revisor gets makes motion all it does have to answer any questions Senate appreciate a good vote. Representative Gazaway has presented the amendment. We would like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment are you close for you amendment if the gas was close for the amendment question for the houses concurrent concurrence with Senate Amendment number one to HB ten fourteen twenty seven. The machine madam Clerk. As everyone voting. Cast up the ballot madam Clerk. With ninety five Yeas zero nays and zero present The Amendment concurrent with concurrent on the amendment. Representative Michael Linden for what purpose motion. What's your motion I move for your call Senate bill sixty six from the Senate. That's a proper motion it is debatable. You're recognized expert to explain your motion. Please come to the well. Alex says Senate bill sixty six had an engrossing error when we added the amendment and they took it from the amendment which was approved by you all to that the bill there was an error made in and was turned into an order it's already gone through the Senate and so we have to pull it back from the Senate make that change and then re vote on it. Representative Michael Linden has explained the motion. Would anyone want to speak against the motion. Anyone would speak for the motion. Are you close representative mac land is closed for motion. The question before us is the recall of Senate bill sixty six. All in favor signify by saying aye. All opposed nay. The ayes have it. Motion has passed. Members are going to the budget calendar. Representative Jean moved that we place house bill ten sixty two on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number one madam Clerk. Amendment number one house bill ten sixty two. Representative you're recognized the president the amendment I respect your colleagues amendment one house bill ten six to the trader of the State this reclassify some positions and decrease the appropriation by a little over a thousand dollars any questions. Create a good vote amendment. Representative gene representative gene has presented the amendment anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment. Sing ninety closed. Is closed for the amendment. The question before the House is adoption of amendment number one to HB ten sixty two all in favor signify by saying aye. All opposed nay. Is have at the amendment has been adopted. Representing those who place house bill ten ninety six on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number three madam Clark amendment number three to house bill ten ninety six. Represent gene you're recognized explain the amendment thank you Mr Speaker member number two house bill ten ninety six this does add the Morgan Nick foundation of the appropriation of four hundred thousand we take out a miscellaneous grants any questions. I thank my sheets is too but I'm informed this amendment number three. Any questions. A good vote amendment. Represent Jean is explain the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. Would anyone like to speak for the amendment. Represent gene is closely members question before the House is the adoption of amendment number three to house bill ten ninety six all in favor say aye. Any opposed. The amendment is adopted. Mostly place house bill eleven thirty five on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read a member number one madam Clerk and a number one house bill eleven thirty five represent gene you're recognized explain the amendment thank you Mr Speaker house this is amendment. Number one to the attorney general's office house bill eleven thirty five this revamps nine new positions and decreases the appropriation by eight hundred twenty seven thousand any questions. Create a good vote on the amendment represent Jean is explain the amendment would you would like to speak against the amendment would anyone like to speak for the amendment represent Jean is closed for the amendment the question before the House is the adoption of amendment number one to House Bill Levin thirty five all in favor say aye. Any opposed. The amendment is adopted represent chambers we place house bill eleven seventy on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection remember number three madam Clerk. Amendment number one to House Bill Evans seventy. This amendment of one represent gene you're recognized explain the amendment. Number one house bill eleven seventy this is the department education this this amendment put what we did on the Arkansas learns ACT and two hundred three million of an appropriation for new programs three million for maternity leave ten million for teacher incentives merit teacher incentives and a hundred ninety million for the minimum teacher salaries and raises that's all in this amendment for this bill for the part of education any questions. Create a good vote an amendment representing is explain the amendment would you would like to speak against the amendment. Would anyone like to speak for the amendment represent gene is closely amendment the question before the House is the adoption remember one house bill eleven seventy all in favor say aye. Any opposed the amendment is adopted represent gene you're recognized. Represent Jamie as we place house bill twelve thirty one on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection remember number one madam Clark amendment number one to House Bill twelve thirty one. Representing you're recognized explain the amendment. Thank you Mr Speaker discussion governor eighteen this is public safety house bill twelve thirty one what this does is you've been here they're going to add a second for for school this is three point six million dollars for the phone the secretary for school. Any questions. A good vote on the amendment. President Jean is explain the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment would anyone like to speak for the amendment represent Jean is close for the amendment the question before the House is the adoption remember one to House Bill twelve thirty one all in favor say aye. Any opposed the amendment is adopted. Represent gene you're recognized. Thank you for calling we've got the. Five House bills on the agenda today house bill ten seventy two department of commerce US state state banking department house bill eleven oh five the board of election commissioners house bill eleven eighteen. Department of Human Services after eleven twenty Department of Human Services and house bill twelve sixty nine of. The first one ten seventy two has no general revenue. House bill eleven oh five house bill eleven eighteen in the house bill eleven twenty have no increases on general revenue and the last bill which is the bio sciences the vote in college it is tobacco settlement money it is no written general revenue in it. We'll try to match these bills do I need to pull any of these other back. You have any questions on any of these bills. Seeing none your one vote is for the bills emergency clause Mister Speaker the Clerk read the bill third tax is read the bills for the third time house bill ten seventy two has eleven oh five house bill eleven eighteen house bill eleven twenty house bill twelve sixty nine per machine medical. Voting on the bills. An emergency clauses everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast a ballot madam Clark by a vote of ninety five Yeas zero nine for president. The bills emergency clauses are passed. Representative Bob what purpose motion let's hear your motion Mister Speaker I move the rule against a building on a multiple calendars be suspended for the sole purpose of allowing Senate bill one seventy eight to be heard in committee this afternoon. That's a proper motion is not debatable. I would ask the parliamentarian to explain the the motion and what was being voted on. Thank you Mr Speaker members of the House road seventy impart restricts bills up to be on on one counter only on a given day supplemental calendar is accepted ms Vaught had a bill on the member's own counter this morning Senate bill one seventy eight to be amended and this rule needs to be suspended so we can be on the Committee agenda for upon adjournment meeting today. All right based on that explanation it is a proper motion it is not debatable all in favor say aye. Any opposed. The motion passes. Madam Clark please read house bill sixteen seventy four. As well sixteen seventy four by representative McCollum took concerning the consumer protection division of the attorney general's office and to amend the law concerning settlement funds held by the attorney general's office represent McCollum you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker thank you colleagues side today we have an opportunity to vote for a process that brings more transparency and clarity to the way we do things with taxpayer dollars and Just really quickly why is this bill needed there's currently some confusing codification so currently most of the rules governing governing the Attorney General's use of settlement funds. Founded a subsection in the middle part of the Arkansas deceptive trade practices act. Probably the best way I can explain it is it currently looks like just a patchwork quilt of of rules that look a little bit ambiguous when it comes to settlement funds and given the breadth of those rules there codification in this subsection of the DGPS. Infusing admittedly after visiting with the attorney general's office they believe it. It could be difficult to follow in the future so what we're doing is actually just codifying best practices with the use of these funds and creating consistency clarity and Most of the bill is just pulling striking language from title for moving it over to title five. Where deals Attorney General's power. And you'll see that as you look through the bill. President Wardlaw for purpose Jan you're recognized so in doing this in the past they've been able to give this money to colleges in different places according to how those settlement funds were obtained so there's medical is posted state medical and so on how how does that change this process going forward the attorney general's office. It doesn't change that. They're still able to do that. So does this raise or lower the appropriation level that they had on the twenty five million dollars that we heard about and budget or does it keep it at that status quo I would say changes at all. Thank you. Represent a column is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent a column is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen seventy four per machine madam Clerk. Is everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast a ballot madam Clark by a vote of ninety four Yeas zero nine to present the bill is passed madam Clark please read house bill sixteen thirty two Haskell sixteen thirty two by representative peers to amend the law concerning implied consent for tests to determine a person's blood alcohol concentration for a person who drives a commercial vehicle representantes you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker college. The Supreme Court had a ruling in a case where it was Burch field versus North Dakota and they said that you could not draw an individual's blood to be able to criminalize them up with those with those results so here in Arkansas under the non commercial of a driver's license we've already addressed that issue in the in the implied consent law but the federal law good is one that governs the CDL commercial drivers license so what we're doing with this bill today is we're just putting the state of Arkansas in compliance with the federal law what is matching up with them and so that we're not in violation of the Supreme Court ruling so with that I'd take any questions. Seeing none I appreciate a good vote. President Tosh explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bills. Representation's close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen thirty two prepared machine apart. Is everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about madam Clark by a vote of nineteen ninety eight zero nine zero president. The bill has passed. Farrer park please read house bill sixteen thirty three hassle sixty thirty three by representative here seven the law concerning the amount of property damage to a vehicle involved in an accident requires an accident report by law enforcement. President peers recognized explain the bill thank you Mr Speaker thank you colleagues I bring this bill today from Arkansas state police as well and what this does is requirement to continue to require an accident report just a thousand dollars I have heard and even the last week headlights are over a thousand dollars they can do an incident command all this does is bring it up to inflation to make it three thousand dollars when it requires them to do an accident report. Saying no questions I appreciate a good vote for the law enforcement thank you represent Pierce's explain the building would like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent Pierce's close for the bill the question before the House is passage of house bill sixteen thirty three. The machine madam Clark. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast a ballot madam Clark by a vote of ninety seven Yeas zero nine zero president bill is passed. Madam Clark please read Senate bills house bill sixteen thirty five. House bill sixteen thirty five a representative peers to amend the law concerning the restrictions on a driver when overtaking in passing a vehicle on the left president Tosh you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues law enforcement will tell you and I know from my experience that one of the most difficult action is to make a determination in as to who's at fault in an accident is when you have someone that is turning lay off and someone that is passing those are those are tough action dance to make a determination so the state police is brought this bill and what we want to be able to do is to just be able to put the burden of proof are the responsibility who has the right of way if you're driving and you're going to make a left hand turn and you're doing that legally then you will have the right of way over the vehicle it's passing that's all this bill does And if clears that up and makes it a whole lot easier for law enforcement as I had to deal with that situation and with that I'd take any questions. J. none I appreciate a good vote. Representative Tosh is explain the bill would anybody like to speak against the bill. For the bill representative Tosh is close for his bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen thirty five per the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted casts up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of ninety five Yeas zero nine zero present the bill is passed. Adam Clark please read the house bill sixteen seventy one S. the sixteenth seventy one by representative here some in the law concerning the penalties imposed on the use motor vehicle dealer for a violation of the required licensing laws. Representative here sure recognized thank you madam Speaker colleagues again this is another state police bill and what this one does it give law enforcement little direction on what to do when when pedestrians are not getting their tax on time and by no way is this any to hardly used car dealers the goods used car dealers this will just give again some direction how we deal with this because it's currently there's really no way to deal with this and on on their priority list out of eleven it was one hour eleven that they needed to help them in the field in the law enforcement agencies with that I'll take any questions saying none. Create a good vote thank you representative Pierce's explain the bill would anybody like to speak against the bill. For the bill representative Pierce's indicated he's close for his bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen seventy one prepare the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted casts up the ballot Madam chin Clark the vote of eighty five five eighty six days six nine zero present the bill is passed. Madam Clark please read house bill. Sixteen seventy two. House Bill sixteen seventy two by representative Pearce amend the law concerning the civil action to eliminate the availability of purposes use continually income criminal offenses you're recognized represents peers. Thank you madam. On on this bill here that comes to us from the attorney general's office and it's too it's too. To me and when when violations continue to happen and in certain malls houses thanks of this nature. This bill all it does is put the language back for the AG's office will be able to see it in and see that and take care of as well on on the state wide in so again this is a technical change of wording change all it does is but the turning general's name in there with your counties and cities so everybody will be on board. That I'll take any questions sing none I appreciate a good vote thank you representative Pierce's explain the bill would anybody like to speak for the bill against the bill representative Pearce is close for his bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen seventy two please prepare the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted cast up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of ninety seven yay one nine zero present the bill is passed madam Clark please read house bill fifteen seventy two house bill fifteen seventy three by representative talk to prohibit certain types of local regulation of underground gas storage facilities fuel retailers and related transportation infrastructure representative talk you're recognized. Thank you madam Clark calling signs every house bill fifteen seventy two and this thing this bill does two things first if an area animus municipality or in a county is known to have a gas station all we're doing is not the municipality cannot tell it gestation or they can not building new gas station in that area and the second phase this bill it would not allow municipalities to force electric charging stations to be installed a new or existing gas stations within our state there's been no known known known opposition on this and with that all the questions. Thing not appreciate a good vote. Representative Hakkas explain the bill would anybody like to speak against the bill. For the bill representative Haak is close for his build a question before the House is passage of house bill fifteen seventy to prepare the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot madam Clark with the vote of eighty nine yeas to nays and one present the bill is passed. Madam Clark please read house bill seventeen oh three house bill seventeen O. three by representative injuries to amend the law concerning leave time for deputy sheriff municipal police officers and firefighters and military leave for full time deputy sheriff municipal police officers and firefighters representative Andrews you're recognized. Thank my Speaker calling stated house bill seventeen oh three. So Sir working this bill the issue was brought before me that a lawyer full time firemen who also service in a dual role as a guard member or reserve components of the armed services with the doing is or running out of leave time a lot of departments are given a hundred twenty hours leave that's not really not enough for them when they go on drills and so they're having to use their personal vacation time and working through this bill it can my attention that affirm if any fireman we got a law enforcement to so does and really law enforcement also has the same issue so what this does expand it gives a hundred sixty eight hours a year they could banks up to two years total on that on this bill are suppressed firefighters paternal real police miss Williams socially Mr counties all had input we all can't agreement on this bill it's good bill it gives our people more time service into roles that I'll take any questions. If not I appreciate a good vote. Representative to Andrews has explained the bill would anybody like to speak against the bill. For the bill. That question before the House is passage of house bill seventeen oh three prepare the machine medical. As everyone voted. As everyone voted cast up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of ninety five Yeas zero nine one present the bill is passed Madam sorry please read house bill thirteen oh two S. the thirteenth two by representative wing to offer an insurer coverage of traumatic event licensed counseling for public safety employees as required city availability for peer support access volunteer firefighter. Representative when you're recognized. Colleagues thank you thank you madam Speaker a year ago we began hosting first responders and military for monthly meetings regarding mental health and wellness house bill thirteen oh two as a result of this effort now what this bill does is it offers licensed counseling to our first responders to experience a dramatic event in the line of duty up to twelve visits. It also provides a reporting mechanism just numbers no names to be able to monitor the effectiveness and usage of the program it also has a re authorization clause that makes it in effect for one calendar year will not be renewed unless it is renewed by the next General Assembly. This bill is supported by our state F. O. P. and also by Arkansas firefighters who worked with this for a year to get this before you today. The average person experiences one point five traumatic events in their lifetime the average first responder eight hundred in the time of their career. Our first responders that are a much higher risk for PTSD depression anxiety substance abuse divorce and suicide and they're asking for our help house bill thirteen oh two provides a owner respect your time today and I'll just go to this point answer any questions that you may have. Seeing none let me let me close with this. I do want you to know that This is a bill that has been requested by our first responders grateful for their help this is an opportunity for us to be able to answer their call to us create a good vote. Representative Tosh. They left the well. Representive **** has. Explained the bill would anybody like to speak for the bill. Against the bill the question before the house of the house passage of house bill thirteen oh to prepare the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. Has everyone voted cast up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of eighty two yeas nine days and three present the bill is passed. Madam sorry please read house bill twelve seventy two seventy two by representative Johnson to amend the healthcare contracting simply K. simplification act and to prohibit a healthcare insurer for leasing a healthcare contract or provider network. Representative Johnson you're recognized. Thank you madam Speaker right now colleagues if your health care provider in your in network with the insurance company the insurance company can lease that network to another entity this is just providing some clarity for the provider to let let them know that if the companies you lease the network you're and they have to give you notification give me a chance of opting out of that network and I'd be happy to answer any questions on the bill. Senate president give a thank you. Representative Johnson is explain the bill would anybody like to speak against the bill. For the bill representative Johnson is close for his bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill. Twelve seventy to prepare the machine madam Clark. As in it has everybody voted. As everyone voted casts up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of ninety seven yeah zero nine zero present the bill is passed. We're gonna be passing over the next two bills. Adam Clark please read house bill sixteen fifty two. House bill sixteen fifty two by representative ease to amend the law concerning the procurement of professional services and to amend the definitions of construction management and political subdivision for purposes of the procurement of professional services representative easier recognized. Thank you madam Speaker I members this is just a clarification bill just clears up ambiguity that was caused by an Attorney General opinion back in two thousand and nine inspite of the fact that the statute allows construction management services to be utilized by cities counties and political subdivisions the Attorney General ruled that it only applies to school districts in reaching that decision the Attorney General at the time relied upon the emergency clause found in the original bill the Supreme Court ruled that language in an emergency clause does not constitute a portion of the statute so all this bill does is cleans up that confusion with that I'd appreciate a good vote. Representative eves has explained the bill would anybody like to speak against the bill. For the bill the question before the House is that passage of house bill sixteen fifty to repair the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted cast up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of ninety seven yeah zero nine zero present the bill is passed. Maddox heart please read house bill seventeen twenty seventeen twenty by representative Lundstrum to amend the law concerning legal tender to prohibit the tracking of an individual through the use of digital currency except for limited circumstances and to quite clarify the use of digital currency representative Lundstrum you're recognized thank you this basically requires the digital currency fall under the same and banking laws as any other currency it also protects the individual from any type of search or seizure it actually have to follow the laws and. It also requires that in order to protect also protect the privacy of the individual and thought they have to all five also follow federal banking and privacy laws. Representative Lundstrum has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill for the bill representative Lundstrum has signified she's close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill seventeen twenty per the machine madam Clerk. As any has everyone voted. As everyone voted cast up the ballot madam Clark with the vote of ninety six J. zero nine zero present the bill is passed madam Clark please read house bill seventeen eighteen seventeen eighteen by representative license to create the Arkansas legal tender Act and to reaffirm gold and silver coins as legal tender. Lundstrum you're recognized thank you as many of your where we went through a professional here just a few months ago with digital currency and many businesses have come across and said well we're not so sure forgiveness except for legal currency well It is legal tender that's what it says on our dollar bill and has for ever this just reaffirms that legal currency is our dollar bill gold and silver and that's all it does thank you. Represent Lundstrum has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill the question before representative Lundstrum has signified that she is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill seventeen eighteen prepare the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Passed up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of eighty two yeas eight nine and one present the bill is passed madam Clark please read house bill thirteen forty eight thirteen forty eight by representative Johnson to encourage the development of a state audit process concerning qualified payment amounts and other as a state insurance departments to develop a state audit process and sending qualified payment amounts presented Johnson you're recognized. Thank you madam chair colleagues in twenty twenty one the federal government pass a piece of legislation called the no surprises Act this is a federal law to try to help deal with some of the issues that come up with surprise medical billing this law went into effect in January of this year of twenty twenty two this is something that does interest departments asking help them with their need to promulgate some rules in the interim try to help deal with some of the complaints around the no surprises Act receded a state level this bill is just is not empower them to promulgate those rules and be happy to answer any questions. C. nine the appreciate your vote thank you representative Johnson has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill representative Johnson is close for his bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill thirteen forty eight prepare the machine madam Clerk. Is everyone voted. As everyone voted cast up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of ninety five Yeas zero nine zero present the bill is passed. Madam Clark please read house bill twelve seventy six seventy six by representative Johnson to exclude anti psychotic prescription drugs from state stepped therapy. Representative Johnson you're recognized. Thank you madam chair colleagues stepped therapy is a process where by which interest coverage required to fail a certain therapy before you move on to the next therapy that's something we've already addressed in statute with certain kinds of cancer therapies is just applying that same lauding a psychotic drugs and be happy to answer any questions. Senate president give a thank you. Representative Johnson has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of house bill twelve seventy six prepare the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted cast up the ballot madam collar with a vote of ninety six eight two nine eight and zero present the bill is passed madam Clark please read house bill fifteen thirteen of fifteen thirteen by representative McCollum to create election integrity unit within the attorney general's office to amend the duties of the state board of election commissioners and some in the law concerning violations of election law. Representative McCollum you're recognized. Thank you madam Speaker thank you colleagues. Not sure what happened there we'll get that fixed so Today we have an opportunity to support a bill that's been worked on by bills that election integrity working group so thank you all who were involved there as well as the Attorney general's office and the. State board election commission's office so. we're kind of finding codifying the creation of this election integrity unit which the attorney general's office was R. had already announced they were setting up they have a vested interest of course an election integrity and being a partner with the secretary of state's office as well as well as with the election commissioners so we're creating with this bill a new Civil cause of action for the Attorney General based on already existing criminal violations in code. The prosecuting attorneys would bring so the idea is to give a collateral attack here with a lower burden of proof. It's probably important to note that as we've gone through this process we made sure that the pause button a few different times and sent it back to committee to make sure all the interested parties are unified and in this approach so we're gonna have the State Board of Election Commission have the ability to gather the data from the hotline and I would appreciate your support. Thank you. Representative has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill the question before the house of the house passage of house bill fifteen thirteen per the machine madam Clark. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot madam Clerk with a vote of eighty three days nine days and zero present the bill is passed madam Clark please read house bill sixteen thirty five. Okay sixteen fifty three sorry ma'am house bill sixteen fifty three by representative McKenzie to prohibit the purchase of small unmanned aircraft manufacturers simply by covered foreign entity represent mackenzie you're recognized thank you madam chair colleagues I rise today to present house bill sixteen fifty three the common sense proactive measure to disallow the purchase and acquisition of Chinese and Russian main drones by Arkansas state agencies the basis of this bill is is on the context of a twenty seventeen people's Republic of China Law the into the national intelligence law which and I quote suppose the law and the requires that manufactures entity support assisting cooperate with P. R. P. R. C. national intelligence services by manufacturers in their homeland additionally manufactures of Chinese made drones in the twenty twenty ND a created for a prohibition for our department of defense to acquire Chinese made drones in twenty twenty three the NDA expanded that to private contractors in twenty twenty to the DOD identified a specific company name DG DJ I as a Chinese military company and twenty twenty the department of commerce at a DJ I to its economic blacklist I would be very clear and specific on what this bill does know that undoubtedly some of you heard from representatives and civil leaders in your home towns what this bill does is creates a four year transition period for state agencies sheriff's department fire departments any entity under our state agencies the allowed use of their existing drones to squeeze out the natural life of the drugs that they have within their fleet after four years they would be needed to transition to not just specifically domestic drones but drugs that are not manufactured or assembled in China or the federation of Russia. Additionally there is a exemption process built into this bill so that if any entity the state police department transportation game and fish for your local agencies wish to continue using those drugs after four years there's exemption process built in to the Secretary transformation and most significantly what this bill does is it sends a Class clear and allowed review of the people's Republic of China the CCP and that our cans and stand for state state and national security with that I'm happy to take any questions representative makes for what purpose question please you're recognized so my question is what is the specific security concerned with the drones that you're worried about because they're generally you know they're just taking aerial photographs things that the Chinese would already have available by spy satellites and other means in. This would seriously hamper our law enforcement so I you know this this laptop that I have here. Past Chinese parts built into it it would be more of a security concern I would think that a drone would so can you elaborate on what specific data you think that the Chinese could get from us using these drones for our citizens there's there's a whole litany of uses that these drugs can be used for most specifically everyone in this room probably has a sheriff's department please permit that uses them for aerial photos of inspecting investigations crashes arsons at the end of the day that information that are departments collect is personally secured information as a result of using these drones the interfaces that our chair of sorry deputies or police departments are required to download under their personal devices or state devices cannot be secured no no app either through the the most notable than most noted examples with DJ I has a hundred percent secure backstop so any and all information that can circulate either through the streaming of videos or photos off of a drone through that through those apps are ends are unsecured beyond that I I made the point that this would hamper our law enforcement I've worked extensively with local sheriff's departments the state police Arkansas game and fish and the Arkansas River transportation to ensure that this exemption window does allow them to get the life out of their existing fleet from my research and conversations with the folks who manage these devices on a steady basis the most you can expect of used out of these if the infrastructure is between eighteen and thirty six months so they'll have the ability to to use their drones into the into the future as well as not inhibit their ability to use them after that for your windows. Representative Dalby for what purpose Russian you're recognized can you tell me how much additional cost is going to be for our agencies to Trent transition over to a different type of drone and how is that going to be paid for. At any additional cost from buying new infrastructure is not incremental to what they have to be purchasing anyway this is not a mandate for purchase this is a guideline for purchases in the future acquisition the future. Representative Cavenaugh for what purpose mission you're recognized. If I make sure I understand we don't want him using these grounds but we're gonna give up for more years to use some if they're so bad why are we not just saying that you can't use of yeah that was through conversations with some of our state agencies that have invested quite a bit of money into these and I understand I don't want to this bill to inhibit their lifesaving missions so what this bill does is allows them to use the natural life use the dreadful it's natural life and then as they make decisions an acquisition the future make make purchases that do not come from countries that have negligent intent follow mention you're recognized you're recognized so in these four years and they're still gonna be able to use and what data are they gonna be able to get. The data they were using today. Represent with that I think you have a good. Representative McKenzie has explained the bill would anybody like to speak against the bill. Representative make sure recognized to speak against the bill. You're recognized all right thank you manager so I fully understand to get the the intent of the bill the concerned about trying to we've all seen tick tock and all that however our state agencies do have quite a bit of money invested in these drones DG I and I full disclosure I have a commercial drone pilots license I've been flying the G. quit it for many years I have no concerns about the security the reason why our state agencies are investing money is because right now they are the best value the best quality drones that are on the market and my concern here is two fold by taking that option away from our state agencies that the cost is going to go way up the are competing drones are way more expensive the other issue is is as I raised during my question there the data that's being collected aerial photographs of Election China can do that from a spy satellite you know we just had this perfect event happened Friday our state agencies need to have the ability to use the drones to look for survivors using the best equipment available. If China wants to look in on that and see the damage that was done by that tornado they've got spy satellites that can do just as good of a job AS one of our drones flying you know from our law enforcement so I'm going to vote No would ask for a no on this list. Representative Pilkington for what purpose question you're recognized thank you madam Speaker madam Speaker representative Meeks you you mention about these are the best bang for Bach I mean do not have a concern that China is flooding the market just like that it was solar panels in the past in order to corner the market on drones and then get their spy ware into our skies is there is there not a concern there I don't have the real concern there my I would have a bigger concern about like I said the laptop that's sitting on your desk that's made with Chinese components. More so than I would with the with the drone because the drones not gonna have one what sensitive interim what what sensitive information our our police going to be photographing from the air. You know offers a wildfire if there's tornado damage I don't see what national security risk would really be involved in that may maybe there is I'm just not thinking of it off the top of my head. But the other aspect is. Are giving our local sheriff's the ability to make the best decision for their community obviously if there's a security concern they're going to be just as concerned about that as anybody else follow up you're recognized so despite the fact there have been security concerns raised by professionals you're okay with letting Chinese by were in the air NO. The representative what for what purpose. You're recognized you're recognized representative makes a answer you the expert on this do you know of any warnings that have been issued by homeland security are any law enforcement association regarding the use of drones not to my knowledge thank you representative going for what purpose. You're recognized just want to well I recognize the drone itself what it's transmitting but there's also the app that you have to use you cannot use the drone without the address that you not might have the same drone right and so can you comment just on the security of that release your concerns with regards to that at at this point I don't have any I've not heard of any security concerns raised on that so most of the day the obviously got have the app on your phone or on your tablet to be able to control the drone so that's got to be there the main or reason that those after talking to the internet is just to make sure that the area where you're flying is not restricted air space and a lot of that's all status by the federal government so forth. The representative representative makes a spoken against the bill would anybody like to speak for the bill. Representative Richard son you're recognized. Thank you madam chair so And I don't want to belabor the point but if you want to approach this from a an apt perspective on the challenges that we know with with China across the board they continue to come up with new and interesting ways to have access to our data in our constituency and what we have been in the industry as a as a term is called zero which is at and I guess the discovery is the best way to describe it a new discovery of a vulnerability or at in these cases an apt that's having access to stuff you don't know what you don't know until you know and and this is a case where we're trying to provide through this bill the way that we can slow down stop or prevent future risks associated with the Chinese and other bad actors having access to data there's a lot more data on our devices than just the pictures that these devices are taking and we had another of the at this last week we had a Chinese out that was having access to all of the other things in within computers so this is not just about the pictures this is about all the data that you guys have and all the data that are in various law enforcement entities have we we have to we have an obligation to protect that so I would appreciate a good vote. Representative Richardson has spoken for the bill would anybody like to speak against the bill. Or the bill representative Richmond you are recognized. Thank you madam Speaker thank you colleagues very quickly. This things we need to consider on this and and I come down here. No replies leave because I want to get out here as much as you guys want to get out of here but anyway this company DJ I you know it maintains someone talk the economics first it maintains that it is a privately owned company and that they don't get any direct and investments from the Chinese government well that's simply wrong the there's for firms that the Chinese government controls that filters money into this not to mention the technology as well so there's a reason why they control seventy percent of the market. The Chinese government always goes after and says we're going to control the secretary. And that's exactly what they've done on this other companies can't compete. If if our government was filtering money into companies like they do well then we could probably either sell them but we don't do that. And so there's the problem with that now the the second part of this you know we talk about. Wanting to be able to compete and bring jobs back home. What we could never do it because we can always buy something cheaper from China. You know how we're going to make that turn and Jett change in that transition well we're not let's just be honest we won't because we'd rather have the cheap crap from China. More importantly however. Is the entails now I used to be a subject matter expert on this because I was commanding officer second UAV squadron. The reconnaissance capability we transition from not only reconnaissance but also to a weapons platform because if I can see it I want to kill it. And that's what we learned how to do and that's what we did with this weapon system and the changes been incredible. But the Chinese also recognize that they have the same thing the problem is is that DJ I retains total rights to all geographical data that is collected by their drones. They don't have to even pretend that they're violating any kind of espionage they have the rights to it. Go ahead and take that information they want use of forever how they want to use it. Now we talk about the satellites now Chinese satellites most of rent a fixed position over certain like nuclear weapons and those type of things but some of the more an orderly but I tell you what it is very difficult to move those things around so they look at something you. In a lease is for us I don't know the Chinese I might be able to snap her fingers I'm not sure. On that thing but that's a little harder were is flying this is Chief free Intel on infrastructure and we don't know what is critical or what they consider current. We have to remember that in twenty seventeen the Chinese government passed a law saying that all businesses Chinese businesses and personnel must cooperate with the people's army in providing information and intelligence. They didn't do that for no reason at all. They did it because they are and at the service. And we need to recognize that. We need to be aware because frankly I'm tired. Pretending that people are not at the Surrey when all their actions indicate that they are. Thank you look to sell Chinese see they're trying to make that their own personal lake and it is a dangerous place to be the way they're attempting to stop us from trafficking and be able to have navigational Rights Center. Take a look at what they're doing in Ukraine in that they allow the Soviet Union everything providing them this if this capability and while the Ukraine's are unable to use the same capability they have to buy and get stuff from us. They are an adversary. We didn't pay any attention to the the Islamic radicals until they brought the towers down even though they were killing kicking Americans outback airplanes for years and years and years. I'd like to once get ahead of the game. And that's why I'm gonna support this bill thank you. Representative Richmond has spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative McKenzie would you like to close for your bill. Fun times recognized I just wanna thank everybody for the opportunity to listen there's a lot of great information there about about this type of legislation I want to be very clear. The concern is that representative Richmond laid about DJ I they are not in a vacuum. R. D. O. D. won't let any of their contractors use the jab drones they they themselves when I purchased the J. Jones our department of commerce has has listed them on the entity list which is extensively and Economic blacklist a lot of are a lot of colleagues come down as well and they'll make comments like well what we're doing is we're taking state law codified in or taking once a federal practice and co to find it this is exactly that our state agencies our local police departments or sheriff's departments are fire departments are bomb technicians they all required to some degree or another to get federal training for the work that they do why are we not listening to our federal agencies when they say we cannot trust these companies and again I said this in Committee not be happy to stay here today let's take all of the concerns we have about cost in training and some cost in information in loss of expertise and we bundle that up and we put on the other side of the scale state and national security I hope like many you that our number one concern as we come down here legislative is to protect our constituents back home and with that I appreciate a good vote representative McKenzie has explained the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen fifty three per the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Casts up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of fifty nine yeas nineteen nineties and nine president. The bill has passed. Madam Clark please read house bill eleven seventy two. House bill eleven seventy two by representative Vaught to create a sales and use tax exemption for morality composing devices so to commercial livestock or poultry producer. Representative age you're recognized. Thank you thank you madam Speaker of members house bill eleven seventy two a representative of all bills bills with the mortality composting device what that is is a big giant medical to that you put dead chickens and these are the big chicken processors may put that check and then on the spin around look become per Leiser. And then they fertilize things so this bill would prevent the FNA from and collecting sales tax on these devices. You might see if it's fiscal impact of around two hundred thousand dollars however and that has never been collected the. I'll be in just a second I'll be out of the well I just wanna make sure you understand this they don't collect it now the only way they would be able to collect it is if they win audited these companies these are these are companies we. I lost my train of thought. These are companies we ask to come here to develop these machines so the intent was never to charge sales tax on to this just clarifying. Language representative Mary for what purpose question please recognize of. Representatives I was going to both the term mortality is really confused me so if I need to explain what mortality is yes that way I wanna make sure I'm getting the vote right I don't know what mortality is but I know what mortality is so all right appreciate a good vote. Representative avis has someone explain the bill would anyone like to speak. Against the bill for the bill the question before the House is house the passage of house bill eleven seventy two per the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. Has everyone voted cast up the ballot madam Clark with the vote of ninety four Yeas zero nine one present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill thirteen forty five thirteen forty five by representative tasked them in the income tax deduction for teachers classroom expenses and to increase the income tax deduction for teachers classroom expenses representative Tosh you're recognized Ladyman thank you madam Speaker college what this bill does it gives a tax deduction to teachers out of pocket expense for their classrooms were raised it for five hundred dollars to seven fifty course if both the spouses are our teachers it'd be fifteen hundred dollars but it's a tax deduction for their out of pocket expenses for the classroom with that I'd take any questions. J. nine appreciate a good vote representive tosses explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill representative Tosh is close for his bill the question before the House is house passage of house bill thirteen forty five prepare the machine madam Clark. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Casts up the ballot madam Clerk with a vote of ninety six eight zero nine one present the bill is passed representative Michael representative. Back Landon for what purpose motion you're recognized I move to expunge the vote in which Senate bill sixty six was approved by the house. That's a debatable motion. You're recognized president. Thank you madam Speaker so again this is Senate bill sixty six it had an error when it was engrossed and so I need to expunge the vote so that we can fix the air and then re vote on this bill thank you. Representative Michael Landon has explained the motion would anyone like to speak against the motion for the motion representative Michael Landon as close for her motion the question before the House is passage. Is the. Motion to expunge the vote by which it pass Senate bill sixty six passed all in favor say aye. Opposed no. The motion has passed. Let the reference let the record. Reflect that it it got more than sixty seven votes. Now. Madam sorry please read house bill thirteen forty six. Thirteen forty six by representative tasked to create a sales and use tax exemption for the purpose of a business vehicle by a food pantry and to create a one time rebate of state sales and use tax for the purchase of a business vehicle in twenty twenty to buy food pantry representative tossed recognized. Thank you madam Speaker college what this bill does you know all of us. To society we have three basic needs it shelter clothing and food and our food pantries around this state I know the ones in my area they do so much they serve thousands of people and they provide to those basic needs especially one that's food and in many cases shelter and what this bill would do if they receive a vehicle which is donated to them through the county or other donations from citizens in that county when they go to pay sales tax applies to that vehicle they will be exempt from that tax I have one in my area it really brought this to my attention I thought they were NONEXEMPT I found out when the they went to trying to register their vehicle College in costume two thousand dollars a food pantry that is surviving on donations that take care the most needy throughout those communities and here we are of above charging two thousand dollars so that's why I brought this bill bill I know there's other food pantries across the state that vehicle can only be used for the picking up of donations and for the delivering of such throughout the throughout those areas and the physical impact on the US is seventeen thousand dollars. Seventeen thousand dollars to help the most needing throughout this state and with that I'll take any questions seeing none I appreciate a good vote representative tosses explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill thirteen forty six prepare the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Asked about madam Clark with a vote of ninety six J. zero nine zero present the bill is passed members let's go back up to that house bill sixteen fifty madam Clerk please read house bill sixteen fifty. As well sixteen fifty by representative Shepherd concerning the sale of events. Create. Concerning element tickets to create the event ticketing a resale consumer protection act and to declare an emergency Speaker Shepherd you're recognized. Thank you Mr madam chair members presenting a bill today that deals with the sale and resale of tickets to events in the state of Arkansas as you may be familiar a previously or currently you cannot sell a ticket to an event above face value in the State of Arkansas but the fact of the matter is that that occurs every single day on numerous other websites this bill simply it would allow for the sale of tickets above face value and so that's allow the law to allow what is already in fact the practice I worked on this bill with the University of Arkansas as you can imagine it has a particular impact to higher education sporting events and my understanding is Arkansas is one of the few remaining states it may be possibly the only remaining state that had such restrictions on the resale of tickets you can look at the bill it has a number of definitions that are outlined in the first several pages and then on page three picks up with some of the prohibitions and also it joins a local government from put placing similar types restrictions on the resale of tickets One of the provisions with regard to higher education or tickets that are sold from institution to institution of higher education if you look at page four we require that for a period of not less than ten days the institute institution of higher education has to offer those tickets for sale for face value felt it was important to include that in this piece of legislation just to ensure that there are tickets being offered at face value but keep in mind that those institutions they actually set set the face value so in fact if they wanted to they could increase the face value at the very outset one of the other things that we included here is a consumer protection peace to the bill and I believe that's over on pages six I believe it's actually pages five and six where it requires an individual who's in the business of selling or reselling tickets or an organization group association partnership corporation that sells a resells tickets they have to provide a number of guarantees and a number of contact information just to make sure that if folks are buying those tickets that they in fact get what they thought they were paying for. With that I'll be glad to take any questions. Speaker Shepherd has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill the question before the House is a pass both representatives of his close for his bill. Question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen fifty prepare the machine madam Clerk. Has everyone voted you're voting on the bill and the Emergency Clause casts up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of nineteen ninety eight zero nine zero present the bill has passed. Now Madam sorry please read house bill thirteen ninety eight. House bill thirteen ninety eight by representative eaves to Amanda Paisley's law and to me in the stillborn child income tax credit. Representative aids you're recognized. Thank you madam Speaker a colleagues those of us that were here last session might remember a bill we ran to give families of stillborn child a five hundred dollar income tax credit. during the bill presentation in the house and also the bill presentation in the Senate as well as other members on those committees I was asked several times by those members of I would consider increasing that credit to help some of these families a some more the time at that time I I declined to do that we relating session like we are now decided to just run the bill like it was originally drafted so with a promise made on make in a the keeping that promise today to attempt to raise that by a thousand dollars up to fifteen hundred dollars and I'll tell you why after doing the math on it with a five hundred dollar tax credit the fiscal impact last year was calculated to be a hundred thirty nine thousand five hundred dollars it ended up being a little over twenty three thousand dollars with sixty five families being affected That the average amount of credit they receive was a little under or little over three hundred dollars and that would be an income level of about twenty two thousand four hundred dollars so what this bill would do would be increased that amount to fifteen hundred dollars hopefully no one ever has to use it to be honest with you it would raise the income threshold up to around forty three thousand dollars to help some of these bands that experience a stillborn child and what that means for these families is just like a child born alive they have the expenses of the the nursery items the bedding the the the bottles of the of the blankets that creates and all that but the families that experience a stillborn child which is a child that dies after twenty weeks in the womb. They have those exact same expenses but they also have to prepare for a funeral and burial sites and marker in those kind of things and so this will help some of those families out the bill is named after a little girl named Paisley for those of you that don't know who died one day before she was to be born and so that's how I came to know about this issue it's quite expensive for these families it's a fairly minimal impact around fifty nine thousand dollars is what I'm hearing. If we have the same number of families that have this tragic event so with that I'd be happy to answer any questions. The non I'd appreciate a good vote representative aids has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill the question before the House representative eases close for his bill the question before the House is house bill thirteen ninety eight. Per the machine madam Clark. As everyone voted. As everyone voted cast up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of ninety eight eighty eight zero nine zero present the bill is passed madam Clark please read house bill fifteen eighty four ask for fifteen eighty four by representative Watson to authorize the Arkansas towing and recovery board to establish rules necessary for the towing recovery and storage of electric vehicles represented Watson you're recognized. Thank you madam Speaker colleagues wait just one minute. House Bill fifteen eighty four by representative Watson to amend the requirements for a total business to give public notice in certain circumstances. Thank you members representative Watson you're recognized to present the bill thank you Mr Speaker this bill does one thing one thing it codifies to have the notice is posted online instead of the traditional print way this is absolutely all this legislation to is does in the last General Assembly the Public Transportation Committee S. the towing recovery board if they would go through a transition period if they would hold up for two years to get a functioning and working online website and they have done this that website is called Arkansas lost auto to date his or he per processed over twenty five hundred searches for a delinquent notices that's all this legislation done does in of the questions I appreciate a good vote. Representive Watson has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen eighty four per the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. Has everyone voted cast up the ballot madam Clerk with the vote of eighty four Yankees seven nays and zero present the bill is passed madam Clark please read house bill seventeen sixty five decibels seventeen sixty five by representative wing to authorize the Arkansas towing and recovery board to establish rules necessary for the towing recovery and storage of electric vehicles. Represent when you're. Thank you Mr Speaker this bill simply does everything that the title says the towing and recovery board asked for this bill because of the electronic vehicles and when one is in an accident it presents the opportunities for some toxic waste it can be very dangerous and so we have asked them to put together some rules to be able to be at safely both toe and store electronic vehicles during access happy to answer any questions signin present a good vote thank you. Represent wing is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would like to speak for the bill. Represent wing is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill seventeen sixty five prepared machine madam Clark. Everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about madam Clerk. By a vote of eighty five Yeas six nays and three present the bill is passed. Clark please read house bill seventeen twelve at seventeen twelve I represented by so many Arkansas speed trap law. President Stanley recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker I this bill does what it says it does and what it will do is allow state troopers allow constables and county sheriff's department to write tickets that will not go against the revenue threshold for the municipality so what we're asking for here is a little leniency and it's not really tap these speed trap so to speak out here and with that I'll take any questions. President Collins for what purpose question you're recognized I represented it also looks like it changes it so that it doesn't apply on highways where the city hasn't reduce the speed is that Ryan and if that's true then if they don't do that then they can just kind of process however much and take if they want to the right if they don't reduce the speed in the minutes ballot that would apply to the state troopers and and that that's reduce speed that's what will require them to have that threshold there follow up. For just so I'm clear that doesn't applied generally to the speed trap law that change that applicables highway doesn't doesn't mean the the rest of the speed trap law correct okay my understanding thank you. Represent Cavenaugh for purpose. Question you're recognized. Just wanna make sure so we're going to have is this going to allow more people to write tickets in the speed traps and they can continue to be speed traps. It will I mean here's the thing is rarely do you see state police or county sheriff's department constables going people over on state highways that are running through municipalities would decrease speed limits you don't see that very often and what these us Markham user wanting is that revenue not to go against their you know there take it right in the capability. Follows. Well in my prior district we did have a municipalities constable set there and write tickets all the time so that's what I'm asking is this going so they'll be able to continue to write tickets in it and they said that they're still subject to that the speed trap law this is to allow if a state trooper trooper writes a ticket in that in that speeds on it will not go against the speed trap law. Okay thank you reserve rate for what purpose question recommend. Forgive my ignorance on this topic but can you tell me what what constitutes the speed trap under law I know it it has to be some percentage of the revenue that's derived from tickets but you're correct do you know what the representative Sir okay represent Wooten for what purpose question you're recognized question. Can we use the words that we can use the size speed trap while the simple way to avoid the speed trap is developed by the. But can we use a percent of revenue or something like that no Sir. Represents stumbles explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. What we would like to speak for the bill representantes you're recognized speak for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker college let me try to clear up a little bit of the issues on the US. When I think of a speed trap in my years of law enforcement experience I thank of a state highway or U. S. Highway that goes into a city limits and all at once the speed changes from sixty or sixty five miles per hour and it drops to forty to forty five miles per hour that's what I think of when I think of the speed trap what this bill will do this bill says that as long as the speed does it change as long as there's no reduction in the state. In other words if you've got a four lane highway and it happens to be that part of your city limits is inside that of that highways inside your city limits and I've got a good example in my area the speed limit is sixty five miles per hour it's sixty five miles prior several miles before you get into the city limits there's no reduction in this page sixty five through the city limits and it's sixty five when you come out the other side that's not a speed trap but those cities that happened to be riding tickets in the speeds all that is no reduction in that stage old those tickets along with the troopers that right to tickets in that area and other police officers that's being counted against those cities and it's causing them to be a violation of the law that we passed a few sessions ago this call the speed trap law all this does is just make sure that that they're able to force the law with there's no reduction in the speed limit and I would appreciate a good vote thank. President Tosh spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. We would like to speak for the bill. Stommel is close for the bill the question before the House is passage of house bill seventeen twelve pairs machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voter. Cast about madam Clerk by a vote of seventy five seventy four yeas twelve days and five present the bill is passed. Madam Clark please read house bill seventeen twenty eight seventeen twenty eight by representative east amend the law concerning the operation of prohibited aircraft and some in the definition of aircraft representatives you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker members this is just a kind of a catch up bill we're trying to get Arkansas caught up with the federal code this bill just conform state code with the definition of federal code regarding drones and on me unmanned aircraft helps clarify the drone that a drone under federal law is considered an aircraft. That I appreciate a good vote. Representatives explained the bill would he would like to speak against the bill. What he would like to speak for the bill represent each is closed for the bill the question before the House is passive house bill seventeen twenty eight prepared machine madam Clark. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about madam Clark by a vote of ninety ninety eight zero nine zero present the bill is passed Manafort please read house bill twelve thirty seven. Thirty seven by representative Johnson to regulate the business of taxicab automobile for similar vehicle engaged in carrying passengers for hire. President Johnson you're recognized to explain the bill thank you Mr Speaker college this bill increases the bonding requirement for taxi cab company from fifty thousand to two hundred fifty thousand that's in line with some other companies that do transportation it specifically excludes Huber left private cars for hire does not apply to churches or any other basis just a taxi cab companies I'll be happy to try to. C. nine appreciate your vote thank you Colin for purpose. I'm getting question why well there was issued this come up and and is couple of places where tax cap companies have shut down and filed for bankruptcy after incurring some sort accident which they filed for bankruptcy the only amount that's available for medical bills and things like that is some bad outcome is fifty thousand from the bonding it's really not enough and not really compared with some other places so that's the main reason for trying to change it. Receive that thank you. President Johnson's plane bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. We would like to speak. For the bill. President Johnson's close for the bill the question before the House is a pastor house bill twelve thirty seven where the machine. Is everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast about mine Clerk. Seven president bills passed. At the Passover house bill seventy. And Clark please read house bill sixteen. S. the sixteenth twenty two by representative constantly eight the heart attack task force and some have for the powers and duties of the heart attack task force groups of college written. Thank you Mr Speaker so we have a a stroke task force in Arkansas it brings experts and industry groups together they make non binding recommendations actually has done incredible work in our state we have one of the best most effective drug task forces in the country is created a registry where hospitals and shared anonymous information that is allowed us to save lines when a notice patterns and how you know mortality rates and things like that it is develop the state's drug is ignition and as developed best practice that guidance documents for hospitals so people would like to create a heart attack task force that does the same thing is drug task force but for a heart attack no cost to the state these are non binding recommendations but it is a way that we can help confront this public health issue which is one of the you know most significant public health issues in our state and I would have to be doing all we can to save lives with that I appreciate a good vote. Represent Collins explained the building would like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill represent Collins is closed for the bill the question before the House is pastor of House Bill sixteen twenty two per machine and Clark. To everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast about madam Clark by a vote of ninety eight five days when president bills passed. Adam Clark please read house bill seventeen thirty one seventeen thirty one by representative Cooper to increase the number of persons certified daycare center that is exempt from the definition of food service establishment reserve Cooper you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues this maybe one of the shortest bills that we've had this session. But it has the potential to help alleviate part of the child care crisis especially in our rural communities it's no secret that there is a shortage in the availability of child care for working families. The idea for this bill is not right to me by state agency it wasn't brought to me by a special interest group but it came from hard working constituents back home in my district. They brought this idea to me and represent Mayberry was kind enough to have a subcommittee meeting about this issue last fall about the state of child care in Arkansas. So my district in the small town of road but in White County my constituents John and Becky let and provide an essential service to the community. The operating in home daycare called miss Becky's child care and preschool. The nearest town to road but or other child care services can be found or Conway thirty four miles to the west. DB twenty five miles to the south Searcy twenty two miles to the east he per springs fourteen miles to the north. Per single parent working at one of the businesses in road but it's not feasible for them to travel these long distances to other towns to utilize sticker Services. So daycare availability in the local community is essential and we see the same issue playing out in rural areas all across the state. I typically we think of lasting licensing for daycare facilities we think of the Department of Human Services. Under DHS licensure an in home day care can provide services for up to sixteen children. But did you know that the Department of Health also requires their own retail food establishment license if the day care provides services for more than ten children. This rule is based off current Arkansas Code twenty dash fifty seven dash two oh one which states that daycare centers providing services for ten or fewer children are exempt from retail food establishment licensure. So for daycare wants to provide services to more than ten children they have to acquire dual licensure or DHS license and their food establishment license from the department of health. Meeting the requirements for retail food establishment licensure can be difficult and expensive it can require retrofitting of a home and rents in many in home daycares or being able to expand their. So if you look at this very short bill with me you'll see that it simply does one thing. Immense number of children from ten to twelve so the day care providing services to twelve or fewer children exempt from retail food establishment licensure. Modifying this regulation will make it easier for day care centers to expand their services and provide more opportunity first for what for working parents thank revised services for two more children potentially helping up to two additional families in their communities. I reached out to both the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services and either one of those agencies has any. The clothes I think it's important to note that this bill would bring us more in line with what Texas doesn't take here that's state allows day cares to provide services for up to twelve children with no additional licensure. This bill has the potential to help improve the availability of child care in rural communities. Or the Department of Health the Department Human Services have no issues with this bill. And this is a good constituent lead bill I think we need more constituent let ideas in this legislature. I'll do my best to answer any questions. A good vote thank you. Represent Cooper's explain the building would like to speak. Represent Cooper's close for the bill the question before the House is the passage. Of house bill seven. As everyone voted. Cast of the ballot madam Clerk. With the voted ninety eight yeah zero nine zero present the bill has passed. Madam Clark please read house bill seventeen forty two I feel seventeen forty two by representative McCollum to transfer the administration of the transitional employment assistance program from the department of commerce the department Human Services and to declare an emergency. Representan column you're recognized to present the bill. Thank you madam Speaker thank you colleagues thank you representative referred that short no I have a thirty page bill in front of you but it does do exactly what the title says so we intend to with this bill transfer the tennis program from by the department of commerce and then over to DHS this is part of the governor's. Larger I plan to kind of re balance our entire state system to serve people more holistically. Michigan vote. Representative McCollum has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative McCollum is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill seventeen forty two madam Clark prepare the machine. As it. You're voting on the bill and the emergency clause. As everyone voted. With the voted ninety six J. zero Nays and zero present the bill and the emergency clause have passed madam Clark please read house bill seventeen oh five House Bill seventeen oh five by representative brown to amend the telemedicine act to clarify that a professional relationship for physical therapy services shall be established only mine in person examination. Representative brown you're recognized to present the bill. Thank you madam Speaker the board of Arkansas of the Arkansas chapter of the American physical therapy association brought this bill to me. and it's quite simple it It simply states a professional relationship for physical therapy services shall only be established if the healthcare professional conducts an in person examination of the patient. The in person examination requirements will ensure that the appropriate physical therapy care is being provided within an established provider client relationship as most of you know physical therapy by definition is a physical hands on profession a physical assessment is critical and cannot be done remotely additionally the assessment of physical ability ability which tests the patience skills is inherently risky if the therapist is not. On site to ensure patient safety the Arkansas physical therapy association strongly supports H. B. seventeen oh five. I would try to answer questions but I'm not a physical therapist. I appreciate a good vote. Representative brown has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative brown is closed for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of house bill seventeen No five madam Clark please prepare the machine. As everyone voted. Yes that the ballot madam Clerk. With the vote of ninety two yea three nine A. and one present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill fourteen forty seven fourteen forty seven by representative maybe to amend the mechanism by which this. We're going to pass over that bill. Adam Clark please read house bill fifteen thirty eight. That's the fifteen thirty eight by representive awesome in the professional development schedule required for license school professional and some in the definition of the basic contract under the teacher compensation program of two thousand three. Representative Vaught you're recognized to present the bill thank you madam Speaker representative Dick an hour trying to find a better way for PD to be used in our schools we wanted to try to get more rid of some of the sixty hours but had a little bit of trouble doing that so what we came up with was reducing the number of times that they had to do it so like Arkansas history would be one and done family and community. Service or something like that I can't remember representative date I would be one and done and then the other ones would move to every fifth year that you had to take on it's a lot of redundancy whatever they're taking those PD courses this way that the schools can use those hours more effectively probably within their own schools they know what kind of PDAs there teachers need we think this will give them a little bit of flexibility to be able to do that. And with that we appreciate a good vote. Representative Vaught has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill representative body is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fourteen excuse me house bill fifteen thirty eight madam Clark prepare the machine. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot madam Clerk. With the voted ninety a one day and three present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill fifteen thirty nine fifteen thirty nine by representative vote to repeal the requirement that public school districts and open enrollment public charter schools offer certain courses to build students represented Vaught you're recognized to explain the bill thank you madam chair and I had some people back home who asked me to run this we've got students that are getting expelled the very first day of school or the first week of school on purpose so that they can go home and do school from home and this bill would give us a way that they could go to the digital learning like to Arkansas and. They've got an online school and Arkansas learn virtual Arkansas thank you Sir thank you representative car for helping me out there and it would take the weight off of our teachers gathering up that information and send it to the student every day and with that I would appreciate a good vote okay. Representative garner for what purpose question you're recognized do we know how many kids that are actually expelled would not be getting the services after that they'll get on that is is put me get numb from the school itself they would be getting from virtual Arkansas and not the actual school and the teachers having to do it. Okay thank you yes ma'am. I'm not trying to denominator cation. Just trying to give an option. With that I would appreciate a good vote. Representive Vaught is closed for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen thirty. Excuse me fifteen thirty nine that in Clark please repair the machine. Has everyone voted. Casts up the ballot madam Clerk. With the vote of eighty six EA one day and ten present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill fifteen forty fifteen forty by representative also allow public school to administer grade level placement test to a student who is re entering the public school for purposes of determining the grade level appropriate for the students. Representative Vaught you're recognized to present the bill thank you madam chair our schools can already do this it just wasn't really clear and the law that they could do this re entry task what we're doing is making it very clear that you made do this free entry test this is for kids it's been out for over a year a year or longer. With that I would appreciate a good vote. Representative thought has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak for the speak against the bill. For the bill. The question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen forty. Madam Clark please prepare the machine. As everyone voted. Casts up the ballot madam Clerk. With the voted ninety a one day and five present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill sixteen ninety one house bill sixty nine one by representative went to allow school district board of directors to consolidate grievances into a group grievance in multiple school employees have filed individual grievances that are the same grievance for purposes of an appeal. Representative wing you're recognized to present the bill. Thank you madam Speaker what this bill does is just was brought to me by the school boards association it allows multiple grievances that are the exact same in nature to be considered collectively rather than having an individual grievance sent heard each time this is just for employee grievances they still get ninety minutes the group can will elect a spokesman of one or more people as well. This is simple as that happy to answer any questions seeing none appreciate a good vote. Representative wing has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. The question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen ninety one madam Clark please repair the machine. As everyone voted. Cast at the ballot madam Clerk with the voted ninety seven yeah zero nine zero present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill fifteen twenty nine also fifteen twenty nine by representative rates established the Arkansas adult diploma program at. Representative ray you're recognized to present the bill thank you madam chair colleagues I'm excited to bring you this bill today to create the Arkansas adult diploma program is to address a problem that I'm sure every employer in your districts are well aware of which is the enormous population of adults in our state we don't have any education credentials not even a high school diploma. The best estimates are that we have about three hundred thousand adults in our state so one out of every ten citizens in our state is an adult without even so much as a high school diploma so the Arkansas adult diploma program is designed to assist adults aged twenty one and older with obtaining an accredited high school diploma while also developing employability and career technical skills if this sounds a lot like traditional adult ed that's because it's aimed at solving the same problem this enormous population of three hundred thousand adults in our state without any education credentials but this is a different approach and because of the sheer size and volume of this problem I would argue that we need more people working to solve this problem not fewer. There's a lot of strengths to this program number one it's flexible it operates in an open provider model so you can have both public entities non profit entities or for profit entities as approved providers can operate in a campus model an online model or sort of a blended modality secondly the program is outcomes based so with this program we're not handing people a Pollock Cashin hoping for the best this is truly outcomes based it operates on a pay for performance model so no provider received any payment unless they're actually conferring educational milestones. third the program is accountable to the speech to the state and to the taxpayers this is something that is important because of the reporting requirements the minimum standards contained within the program typically if you fail and and government that the government agencies failing it's justification to give them more money but in this program if you fail to meet the minimum benchmarks are immediately put on probationary status and if you fail to meet them for two years in a row you're terminated from the program. providers would also be able to have to provide remediation services academic skill intake assessments transcript of valuations and develop individualized learning plans. Lastly this is a this is a model that has proven successful in several other states and is operating successfully around the country couple questions I've gotten about this one how much is this going to cost so we've had extensive conversations with the department of commerce and they've agreed to fund this using existing funds that already exist out of the skills development fund and the Office of skills development so we're not asking for any more money with this program another question that I've gotten from a couple folks is would this take money away from traditional don't add the answer that is absolutely not this would not decrease their funding at all I'll finish up by saying the state chamber is strongly in support of this building endorsed and spoke for in committee we've coordinated with the governor's office on this secretary leave and the department of education along with the department of commerce workforce services and office skills development. Happy to take questions. Representative makes for what purpose question place recognized thank you madam Speaker representative I think you really like this what you're trying to do here the only question I have is did you to explain how this would be different than a standard GED program that's currently in existence. Yes so. What we're doing with this program is working for we're conferring actual high school diplomas so they have to be accredited and meet all of the standards outlined in the bill in order to be a an approved provider and so they're not just helping someone study for the GED test they're they're going through in providing all of the course work that they're missing from their high school transcript and working to get them to completion on that high school degree. Representative will rage for what purpose question you're recognized thank you madam Speaker representative ray out just wondered what will be the process by which they would be credited to open one of these programs how do we ensure that their quality I guess they're prepared to have such a program because currently the GED programs typically or in like our community colleges or technical colleges correct absolutely and those entities would be able to become of an approved provider under this program on now at the bottom of page one top of page two it outlines all of the accreditation requirements that are that are listed in the bill on page five it outlines all of the criteria to become an approved provider and so the Department of Education will issue an RFP and they'll ensure that all the criteria are met by applicants wanting to participate in the program and then they'll make someone approved provider at that point. See no further questions per share a good vote. Representative ray has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative ray do you wish to close for your bill representative ray is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen twenty nine madam Clark please prepare the machine. As everyone voted. Cast the ballot madam Clerk. With the vote of eighty eight EA five nay and everyone present the bill has passed we're going to move back up the calendar to House Bill fourteen forty seven madam Clark please read house bill fourteen forty seven. House for fourteen forty seven by representative maybe to amend the Macon. Mechanism by which school nurses are compensated. Representative Mayberry you're recognized to present the bill. Thank you madam Speaker. Members if you were in the Education Committee meeting I said I would not run this bill unless I had a funding source and I'm gonna hold true to my word but looking at the calendar and how we Are limited and the number of days the committees will be meeting and understanding that the Senate ed Committee will not meet except after Wednesday there's a little rush on this so I'm asking for a little bit of trust. That I will add an amendment to this bill on the Senate side that basically will say if there is no funding that is found this would not take effect until twenty five twenty six school year that would give the next round of adequacy study to consider a funding source for this this is not the way I'd like to do this I'm forced to do it this way because of timing issues let me tell you what it is that we're trying to do school nurses are paid they are under classified staff when they really should be under certified staff classified usually are those that are janitors secretaries bus drivers we love them but they are not required to have certifications and degrees are nurses should be considered certified they have bachelor's degrees they have certifications and someone trying to level out there salary In our school districts the average rate of pay for an Arkansas school nurses forty four thousand seven hundred and ninety dollars and other surrounding states for example Texas it's sixty thousand Tennessee it's fifty three thousand and Louisiana is fifty nine thousand we're gonna lose a lot of school nurses if we don't do something to help compensate their pay a little bit. So again what I would live. Is if you help me get it out of here we will address it on the Senate in with a good amendments it has to come back here you will see it and I will be very up front and honest and willing to take whatever recommendations you have I also want to let you know that in the Revenue and Tax Committee tomorrow we're gonna be discussing a possible funding stream for this and so Revenue and Tax will hear an idea that I have that can be voted down or not I'd be happy to take any questions. Representative Collins for what purpose question you are recognized so I know that there is some discussion about using some of the soda tax money which currently goes the Medicare trust fund for this is the amendment you're talking about doing on the Senate side with that use that funding source or where to use a different funding source can you talk more about the funding source use when I presented it to committee I gave them the option of adding that it's an amendment in this bill or doing a separate bill that would go through Revenue and Tax and so that's what I did I filed the amendment it is in revenue I filed a bill that is in Revenue and Tax and that will be discussed tomorrow among that committee which is exactly the the folks who should be discussing it currently there's it would it would use four million dollars off the top of the soda pop tax so typically each year there's about forty million dollars that comes in from the soda pop tax and the bill that I have in revenue tax would take the first four million before putting it into the Medicaid trust fund to move it into a school nurse funding and would help out and it would sunset that was something else that was asked and I believe representative back when it is a sunset so would end in two years and hopefully be able to move it more into an adequacy and a foundation funding on going after that. Representative Allen for what purpose question you're recognized thank you madam Speaker is this the same as an unfunded mandate if we don't have funds for well that's what the amendment that I'm saying I would put on on the Senate side would say that if it's not funded that it would not apply for the next two years and so that way it can be a part of the As the adequacy study and it could be looked at is how we can find funding for it if we don't ever say this is a goal of ours then it'll never be considered. Thank you. Representive Wardlaw for what purpose. Representive ray for what purpose question you're recognized representative Mayberry what happens if we pass this bill out of here today and the bill that you're bringing to Revenue and Tax fails what would happen in that scenario and in that scenario so there would be no funding for it The Amendment that we would add on the Senate side would say if there is no funding this would not go into effect until twenty five twenty six which would allow that educational committee when they're looking at adequacy it would allow them time to figure out how do we address this into the next legislative session how do we fix this how do we find funding for it if we never said this is a goal it will never happen. And so basically this becomes our goal and that's all I'm asking to help better school nurses representative Eads. Sorry represented rated you have a policy quick follow up is it I see Senator Hammer is your Senate sponsors SEM agreeable to that Leding yes I just outlined yes okay thank you I have talked. Representative eaves for what purpose session you're recognized what happens if the Senate fails to adopt the amendment you're talking about. I have a bill on this bill if they fail to adopt and see why they wouldn't but if they fail to adopt that I would I would drop the bill I mean because I I made a promise if we have no funding for this. And. I've said we have to find some funding and they won't allow me to put it in there that there's potentially no finding. I get a follow up you're recognized thank you I'm just trying to get the timing of it Revenue and Tax would potentially meet tomorrow on the funding part of it but that really is dependent on the Senate adopting the language that would allow it to be fun of the way you want to be funded right Senate would see it on Wednesday see if the timing is all kind of have tried to make it all work but Senate would hear this they are hearing House bills on Wednesday is what I was told. So if we pass it out of Senate at of Revenue and Tax tomorrow. Then they would know that we have a funding stream and that makes it a whole lot easier. I I'm I'm just asking for a little time to play around with this and would appreciate a little help here at last minute trying to. Make it all go together representative Brooks for what purpose you're recognized thank you madam chair real quick clarification committee you talked about four million as being the cost and I was looking the revenue tax bill now it says five million so I just want to see what the differences and in those two. I apologize in my rush to get it filed on Thursday I didn't ask the bill drafter to change it from five million to four million so I do already have an amendment that will be presented tomorrow on Revenue and Tax that will take it from five million to four million so I apologize for that that was a I looked at it quickly and didn't correct that could catch. I appreciate the courtesy car at the courtesy to continue to work on this that's all I'm trying to do just give me a little bit more time to work on it and I appreciate the help. Representive Mayberry has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill representative car you're recognized to speak for the bill. Thank you madam chair take good bill here we need to support our schools because you think about this if the page does it follow up if the money is there if the pay doesn't follow up schools will have trouble finding students of finding nurses to take care of our students right now each school for every four hundred fifty students that you have you have to have a nurse and so we need those nurses there to take care of the kids and by them going through their training they go through more training the teachers so there degree actually is in excess and this is going to help them to match the pay for what the teachers are doing and we need to protect the kids and support the school so I appreciate a good vote on this as well. Representive Kerr has spoken for the bill representative Wardlaw you're recognized to speak against the bill. Thank you madam Speaker. By representative Mayberry's account if she takes that amendment would no funding twenty five twenty six I just wanna be clear that's the same year the Arkansas learns bill goes into full for that if you look at the way that hits the budget folks four million we're still be a long ways off from funding so I'm all for paying school nurses and I'm all for having school nurses but we got to have the money and taking the money out of Medicaid trust to keep the trust fund account which is what our proposal is tomorrow does she brought up while ago which makes it relevant nothing don't even stay solvent over the next few years of the projections so we've got to be real with ourselves here and an adult one plus one is to make sure we have the money to pay these folks and don't give some falsehood here today they were going to give a raise is not there and doesn't exist so with that I'd ask you to vote no. Representative Wardlaw has spoken against the bill does anyone wish to speak for the bill. Against the bill. Representative may buried you wish to close for your bill. Members these nurses have been waiting patiently. They need our help. If you don't feel well in school. You can't do well in school. In much of Arkansas the school nurses the only medical professional that our students will see and believe it or not they actually take care of a lot of the teachers and the principals and bus drivers and everyone else that works there in that school district if you've been here a while you know I've been working on this for ten years. There is finally a little bit of a solution. Please let me pass this just so we can see if I can work on it a little bit more here at last minute to see if it'll all come together I'm just asking for a little curtesy to get it out here I wish I had more time we had another week or two I think we could probably do all this I appreciate a good vote. Representative may very has closed for the bill the question before the House as the passage of house bill fourteen forty seven madam Clark please prepare the machine. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot madam Clerk. With the vote of forty three yay twenty eight nine eight and ten present the bill has failed. We're going to move back up the calendar madam Clark please read house bill seventeen forty four. House bill seventeen forty four by representative for lots amend the law regarding solid waste to amend the law regarding the landfill post closure trust fund to require reimbursement to the finance to clear any major. Representative Wardlaw you're recognized to explain the bill thank you Mr Speaker. This bill is pretty clear and straightforward it just says that if you have to use the post clothes are fun to close a landfill that you can't re open at landfill into you pay back that money to the state of Arkansas taxpayers for closing the landfill landfill for you so that's in a nutshell it's really not any bigger nat you can read the bill it's a paragraph just says you have to pay back that money before you can re open create a good vote. Representative Wardlaw has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak for against the bill. Or the bill. Representative Wardlaw is closed for the bill the question before the House is house bill seventeen forty four man and Clark please prepare the machine. You are voting on the bill and the emergency clause has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot madam Clerk with the voted ninety four yeah a one day and zero present the bill has passed. Madam Clark please read house bill seventeen thirty nine Custer seventeen thirty nine by representative Warren concerning a vacancy on the public school district board of directors. Representative Warren you are recognized to present the bill. Thank you madam Speaker colleagues this bill amends the part of the code dealing with school board vacancies to clarify that an appointment ends at the next annual school board election regardless of whether or not someone runs for the board. This would reinforce the Arkansas school board association's interpretation of the statute that ACSA has had for decades. Basically this resulted from a district that was unable to appoint someone following the election where no one including the appointee chose to run and the county attorney in order to have not have the quorum court get involved ordered that the individual who had been appointed be treated as a holdover so we're just codifying what the common practice is so that didn't happen again I appreciate a good vote. Representative Warren has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Warren is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill seventeen thirty nine madam Clark please prepare the machine. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot madam Clerk. With the voted ninety eighty eight zero nine zero present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill fifteen fifty one half of fifteen fifty one by representative Cllr concerning community colleges representative McClure you're recognized to present the bill. I know we all needed to present a break but let's go one more time and get some of these bills passed a three fifteen fifty one is a Arkansas state university system bill it really is very simple it provides clarification to the code that if any of the remaining technical colleges decide to convert to become a community college which they can do under current law and become a part of the University system they do not need to governing bodies it also clarifies some of the old language that is no longer needing like studies because that process has already been done and they're already accredited so with that I appreciate a good vote. Representative McClure has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. Represented the Clore is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen fifty one madam Clark please prepare the machine. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot madam Clerk. With the ninety eight zero nine zero present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill sixteen oh three sixty nine three by representative Bentley to amend the law concerning the drug crime special assessment and the use of grants funded by the drug crime special assessment representative Bentley you're recognized to present the bill. Good afternoon colleagues this is a little bill to help our drug task force across the state in two thousand five Shane Broadway established a drug crime special assessment fee to establish a drug transport across the state. For all of you are just like my district we have drugs to just or flooding or district in so many families are being crushed by drug addiction and drug and crimes across our state a drug task force are really our front line they're the ones that are picking up the drugs off the street and two thousand twenty two they collect as many drugs in two thousand twenty two to three years previously before and this year that exceeding two thousand twenty two we have got to help these guys we have got some funds we've got going this year but they really need some help so that's what this does of the drug assessment fee in two thousand five was one hundred twenty five dollars and I have to tell you guys just the cost of fuel has gone up so much since that since two thousand five does that alone won't eat anything extra they get so this will increase the fee from one twenty five to one hundred fifty dollars at the end of the bill it deletes a line there that it so they could only spend fifteen hundred dollars on a piece of equipment. Not much you can buy fifteen hundred dollars anymore there's a two thousand five number I thought about increasing the number with notice our. Because of the legislation on the road to increase it again so This any money that they spend has to go through a very rigorous oversight is a twenty seven member board looks at all of their of budgets or they go three cheers I think they're very well looked at make sure they're not wasting a bunch of money so. That's the bill not shall anybody have any questions on this bill. With that appreciate a good vote thank you representative Bentley has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Bentley is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen oh three prepare the machine please madam Clerk. As everyone voted. Casts up the ballot madam Clerk with a vote of seventy nine yeah eight thirteen nine zero present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill sixteen fifteen sixteen fifteen by representative Lundstrum to create the confines protection act and some in the religious freedom restoration act. Representative Lundstrum you're recognized to present the bill. Thank you. The contest protection act basically updates the Arkansas refract that we pass eight years ago it provides definitions to ensure that the reference is the most current and protective language of our religious freedoms in Arkansas it also updates current current court. S.. Thanks is our current language and make sure that the government cannot burden my religious freedoms it also codify Supreme Court precedent ensuring that the state will not discriminate against any organ. Representative Lundstrum has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill representative McCalla you're recognized to speak against the bill. Thank you madam Speaker I'll be speaking on about three things with this bill first it's not needed we've got religious freedom laws on the state and federal level if a person or organization feels like they've been harmed they also have the right to sue particular agency or the state government. there's no. Nothing out there that says that anybody is being harmed right now not everyone Arkansans being forced to do something that violates their religion secondly these are new division of new definitions to our current referred a. This bill adds a second religious sub freedom subsection to the civil rights code that is what the broad immunity section of this bill does on pages five and six this section is not in the bill by accident. They offered this broad claim indoor defense of religious discrimination whether the government is a party or not on pages three line for that's a massive rewrite of our civil rights code consider what's there and what its effect will be now the third point against this bill. People along every part of the political state spectrum could use this bill to their benefit. So the bill is not needed in the first place it's not being communicated with the full story and it will fail to implement its intended purpose so I'll be voting against thank you. Representative McCall has spoken against the bill does anyone wish to speak for the bill. Against the bill. Representative Lundstrum you're recognized to close for the bill. Thank you. First of all do we wait until someone's religious freedoms are taken before we stand up this bill curls in government and pulls it back and let's. Individuals practice their religious freedoms I think it's very important to clarify definitions because when you have clarity in the law you avoid confusion in the law and that's the most important thing we can do thank you. Representative Lundstrum has closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen fifteen madam Clark please repair the machine. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot madam Clerk. With a vote of seventy eight Yeas seventeen nine zero present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill sixteen twenty three house bill sixteen twenty three by representative tossed amend Arkansas law concerning the offensively by means of vehicle or conveyance representative Tosh you are recognized to present the bill thank you madam chair college. This bill is brought to me by the attorney general's office through the Arkansas state police. Currently in today's low the fleeing law is a misdemeanor over the last six years we've seen the number of people fleeing from law enforcement officers double. And the only thing we're changing this bill is the penalty for fleeing and removing it from a misdemeanor to a Class D. felony. And with that I'd take any questions. Saying not appreciate a good vote. Representative Tosh has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Tosh is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen twenty three madam Clark please prepare the machine. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot madam Clerk. With the voted eighty seven yeah eight four nine one present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill sixteen seventy eight sixteen seventy eight by representative bodies authorized the governor to deny an application for pardon communication. I have sent in remission of fines and forfeitures forfeitures with Regis. The representative Beatty you're recognized to present the bill. Thank you madam Speaker colleagues not present today house bill sixteen seventy eight is the author to authorize the governor the the nine application for pardon commutation of sentence or in remission of fines and forfeitures with prejudice with the crimes bill bill that will be here in a little later we're gonna have an increased and and sentencing invoke serving time right now the governor's office process is approximately seven hundred applications on an annual basis. what this bill will do allow the governor to the nine application receipt with prejudice which will basically mean that during the as long as that governor is serving they will not have to see that a review that application again. One of the reasons for this is each time an application is submitted a re application then it re victimizes the victims of the crime they're notified each time that the application for clemency is reviews are presented. Often the offenders are applying for clemency they've entered a plea of guilty they made it to the crime and accepted their punishment. But they repeatedly turning an application for clemency every four years. Victims often have to employ an attorney. To be present and represent their interest in the application for clemency at a cost to the victims. Three application period creates an unnecessary case back up when a governor knows that he or she will not be granted the clemency request. The application period creates a longer wait period for those incarcerated that have legitimate request for clemency. Allowing the clemency to be denied with prejudice will ease the caseload and allow the governor to remote review more claimant sees without reviewing the same once repeatedly. With that I'll entertain any questions. Representative flowers for what purpose question you're recognized. thank you madam Speaker just a quick question you mentioned that it would free up an opportunity to review the legitimate claims have. For the ability for those further. I think I'm following what you your your question I think my answer would be if if they're not if they're not taking the time to review those resubmitted applications especially on some of the more heinous crimes that that when the governor the review committee looks at that application they say there's no way that I will ever change my mind on that application then I think that logically per provides more time to review other applications. Thank you. I see no further questions I appreciate a good vote thank you. Representative Beatty has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Beatty is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen seventy eight madam Clark please prepare the machine. As everyone voted. Casts up the ballot madam Clerk. With that is seventy three eight there eighteen day and everyone present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill sixteen forty seven House Bill sixteen forty seven by representative rose to create the fence of offensive relations with the child and to declare an emergency representative road you're recognized to present the bill. Thank you madam Speaker good afternoon colleagues house bill sixteen forty seven to create the offense of a face offense of relations with the child this bill seeks to create a new criminal offense in Arkansas that specifically addresses inappropriate behavior towards children the bill defines offensive relations as an adult twenty one years or older knowingly placing one's open mouse on the mouth of a child thirteen years of age or younger with the purpose of enticement or inducement to engage in sexual intercourse deviate sexual activity or sexual contact as defined in Arkansas Code five dash fourteen dash one or one. Under this bill individuals who engage who engage an offense of relations with the child would face a Class a misdemeanor charge it's important to note that this bill does not replace or change existing laws related to sexual assault or abuse of minors instead it seeks to provide an additional tool for law enforcement and prosecutors to hold offenders accountable for their actions now this bill was the issue was originally brought to me by detectives and with the Van Buren police department and the sheriff's office in Crawford County as well as my local prosecuting attorney they discovered a gap in our law through at least two different instances one specifically where they were not able to adequately charged a thirty four year old who was caught open mouth kissing a thirteen year old and then there was a second similar case in the sheriff's office I believe that this bill will play a crucial role in protecting children by making it clear that any form of inappropriate conduct towards a child is absolutely unacceptable I also like to add that the attorney the attorney general's office and the sheriff's the Arkansas sheriff's association support this bill and I urge you to join me in working together to make our put our state a safer place for children thank you for your time and attention I appreciate a good vote I'm open to any questions. Thank you. Representative rose has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative road are you close to your bill he's close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen forty seven madam Clark please repair the machine. Has everyone voted. You're voting on the bill and the emergency clause. The cast of the ballot madam Clerk. With that have ninety seven yeah zero nine zero present the bill has passed the bill and the emergency clause have passed madam Clark please read house bill fifteen eighty nine of the fifteen eighty nine by representative reticence amend the law concerning alcoholic beverages and to repeal the limitation on the issuance of wholesalers permits Senate enter Richardson you are recognized to present the bill thank you madam chair. Good afternoon colleagues H. B. fifteen eighty nine repeals the law that limits the issuance of wholesaler liquor permits in twenty thirteen ACT fourteen thirty four was created this is a wholesaler permission not be issued under three dash four to six so five or three dash four to six of seven on or after September first twenty thirteen today there's currently fifteen total permits in the state with only ten that are actually active. this this came to me through a local distributor back background from in my community this distributors trying to grow their business and diversify product but were unable to because they weren't able to obtain a new license it was made aware that they went after some some in effect an active licenses but the price tag attached to some of those in active licenses were at or around five hundred thousand for license would made it not business sensitive to do that. So striking this language and fifteen eighty nine will allow small family owned distributors a chance to grow their business and break up the current monopoly throughout the state I'll take questions. CNN thank you. Representative Richardson has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill representative Johnson you're recognized to speak for them. Thank you madam Speaker and representative Richard for bringing this bill forward I know alcohol bills can be very sensitive this chamber I just want to echo some of the comments this is a pro small business bill this is a bill about it supporting free market economy supporting capitalism in our state and I hope that we can focus on that as we vote on this bill and that's why I'll be supporting the bill thank you. Representative Johnson has spoken for the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. The question before the house of representatives Richardson are you close for the down. He's close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen eighty nine madam Clark please prepare the machine. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot madam Clerk. With the vote of sixty one yeah a eleven day and thirteen present the bill has passed madam Clark please read house bill seventeen seventy nine seventeen seventy nine The representative Wardlaw to mean the wood energy projects enforce maintenance income tax credits allowed the income tax credit for wind energy projects enforce maintenance expansion project. We're passing over that bill we're going to House Bill fourteen ninety two madam Clark please read house bill fourteen ninety two. House the fourteen ninety two by representative like some some in the income tax credit for apprenticeship programs and to increase the income tax credit allowed for apprenticeship program representative Lundstrum you're recognized to present the bill. Thank you colleagues this bill pretty much does what it says it will do it actually increases the tax credit for apprenticeships from two thousand to three thousand five hundred and it also has a cap on the bill and it has a whole spending increase of twenty thousand dollars with that of a different. Representative Lundstrum has explained the bill does anyone wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Lundstrum is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fourteen ninety two madam Clark please prepare the machine. Everyone voted. Has everyone voted cast about madam Clark. Five vote of ninety eight zero nine zero president. The bill is passed. Manafort please read house bill sixteen twenty four S. the sixteenth twenty four by representative Beatty to amend the law concerning the projects eligible for the income tax credit for surface water conservation. Com for conversion under the water resource conversion and development incentive act to include projects in Chicot County. President bay you're recognized. Thank you Mr Speaker. Colleagues I'm here to present house bill sixteen twenty four to me in the law concerning projects heliport eligible for income tax credit for surface water conversion under the water resource conservation development incentives that last session we work to enhance the water conservation and development tax credit program which helps landowners make investments primarily in water use conservation one of the many improvements made with the expansion of the land area eligible for some of the tax credits we expanded the larger credits for critical groundwater areas to include counties contiguous that those designated a crit as critical groundwater areas while this was great for those counties contiguous and unfortunately left out one little County it in that area and that would be she go County as the representative with redistricting Chico and Ashley County my counties now and for those reasons we would like to have she co County included so I'd ask for a good vote. Thank you. President babies explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent baby's clothes for the bill. Question before the House is passage of house bill sixteen twenty four per machine ma'am Clark. As everyone voted. Everyone voted. Cast a ballot madam Clark. Biver ninety seventy eight zero nine to present. The bill is passed Maricourt please read house bill seventeen nineteen seventeen nineteen by representative like Senator to provide a sales and use tax exemption for products and services related to electronic prescribing into exam electronic prescription systems and services from sales and use tax. Represent once from your recognized explain the bill. Colleagues evidently there's been a family feud going on in pharmacy and there's a few pharmacist that I understand that drugs are not taxed in Arkansas and that concludes the prescription so they need a little clarification the loss everybody's playing by the same rules the prescriptions are not tax and all the prescriptions are not taxed because drugs are not taxed in Arkansas so this will clarify that there's no cost because we are supposed to be doing this in the first place create a good vote. Represent once was explained bill anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Person one through his clothes for the bill the question before the House is a passage of house bill seventeen nineteen prepared machine man Clark. Has everyone voted. As everyone voted. Casts up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of nineteen ninety eight zero nine A. zero present the bill is passed. Madam Clark please read said house bill sixteen eighty one that's the sixteen eighty one by representative answers regulate certain guaranteed income programs to create the work protection act and protuberances you from enforcing or an acting certain universal basic income program representative enters you're recognized for senate bill. The man Speaker of colleagues is just a very simple of preemption bill just prohibits local entities from Creighton universalist so we're trying not to pay people not to work so thank you for your vote. Representative addresses explain the building will not speak for the bill against the bill. Senate Andrews's close for his bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen eighty one prepare the machine madam Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Casts up the ballot madam Clark with a vote of eighty eight zero eleven ninety and for present the bill is passed. Madam Clark please read house bill seventeen thirty two. Seventeen thirty three by representative Gazaway to require wholesale distributors of controlled substances to educate communicate and provide due process for licensed professionals before limiting or terminating sales of controlled substances and to declare an emergency representative Gazaway you're recognized to present your bill. Thank you madam Speaker Collins I apologize because maybe a little longer presentation and what. We've had but. I want to give our community pharmacist an opportunity to be heard on the house floor as to some very concerning things that are affecting their industry particularly at this bill is focused on the unfair business practices of the pharmaceutical wholesalers that are hurting our community pharmacist and hurting patients access to needed medication all across the state. I also want to thank our Attorney General who has announced his support of this bill and also the attorneys in the public protection division of the attorney general's office who helped draft this bill. We need to understand and and kind of where this bill comes from is there was a federal injunction that was issued in July of last year. that pertain to pharmaceutical wholesalers particularly the big three pharmaceutical wholesale sellers in the United States McKesson cardinal and AmerisourceBergen those are the three biggest pharmaceutical wholesalers in the country. And since the terms of that federal injunctive relief came down these pharmaceutical wholesalers and we have been given a broad range of discretion in how to deal with community pharmacies across this our state and across the country and if you talk to community pharmacists what they'll tell you as these pharmaceutical wholesalers. Have abused their discretion they are not acting in good faith and they are not engaging in fair dealing and because of that again that has hurt community pharmacists and particularly patients and their ability to access needed medications that have been prescribed according to legitimate prescriptions and I'm talking about particularly narcotics ADHD medication anxiety medication pain medication and and other controlled substances again that have been prescribed according to a legitimate prescription by doctors. What you're seeing because of the actions and again the the the unfair business practices these are pharmaceutical wholesalers is patients around the stated not been able to get their medication these distributors have have incorporated these algorithms into their decisions as to when they can kind of pharmacy off based on certain metrics that they don't provide to the pharmacies so the pharmacies are not aware of what metrics they have to meet in the so these whole sellers are basically hiding the ball from the pharmacies and then threatening to cut them off without telling them what they can do to fix the problem. This this happened to a pharmacy in my district and so that's part of why bring this legislation but it is this is happened to several other pharmacies all around the state and basically the way the whole sellers are operating they're giving the pharmacist five days. Five days before they cut off access to controlled substances and if you're in the pharmacy business. And you're given five days notice and then you're access to controlled substances is cut off you're going to go out of business because what's going to happen is those patients are going to show up at your pharmacy and they probably have a range of medications that they need to fill it may be high blood pressure medicine diabetes medicine and then maybe they get a pain killer because they have carpal tunnel or maybe they have a. Building just in the back whatever the case may be but the point is when they can't get their narcotic from the pharmacist they take their other prescription somewhere else and make it once again because of the actions of these pharmaceutical wholesalers it's had a chilling effect across the industry I wanted to tell one story about a pharmacist in Van Buren who almost went out of business fortunately he was able to provide another provider who's providing you with a limited number of controlled substances but not enough to that he can truly meet the demand of his patients but this happened in Van Buren for pharmacy that have been been in business for decades they're supersaver and and Mr mat Manasu is the pharmacist there he had to bring suit against the pharmaceutical wholesalers so that he could continue to hopefully fill these prescriptions but I want to read the courts the federal court's opinion about the business practices of AmerisourceBergen pharmaceutical wholesaler in this case because this is this is what the court said. What must confess that it finds certain aspects of AmerisourceBergen's conduct toward manis rather baffling although AmerisourceBergen's initial enquiries into mantises dispensing practices were reasonable motivated by legitimate concerns and grounded in objective data it's only meaningful discussion of these concerns with Maniscalco during a single I'm scheduled phone call that took place with Mr Mani's well he was very busy at work short staffed and apparently didn't have much of the requested information quickly available it's undisputed that Mr Mani's requested that AmerisourceBergen schedule a follow up call within and it is undisputed that AmerisourceBergen declined to do so the evidence received at the hearing overwhelmingly shows that Mr Mani's repeatedly attempted to written correspondence to AmerisourceBergen to provide information he was unable to provide during their initial phone conversation and that AmerisourceBergen sidestepped these attempts and refuse to engage in any further a meaningful discussion of the matter even though AmerisourceBergen employee to Wayne Stickles. The testimony shows that at least one other Arkansas pharmacy which AmerisourceBergen was working they were more accommodating with AmerisourceBergen persisted in its mistaken belief that made us lacked any written policy for addressing red flags even though documentary evidence at the hearing clearly showed that in fact such a policy existed at the time of these communications Furthermore the totality of the evidence received at the hearing strongly indicates that all the red flags AmerisourceBergen identified the specter Mr Mani's were ultimately the result of medically appropriate prescriptions that were filled in the exercise of sound pharmacological judgment. It is difficult to escape the conclusion that this litigation results more from AmerisourceBergen's inexplicable intransigence and bureaucratic rigidity than for mantises pharmaceutical dispensing practices. Whether a jury finds its conduct be improper. And a breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing it's hard to say at this point but at the very early stages of litigation the outcome does not strike the course completely implausible once again the court specifically noting that the business practices of AmerisourceBergen. Nearly were not in good faith not in fair dealing. And hurting our community pharmacists of this bill requires the pharmaceutical wholesalers to engage in education transparency and provide due process to these pharmacies before they just shut them off from their ability to access controlled substances there was a New York times article about this with a specifically highlighted some of the cases that were occurring in Arkansas and in one particular case I'm going to end with this and then of course I'll be happy to answer any questions but in one particular case that occurred in Arkansas that was noted. Charity Benefield this is not in the Arkansas he too was in the middle of radiation treatments for cancer in Northwest Arkansas on the spacing a series of surgeries when AmerisourceBergen blocked her pharmacy from buying controlled substances in November miss Bennet bill tried to find another local pharmacy to fill her prescriptions for pain and anxiety at least four refused and that's the chilling effect that I'm talking about if we allow AmerisourceBergen to continue with these kinds of unfair practices you're going to have they will be able to get the drugs at the regular pharmacy and no other pharmacy is going to fill their prescription and that's a serious problem for Kansans and and again consumers around the state on day she did not have enough pills she would vomit from the pain ultimately her oncologist had to call in Oklahoma City chain pharmacy did agree to fill her prescriptions at a location ninety minutes from her home. Source Bergen had cut off her usual pharmacy supersaver drug over a series of what we're doing red flags which according to that litigation I just read from the from the judge's opinion were ultimately deemed to be medically appropriate and based on sound pharmacological judgment and so the point is these pharmaceutical wholesalers are acting in bad faith they are not good business partners and this legislation is designed to right the situation and so with that I'm happy to answer any questions. Seeing none thank you and I appreciate a good vote. Senate if gas is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill representative. Anchor. You're recognized. Thank you madam Speaker. I appreciate a representative gas was work on this he did do a fantastic job exhausting the TrueDepth of the concern Pharmacists by nature are overly analytical and overly sensitive to rules and the sensitive disease states that we interact with the intimate nature and relationship we have with our patients and obviously the treatments that we provide them what we ran into is wholesaler's creating a set of rules to hold us to a standard and then not revealing what those rules are and then immediately penalizing within less than a week's time those stores to. Our feeling valid prescriptions and are fulfilling their valid responsibility to the communities as someone who is a customer of the names wholesaler in here it is very disappointing to have not been approached by them at any point in this entire endeavor I think that speaks to the volume of their now intent and I would appreciate a great vote and helping pharmacists at least be aware of the standards they're being held to thank you. Representative acre has spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Or the bill representative road you're recognized to speak for the bill. Thank you madam Speaker thank you representative Gazaway didn't excellent job both here today and in committee just wanna reiterate so much of what he said the one the pharmacies that he mentioned who nearly went out of business due to this egregious process is in my district and just to drive it home one more time when these unfair rules are placed on these pharmacies and they're told they can no longer purchase these drugs had been prescribed by doctors Say it's your spouse or your child who may be going through some type of treatment or some type of ailment that requires a pain medication for me I I imagine it was chemotherapy and it's my wife who needs pain medication because her bones her and her pharmacy is cut off from being able to get the drugs and she's been prescribed and when you go to another nearby pharmacy those pharmacists have now been scared into no longer taking any new patients who need these drugs for fear that they will also be blacklisted and face going out of business we cannot let this happen in Arkansas anymore and so I appreciate a good vote thank you think again representative Gazaway. Representative rose has spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak. For the bill. Represents gas plate is close for his bills other question before the House is the passage of house bill seventeen thirty to repair the machine madam Clark. As everyone voted. As everyone voted cast up the ballot madam Clark with by a vote of ninety seven U. A. zero nine zero present the bill has passed representative makes for what purpose. Motion place what's your motion after the announcmenet of the bills. Transferring the bill's place in the calendars on the desk members amending their own bills own amendments members withdrawing their own bills finalize resolutions reading communications and in your committee committee reports I move we adjourn until one o'clock tomorrow afternoon to proper motion non debatable all in favor say aye. Opposed no. Is have it. Are there any announcements. Representative Lanny Fite for what purpose no smoke you're recognized city county local will meet in fifteen minutes upon adjournment in back be representative Cavenaugh for what purpose House meant you're recognized joint budget special language will meet at eight thirty AM in the morning and big mac be representative Stan Berry for what purpose. Canonized judiciary will meet at ten AM in the morning. Representative Holcomb for what purpose. Smith you're recognized Public transportation will meet in the morning at ten AM that baby here Senate bills only and all transportation committee members please see represented by clear before you get off the house floor today thank you representative Dalby for what purpose thanks man you're recognized judiciary will only hear Senate bills in the morning. Presented to fling for what purpose announcmenet you're recognized we have a House Management Committee meeting in just a few minutes downstairs in room one thirty eight. Percentage for purpose announcmenet you're recognized revenue tax me tomorrow morning one fifty one at ten AM president Tosh for what purpose announcmenet you're recognized state agencies will meet in ten minutes ten minutes from one fifty one represent Matix for purpose you're recognized insurance commerce mean ten minutes president Johnson for what purpose. Announcmenet public health that will meet tomorrow morning ten AM room one thirty represent eleven for what purpose announcmenet recognized House education will meet fifteen minutes upon adjournment of joint budget tomorrow morning room one thirty eight represent gene for what purpose now you're recognized joint budget meeting nine AM big mac a. Any other announcements members as we get into what we hope is the final week of session. Watch your emails pay attention the announcements pay attention to the Arkansas a calendar we're still shooting to wrap up by Friday I think with that is still very much achievable and I very much hope that we can achieve that but that may require out requires to have some long days here on the floor today were shutting off at five so that some of these committees that have some things that we have to deal with strictly constitutional amendments so that those can be dealt with here at the beginning of the week so the remainder of the week we could have some link the meetings will try to give you a heads up as early as possible as we work through the week any other announcements. That's your main opus needed for the reading of bills upon