Education Committee- House

Bills today we will not hear Senate bills until next Tuesday we need to give every house bill it's due process today to get through by the end of next week. And so without objection because we have a lot of people poured in a lot of different directions this morning without objection I'm going to just jump all around the agenda to try to facilitate requested people made to help you as members get other committees to run bills. I do not see representative Scott here this morning she is first up on keys if you'll reach out to her to see what what she's going to do we will start with house bill fourteen forty seven. Mayberry. Seven. That's good news that does she have a. Okay I believe you have miss Kathy is passing out a hand out one forty forty seven. Representative Mayberry if you will. Introduce yourself and have your guests introduce themselves for the record and you may present your bill. Good morning members I'm Julie Mayberry state Rep for District ninety two. Good morning members my name is Amy Fortner and the R&B ascend for school district here in central Arkansas and also in the Arkansas school nurses association president. Good morning I'm Margot bushfire retired director of health services for little rock school district. Good morning members I appreciate y'all this bill was filed quite sometime ago we were waiting on a fiscal impact to come back on it got that back you will notice there's an updated fiscal impact will talk about the fiscal impact and just a little bit but I want to save the time to make sure that you understand that the gist of what this bill is currently school nurses are considered classified staff now classified staff typically means your janitors or secretaries often people who they might have a degree or certification but they don't necessarily have to have one and as you know our school nurses have the certain levels of certifications there an LPN they are in our in or they might even have a bachelor's degree and yet and and in our in yet they are not being looked at by the school district as certified staff and that's what we're trying to address I'd like our school nurses to share with you what why this bill is important. Let me take over. Good morning and thank you for allowing us to conduct this morning to share a little bit of our her on this bill in speaking to this bill of first I want to point out that you guys have had handout which highlights the two thousand twenty two Arkansas school nurses at data survey it is not all of the survey results just the highlighted points that are really important it's been used in our school nurses conference last that summer to kind of share with the nurses where they at where we are in this state so again and speak with this bill it's vital for you to know that some of the data came from specifically from that server that I'm going to mention today and everyone is probably aware of how crucial nurses were for the covered nineteen pandemic. And school nurses weren't different we had our own issues that were going to school districts but as we recover we still helping students to perform at their highest educational level in part of the sink recovery includes identifying students that have high absentee rates that's a big issue school nurses are calling to check on students are absent to determine their needs see what resources we can help them with to get him back in school sometimes it's access to health care is sometimes it's unable to get up take your the prescriptions that we're having with those resources school nurses are coordinating the care needs to get the students safely back in school in their seats and ready to learn according to the school nurse survey data twenty twenty two they were ninety six thousand nine hundred and seventy four students he missed more than ten percent of the school year and there's lots of data floating around right now about the more days that you missed in the school year how much education you're actually missing but I won't point of those of the that at this point school nurses have had support from school health services in state school nurses at the divisions to help make sure that we have professional development and resources to provide best practice cares for all of our students in the school districts thirty two percent of students in Arkansas schools were identified as having a chronic health condition and those of you that are not aware about chronic health conditions some of these are to highlights M. allergies life threatening and all let threatening asthma diabetes seizures. Substance abuse anxiety depression cardiovascular issues and respiratory syndromes. There are more than twenty two thousand prescription medications given by school nurses last year alone the actual doses or at least double that number or more. School nurses that countless training hours for current mental health concerns in the schools I don't know how often you guys are in the school district but most of our students are not going to reach out to their counselor or say Hey I need my therapist they're gonna say my stomach hurts I have a headache I don't feel good I need to see the nurse. nurse typically identify a pretty quickly where these concerns are coming from based off the chronic health conditions or other concerns they verbalize to as again one aspect of mental health crosses that we're currently having a substance abuse issues from the data collected the insurance you today there were one hundred and sixty one overdoses in Arkansas schools last year school nurses are critical components of the opioid crisis an advocacy for this prevention they're also twelve thousand six hundred and fifty eight times that the school nurses and counselors use the team approach to help take care of the student's needs in the school district that's where your counselor Senators is come together for meetings for individual students sometimes that happens once a month sometimes once a week several times a day just depends on the needs of the students last year alone Arkansas lost almost twenty percent of its school nurse workforce due to income concerns and stress levels School nursing positions require nursing experience prior to entering so you can't come into a school nurse and be to school nursing and be a nurse fresh out of grad school you have to have an experience in the field and that's included in the Arkansas roles responsibilities that set forth by the Arkansas board of nursing there are lots of restrictions there but having consisting nursing staff in the school play a big role disk decreasing errors and it also aids the students to confide in the staff there they're consistently low pay wages increase at high nursing turnover but also decreases experience and trust that the report and report that the students have built in us as staff members. In conclusion this bill would increase student health outcomes for receiving both physical health and mental health coordination within the school district and all because of retention issues and also this bill would allow schools to recruit retain high quality nurses. I also would like to point out that I had the department of education and BLR put together some information for me on what school nurses make here in our state compared to surrounding states and a registered nurse employed by schools in the state of Arkansas the average salaries forty four thousand seven forty but Louisiana is fifty nine thousand Mississippi forty eight thousand Missouri forty six thousand Oklahoma fifty one thousand Tennessee fifty three thousand and Texas sixty thousand dollars for their registered nurses in their school districts But also comparing. the work that a school nurse does compared to a nurse and what they might get paid in another setting in the State of Arkansas perhaps in a hospital or something like that school nurses over an RN in the state of Arkansas makes on average sixty five thousand eight hundred and ten dollars so we have some school nurses and and I've seen it that are making what the janitors make. And that's just not right so we're open to questions and. Happy to answer. The representative Mayberry and tear gas to any questions. Remembers the committee. The representative Dick you're recognized for a question thank you thank you Mr chair first of all I want to say thank you guys Everything you do and if the ticket I'm gonna guess my question would be my first wish would be to where you all have your nurses or actively charting the co that information. All the data that you're districts got I believe that over seventy percent of the school nurses across the state of Arkansas we're consider the point of care for Kobe which meant there receiving calls text messages twenty four hours a day yes thank you very much follow up. Mr chairman you're recognized for follow up thank you I'm so my next question on this the sixty five thousand dollars that you said for. Nurses in Arkansas roughly right that though I'm sure is on a. Twelve month basis as opposed to the school calendar correct thank you. Any additional questions from committee. Seeing none the sign up sheet if anyone Sisi signed up forty forty seven we do have C. miss Fortner Mr bush Mar you actually on the list here at the table I do not see anyone else signed up to speak for against his or anyone in the audience that would like to speak for or against the bill. Seeing nine Clark okay Clark okay miss bush bar I just like to add to support what nurse Fortner said that as a supervisor of twenty five years I interviewed thousands of nurses every year I'd have one position I'd get ten applicants of highly qualified nurses that felt they wanted to come and serve their community. But then we discuss salary they said no so we lost so many highly qualified. Nurses that could have really supported our students I know one large district just this last year had forty percent turnover of nursing staff so that's a lot of brand new nurses when you fill those positions and I think each of you know you did a better job your second year in service it takes time to learn the job and do it at a high level it's the current salaries we have it's just detrimental to our students so this is an opportunity to help our students and to help our teachers having highly qualified school nurses helps teachers to do their job. Thank you. Okay see no one else No additional questions by the committee representative Dick you're recognized thank you Mr chair what is the what funding for this what are you thinking along that. So we did have them re evaluate that fiscal impact if you notice there is a an updated one and it is less than four million dollars and I don't want to come to the table because I know you all will say well how do we come up with that money so I have an idea and I have it in the form of an an amendment and she can pass out the amendment now to share with you this is that the will of this committee I'd like your feedback we can adopt this amendment or if you would prefer if I put it as a separate bill and run it through Revenue and Tax I'm open to whatever ideas you want but the general idea as it gets passed out is that we have a soda pop tax and that soda pop tax brings in annually about forty million dollars a year that soda pop tax goes to the Medicare trust fund the Medicaid trust fund has over six hundred million dollars in it right now which is far higher than it had ever been in the past highest ever ever been before was about three hundred million. so the idea you cannot touch that Medicare trust fund it is used specifically to go towards Medicaid the the federal match that that we are required to have I don't want to touch that but I would like us to consider that before the soda pop tax goes into this Medicaid trust fund that the first four million dollars moves over to eighty E. to help supply nurses and I validate that because I believe that the purpose of that is to help those who our most needy and most needed in our state and I believe the children of the state are many of those children are on Medicaid whether it's through our kids or through Medicaid just in general and the school nurses can improve the health of our children and hopefully can lower our cost on down the road of Medicaid because if they can be serviced with the school nurse and the school nurse office instead of having to go to an ER or to a doctor you're gonna end up saving the money so I feel that the intent is still the same so this is a way to provide nurses of more nurses in our state. Keep them working because many of them are going to leave because they are not gonna be compensated and we've also by raising the teacher's salary it makes it even more difficult we will lose a lot of school nurses. Sometimes the school nurses the only medical providers that are students and even our faculty will see in their area they are vital to our school if you do not feel well. You cannot learn. An Intel we factor that out you're not can improve. Our our educational system when a child is more worried about the activity that's taking place at home because maybe they've been abused and it's the school nurse that figure that out because they've come to the school nurse office with that headache or with that tummy ache or whatever that school nurse is usually the first person who can identify that and can recognize whether this is from abuse urges poverty maybe the child just needs food. and and we need to address that we need to keep our our nurses here so that's my proposal on how we fund. Representative Mayberry we have not received that amendment yet but we have put in what we have put in another request they just brought everyone over there and I dated with amendments the last four days well that's what it is and if we need to hold Intel comes over and bring some there's some additional questions okay we'll go and take those and then and we'll follow up again on that request recommended long you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman representative Mayberry if I remember correctly a lot of a lot a lot of the the funding there was going to go be going into the Medicaid is being diverted to to the learns Act says that money already being used to so so technically none of that Medicaid trust fund money is going directly to the to the learns Act but we are spending it down it can't it can't go from that Medicaid trust fund to the department of ed that that would be against our law to do that but we are spending it down and putting less of the money into Medicaid so we can spend that money down but we are at six hundred million dollars the highest it has ever been before was three hundred million so I think we have a long way to go we're talking about four million dollars there has been movement and I I know representative fight is saying I've tried to get rid of the soda pop tax we've had many discussions on this so you know as soon as I said I saw his eyes kind of light up but I I do believe that the soda pop tax out of all the taxes that are out there if we got rid of it I don't think consumers would see the price of so to go down that I've added all the taxes out there I'm gonna get rid of taxes I promise you you know we get taxed too much but I really don't think that that's one that's going to benefit consumers very much and if we look at what so that does so is what creates a lot of. The medical problems that we're dealing with it's what creates a bad teeth it causes diabetes obesity and causes a lot of the the problems that we have so taxing the so there is one that I feel is one that. Should be messed with there could be other taxes that would do more benefit we just receive notification amendment is on the way so okay ten you with questions we have to have that a few minutes. No longer that get your question representative McKenzie you're recognized thank you Mr so this is a bit of a question based out of ignorance so I understand the use of with the amendment as it comes or use the excise tax on sodas to pay for this as it's currently stand without the adoption of the amendment any funds that we need to be allocated would have to come out of general revenue correct correct so that would require additional session of personnel into Special language in a joint budget for us to as a body of the whole agree and pass along correct. Sale that again so if if we don't have if if this is an additional appropriation on top of this the preparations that represent Jean passes out on the floor every day we would have to go about creating additional appropriation that is heard by personnel yes join personnel then through joint special language and back through joint budget for us to consider as a body of a hole on the floor okay so follow up Mr. Recognized for follow. So without the excise tax I get that I appreciate that's that's the intent is for this body determine if that's you know an adequate use of the money of the excise tax. With the expectation that then that any and all these increases come out of general revenue year on year for us to appropriate separately and then the appropriations that we have for classified staff that that this committee considers. Every two years or we're gonna come back here and appropriate national funds no if we if we use the soda pop tax it would be for the first four million dollars that would go into this fund that would find that extra money that we need to raise these nurse salaries if we use this amendment we would not have to come back here every without letters without that amendment I would hope that it would just I mean I maybe we can have department of ed to come up and and but I would thanks. Correct. I know you're over there. He's probably hiding bad right here I I I would hope that it would stay in their I mean once it's in there but. Well let the experts tell you. Mister Rogers if you will identify yourself for the record and. Can help explain how without the funding source the the amendment how this could be funded. grocers department education so without additional funding right now currently in the matrix they is a two point five FTE for nurses and counselors so without additional funding that's where the ultimately the increase for any nurses pay would have to come out of. So what I think what you're saying is that it would just it would have to be an increase within the matrix yes yeah two to add to the FTP correct line in order to fund it through the matrix which within flow through the department yes Sir okay representative McKenzie thank you Mr so just some I understand I haven't dug into the matrix like a lot of my colleagues here are we funding two and a half FT's full time employees per school on this nursing line four in the in the SO in the foundation funding at the top there's two point five if T. E. per five hundred typical school district that is funded through the foundation funding. But that's nurse I don't know how to help it's nurses and counselors nurses and counts thank. Representative back you're recognized. Thank you I. I like the intent of the bill of but it it almost seems like we're. We're kind of like okay here's just another way we're gonna go around the matrix here and we're going to put some special money that's going towards something that's funded in the matrix my question would be would this be a better place. To add a minimal due to a one time shot if we if it's emergency right now we need we could do a one time shot or something like that and then. Then we'll be looking at the matrix which will which is where they should be funded out of the foundation funding then we could deal with it at that point not. You know it were funding around the matrix here is what we're doing and and that's that's in my opinion I don't like to fund around made so when it came out was the teacher equalization fund that we did in twenty twenty one I was following that same pattern we were falling short of teacher pay and so in twenty twenty one you are aware and we're gonna be talking about that here in just a minute but that's how we raise the salary for those school districts that did not compensate up to a certain level the minimum pay for teachers and so that's why I was looking at following that same pattern if that's what we did for teachers why don't we do the same thing for nurses if that's not the will of the committee and you we want to find one time funding for three point. I forget three point something million dollars three point nine that would have almost four million dollars one time funding to help get us through that would be. You know actually it have to be to two years because that's just for one year right so we have to come up with the eight to get us to the two years to get us to where we were. Re allocating money for per pupil expenditures. Follow you're recognized for your follow up and I I again I I do agree with what we're trying to do here I I think I do have a problem but with the with the way we're tracking because I I I didn't like it we fund it around before and it and how will the debt service right at so the the other questions I'll now is okay I just just this morning I had a discussion with the superintendent about school bus drivers and things like and that there were some increases but they're saying you know that's that's the same thing so would we do that too and then the on and you know maybe counselors are not good enough you know it what what it it's almost like we have this matrix that we spend an awful lot of time on we will use trust me the the people this committee you're gonna spend a lot of time on the matrix and and and when and here we are we're just finding around it at this point so I mean if it's a if I do not want to bring it at a bill without an option of how it's funded and so this was my idea on of I think a reasonable way I think soda pop tax the intent is to help children and the most needing in our state and with medical care and this is the way to get that medical care as close as possible to children instead of you know going through the E. R. and I think it's more cost effective. But but this one one one is not required for a would you consider doing this as a temporary measure into the can be fixed so so the group can look at the metrics and say yeah we want to continue this funding I know we do not okay so like on the amendment saying for two years. Well as for two years would divert my four million dollars to I I mean I. I'd be good with that I'm looking for ideas so I mean feel free to a third idea isn't it that way your amendment is have we need you to sign for that so we can get that distributed out to the committee members. Thank you. Representative back I'll come back to you. Okay representative Cozart you're recognized for a question. R. which she used to sign an agreement for. President Mayberry so what you're asking for is is basically a million dollars for two years so were you planning on it being picked up in the matrix after that to get to you that all well initially I mean that the the way that this amendment is that it would be ongoing but if we take what representative back is suggesting and I'm open to that we could add an additional amendment or fix this amendment and added that it would be for two years to get us through the the next two years and hopefully increase that amount with the next discussion of the matrix or wow. To my knowledge that matrix has not been voted on in this committee rate the we still have a matrix okay well but I mean as the amount. Now you know you talk about what I'm sorry I made for questions from the sponsor should answer but no we have not voted on the funding of numbers yet we will probably they maybe so there's always that option I'm I'm open to ideas to the walkway okay by other question was so what you were planning on what your amendment I guess is what I'm trying to get at is is basically continuing with the soda tax yes money year by year and it would probably need to grow a little bit year by year so that's your plan and so that's still an if because we don't know if you can actually get that money correct. If if you've got that money secured is what I'm saying. Have I got that moneys you have a soda tax money secured to can you get it through this bill. The. What's approved by all well that doesn't mean that they're going to release it is what I'm saying that they may have been have strings attached to something else so that's what I'm saying well the money that money from the soda pop tax goes directly into the medicate Trust Fund and so what this but what this amendment would do is before it goes into that Medicaid trust fund which then if it's in that Medicaid trust fund can only be used as the federal match for Medicaid so I'm trying to. Before that money gets deposited in there we take the first four million dollars out and again that fund typically is about forty million dollars a year so we would still be depositing approximately thirty six million dollars a year into that Medicaid trust fund which. Again is over six hundred million dollars right now one last look with weight and and I agree on that I understand what's said I just wanna make sure we got it but okay rested Beck that new formula will be a whole lot easier. Ninety four will be a whole lot easier will takes a lot of these people work on it. Thanks any other questions from the committee. Seeing none. We need to address if you want to say I believe you have explained the amendment I have that so is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak for or against the amendment. C. nine you're recognized to close for your amendment okay I I will say that we can adopt this amendment as is. I could add a. Two year deadline on it that it would expire if that's the will of the committee I just need to know what you all think I'm happy to make whatever adjustments I need to. Or if you would rather I do not propose this amendment and we send it through Revenue and Tax I'm open to doing that as well if we want to involve more members I'm I'm happy to please and come up with something that can meet the needs and I think all of you recognize that there's a need I don't think there's anybody in here that doesn't recognize that there's not a need it's just how do we do it and how do we get everybody on board with with that. So your clothes for amendment I am close for the amendment okay ya'll discuss all right. President Mayberry is closed for the amendment. What is the will the body on the amendment. Representative back. Representative you're recognized. You can. All right we have a motion do pass by representative Duke. on the amendment discussion on the motion representative back. Again I'd I'd I'd I do recognize what we need to do here but it just seems to me like it's awful loose here we know what. Where the money's coming from it it's a pretty good chunk of money and I want to I want to secure its were secured where we can get it done and if we could do it somewhere maybe maybe tax and Rev is a better place to take this because they would be able to say. Yeah yeah you got the money I don't know you say that well I'm I'm just gonna take four million dollars out of forty million and but you know that everybody here's got a good idea that we could pull four million dollars out of something if you say let's have it and that's usually not as easy as as you think it may be but but I would just like to make sure that we do it in a way that is secured and and has a path forward long term and I don't like funding on the matrix I do do like some of the new stuff that we got that this going to coming up with the matrix hopefully and week we could address it then but I think now we're just we're doing this they were funding money around the matrix and then we got to do the matrix it it gets more much more complicated so I'm sorry I can support an amendment as it's written. Any additional discussion on the motion. Representative. Thank you Mr chair I'm I'm I have a cousin struggle is I understand the need and I under mean. I also. I understand the need but the funding part of it is concerning to me I don't understand all the different layers as being a freshman down here on how that exactly works but I know from the school board side of things that those pieces you gotta have those pieces put together know how and how much you want to do something those peace if you can't find it for you can't know how to continually funded it just creates a different problems. so. I'm not I'm not sure where I am on the amendment because only the minute really fix the bill if it passes I mean effect the bill but not to get in or out of the committee I guess anyway I don't know the procedures the parliamentary enough to know what's going on on that front but that's where I am as far as the finding peace. Lanny Fite you're recognized for. Comments. We have a question this is a four million dollar from a member right here do we need impact statement on this. It's already been replaced in in your packet okay but this the first time we have seen it anybody has seen it the four million dollars The Amendment yes Sir okay Does this does this make this bill where it needs to be another committee possibly. I would agree with that okay all right thank you. Representa McKenzie thank Mr I will be voting for the amendment because it would every member should have a right to amend their own bill even in committee. With that hi I have serious pause and if this as is as a minute I hate to sound out of both like I'm talking to both sides of my mouth I can't vote for a bill that as amended fund something out of a tax that we have I have been here long but we all know is right for consideration of being repealed then this becomes an unfunded unfunded program in our books I want to give you the benefit of voting for your amendment because I believe you have that right as a member but once it gets through there the four million dollars coming out of the excise tax is something that I think we on those in the cross hairs on it for years and I would hate for something that this is important I do agree with the intent of the bill the funding mechanism is what is concerning me especially once we start point money from excise tax I will be voting for your management so you have the opportunity to mend your bill representative painter. Thank you Mr chair I agree with your outcome where you want to go I just disagree on how we get there follow up what representative Beck said. Just as a new member I just feel very uncomfortable going outside the matrix you know and and and and also to is we're looking at a tax I I think that should be in the tax and Rev Committee not not the education so I don't know where I'm at on your amendment but I just have some real pause. Any other discussion. Seeing none all those in favor the members say aye. Opposed nay. Nays have it amendment has not passed Hey you can present your bill finalize your bill close for your bill. as originally presented. Well you you've heard all the reasons for the bill now there's no funding attached to it I was just trying to come up with the a potential way I'd be happy to file it is a separate bill and send it through Revenue and Tax if if that's the will of this committee and I still believe that we we need this yes there is of of fiscal impact to it and I would hope that you would approve this to go forward and let us work on finding the funding whether that is increasing because we have not approve the the current foundation funding whether that's increasing that right now or going through budget and finding general revenue or working on Revenue and Tax to do this and maybe as representative back his suggested just using it temporarily for two years I'm open to all those ideas but I would appreciate a vote of yes on this bill so that we can at least continue the work and figure out how to help compensate or school nurses so that we have them in the future because we will start losing a lot of school nurses. Representative Mayberry is closed for her bill what are the wishes of the committee representative back you're recognized. I'm gonna get this and the motion did pass but I'd like to. discuss it a little bit on the motion. I'll give you that leniency all right I'll I'll be quick thank you I do agree with what you're doing and I thought I think it's it's it's a good thing let's get this out of road so that so everyone knows Education Committee is backing this would just having some trouble with the funding on it and I think that'll that's going opens windows for you and and I'll certainly help you with that did to get this funded so I just want to satisfy anyone think I'm for this bill I it's just we got to get the funding strife thank you I agree so we have a motion do pass by representative back. Discussion on the motion. Representative big. Thank you Mr chair so I'm in kind of the same spot is I'm for this I recognize the need I am really concerned about the funding and I don't like unfunded mandates. I've said back there and watch those unfunded mandates come down and people are scrambling trying to figure out to pay for all so can I ask another member question in this discussion fantastic so you feel like representative back that because it's gonna if we pass this is gonna be unfunded mandate that as it continues through this that we could be able to find that source because if it goes through and it comes down to the schools they're gonna be in a world of hurt trying to figure out how to to do this and again the nurses are going to be sitting there frustrated if school districts I expect many would not be able to do this well without any assistance so what happens if we can't find it. Represent representative flowers. I want to and I know I just came in but I promise you I have gotten Casilla ins of emails about this bill. And over the years and I think you all heard me talk about my support for school nurses and how incredibly important that is so I've been in support of expanding and strengthening our presence of school nurses Across the state and supporting those nurses in so doing I would just add that There are a lot of things we want and a lot of things we like and think are important and while the funding may not have been found especially for those of you who if this is your first term. This is my fifth term and I have seen over the years that what I have seen if I haven't seen anything else is that we leadership. wants to find the funds for something it gets found. Always. So if we really really support this I think that we have to work with our leadership in both chambers and with the executive Administration to find the funds and and I could point to you a lot of projects contracts expenses in the millions tens of millions hundreds of millions that we find for things way less important than this so I just would encourage my colleagues to vote for this knowing that we can work with our leadership to find the dollars thank you. Representative Brooks you're recognized thank you Mr chairman I ask represent maybe or questions as part of the question is that. That's when you see. I know you've been very lenient with a lot of things. I will be lenient with you I appreciate that so represent Mayberry seems like a lot of us you know we we all have verbalize the the importance of it I think we're all in agreement that clearly there's obvious pause in terms of funding which I think is is appropriate for for everything that we do so given that normally if a bill comes out of committee it's gonna be on the floor the next day so they'll be Monday so would you commit to upholding this and then filing something revenue tax and then working with leadership to to see what may be out there in terms of that so that we so the bill is in a good format once we all get a chance to vote on the floor I would be more than happy to do that that was that is a very nice offer and I was hoping that I could say that but it was beyond the time I could talk I guess I should say thank you agree yes so by by allowing it to get out of the committee that shows that the Education Committee is is supportive of the idea of the bill which then I I can file a bill and Revenue and Tax or we can continue discussion if there's some other way of looking at it and continue that discussion but Leding this bill die now just completely into the discussion so if you allow it to get out of this committee it shows that their support for the overall idea and I am more than willing to work with whoever I need to work with to find what that funding is whether it's this idea or another idea before we bring it to the house floor. Okay. I have a motion do pass Representative due to. So it as this is debate not question. Okay so. Okay look look look this way thank you. Thank you thank you again so would we be able would it be possible to put a mechanism in it that if the funding cannot be found that it does not go down to the school district as an unfunded mandate so I'd like sunsets or whatever so that we if we can't find it we don't push the problem down to them to figure it out. That I think that's under I think that's understood yes ma'am. I have a motion to pass all those in favor say aye. Those may. Translations your bill is passed with with the agreement is fully on record and witnessed by several people in this room. All right representative Mayberry I know you've got sixteen sixty eight I've got a bunch I've got to get to I'm sure you've got a committee you need to get to if you will come back this afternoon what do sixteen sixty eight after once we come back this afternoon. Representative Vaught. This stepped out. Johnson is not here for. Hey I'm doing mine this afternoon and members while we're going to figure out where everyone is we have a very special group that is just joined us here today. Mr Randolph. You've got a good radio voice if you would like to come and introduce our group that I am very proud is here today and explain why they're here and what amazing accomplishments they have we've got just a second here we can introduce them. You want to set down and punched the Mike on. Introduce yourself for the record and then we'll introduce the sponsor oaks yes and Randolph assistant superintendent Cabot schools and representative Evans thank you for allowing us to interrupt your business today very thankful that we have a group of staff and one student from Cabot panther academy and Mrs lawyer Mr Jones is going to come over here real quick server you can see your smiling faces The alternative Education Association for Arkansas present awards in the rotunda a little while ago and very thankful and proud of our school our school received an award for having the top combined ill a math and science scores in the alternative education for a school of one hundred fifty students or more And so just so proud of of what this team is done and so very grateful for them and I'd love if if I could I'd let Mrs Lehrer introduce herself and aghast and I really want to recognize special one of our students is over there and she's been getting the whole time AS in learning so much this morning and so one make sure Trista gets our time in the sun life as well. Your lettuce yourself for the record and their hi I'm kari layer on the principal Cabot panther Academy and I'm excited to have my assistant principal Mallory Jones with us today Austin Taylor is our history teacher and I also add he is the James Madison fellow for the state of Arkansas this year so very prestigious honor and then junior Triston Campbell Trista joined our program last year as a sophomore is doing excellent things so we just are excited to be here today thank you for your time. Would you please give this wonderful group. Representative Baltz you've got three bills you ready to run those if you will go to the in the table will get will start with fifteen thirty eight. And you're recognized to present your bill thank you Mr chair deann Vaught state representative district thirty eight. Not thirty eight eighty seven. It's that time of the session so this is about PD professional development as schedules for the state what we did was we took some of all my made up every five years representative to do can I have worked very diligently to try to find a way to make it easier for schools to use as PT ours in the ways that they felt needed that they needed to use it for their school buildings so we took some and moved on to five every fifth year we did Arkansas history of a one and done There's another one that's one and done. Family community engagement is one and done and then the other ones will be every fifth year at. The. If I if a new teacher is coming in she has two years to get all of the PD's that we mandate by law that she gets also he or she gets this basically just trying to make it easier for schools to be able to use PDAs in the manner that they need to use them especially on yours when they don't have all the stacked on top of each other and it helps out if they're not having to do on every four years that helps them relieve some pain for PD that they need with that close not appreciate a good vote. Person Vaught has explained your bill are there any questions of the committee. See no questions I don't believe that anyone assigned to some to speak for against this bill. Double check your. No I don't signed up to speak for against is there in the audience who like to speak for against House Bill fifteen thirty eight. Seeing none person bought her clothes for your bill I'm close from bill make a motion to pass person Vaught has closed for bills because motion do pass is there any discussion on the motion by the committee. The discussion on favor say aye. Proposed regulation separate Vaught you've passed house bill fifteen thirty eight chair and committed and keep running through correct yes or okay so represent what you are recognized to present house bill fifteen thirty nine. So I have some people in my area asked me to please run this a few years ago we made it for an expelled student could still receive all of their work at home even if they are intentionally getting expelled so what this bill does is it just takes that language back to where they don't the school is not responsible they would might do it online with online services are or things like that but it and it says it I mean it doesn't say that the school can't do it this way it's just that it's not mandated that they do it this way. And I'm close mmhm. First of all has presented house bill fifteen thirty nine or the questions by the committee. See no questions again I don't believe anybody assigned to speak up for against this one knows or anyone the audience would like to speak for against this bill fifteen thirty nine. Say none or somebody close for your bill I'm because my for my bill make a motion to Paterson Vaught is closer bill she has a motion do pass is there any discussion by the committee. I notification by the committee. All in favor say aye. All opposed. Congratulations represent Vaught you've passed house bill fifteen thirty nine. And I believe we're moving on are you doing yes Sir all right so represent what you are recognized for the house bill fifteen forty so house bill fifteen forty eight it says if a student leaves a school for over a year the school can doesn't say they shall but they may test for that re entry to see for that student needs to be placed I one of the reasons that I brought this is I have a daughter who teaches she had a child that came in just you know right after Christmas and she was trying to figure out where the child was at in in science and the child had not had any science all year long and yet that child is going to count against her test scores just here in a few weeks whenever they get ready to take test it's something they can already do I just don't know that all schools know that they can do it that they can test a do a re entry test. And without a closed. Purpose of all has present house bill fifteen forty other any questions by the committee. Person do quicker recognized thank you Mr chair so I noticed on the last page I believe that it says and I'm sorry for not asking about the sooner that they can't be placed in a higher grade if they testify of Christ correct. May follow up. You're recognized for fall is there a reason why they can't go higher right right I think they can't already by law but I could be wrong but you don't want a six year old to go to a second grade class or third grade class even if they get test up into that I think it's already illegal for him to do that to jump classes I could be wrong I'm looking for a shake of it yes or no from somebody. He also wants to shake a yes or no. Does anybody nobody knows. Follow up for today thank you so what I did I do understand that yes but the lack of flexibility because if you have a kid who's maybe seventh or eighth grade right that can move on up it means would that not be beneficial. To leave have little flexibility in there because that that time differences in age difference or whatever's not obviously years drastic right I still don't know that you can jump grades even in high school though I mean if you did you have a lot of kids clipping out of. Courses that they didn't need to take because they were smart enough to clip out does that make sense if you think I'm I can sense it well no I understand what you're saying I just and if obviously if it's not the existing law that is not the the data law but yeah I'm getting a shake that I think I'm correct that that is correct yeah okay we'll we will can maybe just chat later than we can yeah that sounds good on that with that I'll close the I'm taking questions sorry. Represent fight you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chair representative thought if you received any opposition to Memphis thank you. Represent Hodges recognized for a question thank you Mr president by that we spoke briefly this morning about this bill just curious I know we haven't a lot of time but. Is there anything that currently prevents districts yeah that's what I'm saying thank you can already do this this just shows them that they can do it. There are schools that are already doing this in other words it's just that I don't think everybody knows that they can do this not sure if they have the authority to correct yes Sir yes Sir. I would have one question what what might trigger them to do this is so to may so it's it's permissive right as permissive yes but what what might trigger them to actually say we should test this person or not test this person. I mean I think everybody should be tested before they re enter but that's just me and my personal failings because I think when we put kids back in school where they are actually prepared to go it goes against the school who gets grated so that's just my personal feeling I think it would be just a policy if it was their policy that they want to do it I don't think it's like a trigger of anything it's just allowing it showing them that they may do it this way. So their language in the bill that recommend some kind of a trigger feel that they have to provide some type of policy no Sir advising parents that are going to be doing this this act it just clarifies they can already do it it just clarifies that they can do it. Any additional questions about committee. We have. Hello folks going back to work on your representative Hodges was at hand there you're recognized yes sorry just one more quick question so this would be this would not be for just any student who moves in correct has to be attending that school well even if that's correct that's correct thank you. That's correct Sir. Additional questions by the committee. C. Notitia questions we do not have anyone signed up to speak for against house bill fifteen forty eight and I believe no one signed is there anyone the audience would like to speak for against house bill fifteen forty. C. none represent body close your bill I'll close for my bill and they do pass represent Vaught is close for her builders motion do pass as any discussion on the motion by the committee. C. notification all in favor say aye. All opposed thank you Mister Committee what your bill has passed. I'll turn it back over to the. Realtor. Representive wing. Or would you. Yes. Was to seventeen thirty three. When. Go to the right. Yes yes going to sixty ninety one. There was one to House Bill sixteen ninety one. They will be seventeen thirty three. Representative when you're recognized for senate bill thank you Mr chairman all right what we have. Is a simple bill brought to be by the school board association and Mr Jordan's here if needed to ask or answer any questions read upon language what this does is it allows if Grove grievances are filed and they are identical the school boards can batch them together just give them permission to do so if they would like to. And allows is kind of inefficiency bill if it's the same grievance they can they can be heard as a group happy to take any questions and. Representative flowers you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairs are you talking about when you say it's the same grievance like. Let's say the parents have a grievance about the same thing but there's several grievances just different kids same grievance if it's yeah I let me bring my parents or issue. Let me law just wanna make sure that we're all on the same page let's bring Mr Jordan here to. Help answer any questions. Thank you Mr chair and committee then Jordan Arkansas school board association of this bill Is it came as the. As a group grievance and and the kind of the beginning of it was back during covid and when grievances obviously grievances filed by staff is what this bill is about and not parents but when there's a grievance that that would make its way through the process as most of you know agreements product protocol which would start at a building level or the slowest level it's work its way through the superintendent it was appeal to the board that's what this is about those grievances that appeal to the board where the issue would be to the point that it could have been filed is the same grievance if it if it's that there's different part parts of it certainly that would be different remixes but if there were multiple grievances filed about the same identical point it would allow the board if they so chose they're not required to but if the board so chose to group those as a group grievance in here all that at one time rather than two or three or seven or eight or ten or more grievances that's what the bill is about it would allow the board to group them if they were the same exact it's. So we're talking about issue or occurrence so it could be that there was a big. like there might be a policy. that. The staff might have a problem with and so the policy may say you can't I mean just hypothetical you can't take off on veterans day. And. Ten of your twenty staff might say I have a problem with this. Because we want to take off on this veterans day. Like that that's one if that's an example that would fit in what this bill is like if this may help what this bill would allow the board to do if the same people have the same grievance and have the same reasons again they have to put that on a form that goes in there so that the board knows what the grievances about specifically into that for what it would allow is it during that grievance hearing it would allow all that group to either get get a spokesman or. Eight two or three spokesman that the the board would allow to speak to the grievance and hear it all in one meeting rather than the board having to meet seven or eight or three however many there were different times to hear the same grievance up to ninety minutes a time for time. With that makes it with the group have to agree. So what they would if they patched if the if the board elected to a batch with the group also have to agree or they could say Hey were just going to patch these guys have to come on this day the way the board the boy this bill as written the board would have that decision now it would only be if they were exact specific grievances if there were everyone was if there were similar but they went different pass or different issues then it would obviously be a separate grievance hearing what on the grievance hearings is what we're talking about one other quick follow up you're recognized thank you Mister chair so I'm the only concern I have is when I think about issues around a hostile work environment because there's one sort of role get ministry who FOR different issues. Still treats staff a certain way that creates a hostile work environment for for you know sexual harassment or something as serious something serious like that racial discrimination gender discrimination. Those kind of things no ma'am the the the specificity of what you're talking about individuals with individual staff members so forth those would have does it in all likelihood be totally separate grievance issues the grievance would have to be the same or similar to the same exact grievance for them to be able to be grouped but couldn't in but I just it. What I just described couldn't I mean let's say a sexual harassment trend let's say there is a teacher and she I'm going to go and say she and she. Is harassing some students she's harassing some young men making them feel I mean some faculty making them feel you know uncomfortable and then it gets to a point where they say something to the principal and the principal is like Hey nothing's going on she's great she's value she says you're making it up and you're doing it so then they start filing grievances all different circumstances you've got teachers you've got those faculty they would all be treated separately certainly members I can I can assure you don't know of any board in Arkansas I can imagine everyone that would be with wood wood group sexual harassment grievances to the same grievance hearing those would would allow representative voted. Any other questions from committee. Seeing none. We have Mister Jordan I believe you're the only one signed up twenty checks anyone else in the audience want to speak for or against House Bill sixteen ninety one. Seeing none representative Wayne. I'm close building appreciate a good vote not will I make a motion of do pass representative wing has member committee is made a motion do pass on house bill sixty ninety one discussion on the motion. Represent flowers. Thank you I don't have a problem with this generally except that the only thing that struck me is in the explanation we heard in all likelihood which means to me that there's not enough specificity to just to make sure or distinguish between exactly what the same issue is and with all of the latitude being given to the board that board could decide Hey we don't want to have to do this address this issue several times so we're going to bash it and hope the controversy goes away and make them have to come back and deal with this later I I just have seen in many workplaces including in my own school district where The board had to deal with something that was not pretty. And I shudder to think that if something was a pattern. That the board could batch something and make it go away and for that unless there is specificity to ensure that serious issues and not treated like that I would have. I'd be very uncomfortable I just feel like for something like this in all likelihood is just not good enough so for that I will be voting for the bill I would ask thank you and and if I may And I completely agree with what you're saying. I thank all the what you're saying is that's a personnel issue. And if it's a personnel issue then there are certainly personnel laws that would make that a much more intimate type discussion between the board and one party you're talking about a personal grievance grievance that would not be a group discussion with all the different people that had a grievance that would be individualized because you're dealing in personnel all kinds of hip of situations there so I'd. I think we're kind of talking about two different things that I want to think so too but if first when we heard the bill it was referred it was reference to apply to parents and then when we heard from the person who who requested the bill he said no it would apply to staff so for talking about staff than what you're saying really with to me would mean that all of these would be personnel issues. And without any specificity about what kind of issues could be batched I just would be uncomfortable with giving a blanket. Sort of Ladda two for a board disabled on batch these. Your discussion for members. President of wing as a member you. I'll just say that the level of seriousness of the of the things that you were talking about would rise and the bill is very clear as to be the exact same thing And so that would hopefully help with what you're saying is that that has to be exact and and also with what we were talking about of others with personnel issues that's why I think it's it's a good efficiency bill. Any other discussion. Not we have a motion do pass by representative wing. All those in favor say aye. Pose may no the ayes have it resolution your bill is passed sixteen ninety one. All right we've got a correction being made on seventeen thirty three representative ready you're ready to run fifteen twenty nine. All right. Your douche yourself for the record you may present your bill. Thank you Mr chairman representative David Ray District sixty nine this is my first time to Education Committee this session so I'm hoping that representative Cozart will take it easy on me. I know that's not gonna happen. Colleagues I'm excited to be here this morning to bring you this bill this is a bill to create the Arkansas adult diploma program and I'm doing this because we have a very serious problem in our state it's a problem that you don't read about the newspaper every day it's a problem that you don't read about post on social media about everyday but it's one that every employer in this state I can guarantee you is acutely aware of and that is the emergency that we face with regard to adults in our state who have no education credentials not even a high school diploma the best estimates are that we have approximately three hundred thousand adults in the state of Arkansas who do not have even as much as a high school diploma and that's a crisis and it is it is a crisis it's peeling other crises in our state like our workforce crisis because workers with no education don't make for a skilled workforce it fuels our government dependency crisis because people with no education and few job prospects don't have many other places to turn. So the Arkansas adult diploma program would be designed to assist adults aged twenty one or older with obtaining an accredited high school diploma while also providing employability and career technical skills if this sounds like a lot of what we do in traditional adult ed it it's because it's aimed at addressing the same problem this massive population of three hundred thousand adults but it is a different approach and because of the sheer size of the challenge that we face I think we need more people working to solve this problem not fewer. This framework this outlined in the bill has a lot of strings first of all of the program is flexible it can be administered either in a campus based model it can be an online model it can be a blended modality it operates in an open provider space so you can have public entities like community colleges high schools even a library system participate but it also allows for participation of nonprofit entities or private entities and that's important because a lot of times are nonprofit entities are mission focused for profit entities have market forces that that are good The second thing I want to mention is this program is outcomes based so in this approach we don't hand people a pilot Cassian say hope you go do something great with this this is a pay for performance model in which provide the only way that providers are paid is if they meet educational milestones and the milestones that the this program awards are high school credits attainment of employee skills certifications workforce credentials and attainment of an accredited high school diploma. Third this program is accountable to taxpayers I think most of you who know me know I don't I rarely propose anything that's gonna spend taxpayer funds on something and I certainly wouldn't propose that unless I felt it was a very good R. O. Y. on that for the taxpayer accountability is key with this program for approved providers have to maintain a minimum fifty percent graduation rate per cohort and they have to maintain other cannot go cannot exceed a seven thousand dollar spent per student in our cohort in government when you fail is typically is just justification to give some someone more money but in this program of a provider fails they are immediately put on probationary status and if they fail to meet the benchmarks for two consecutive years they are removed for the program and the language of the bill say shall so they will be removed providers also have to be able to ride remediation services academic skill intake assessments transcript by United Nations and develop individualized learning plans and the the fourth real big benefit of this program is I didn't just make this up out of thin air you know states are famously the laboratories of democracy there are several other states that have seven other states actually they're operating a very similar framework in their states Ohio Michigan Indiana Kansas South Carolina Arizona and Missouri and they've seen great results Indiana's program started in twenty nineteen for example with just a one million dollar appropriation and they've already produced seven hundred and forty one graduates the data that they've collected on that is really interesting six months after graduation forty two percent of those graduates were working in high demand fields like healthcare construction transportation or manufacturing the percentage of adults who had. Health insurance increased from thirty five percent to fifty two percent six percent of the graduates went on to enroll in post secondary education and almost four out of five seventy nine percent either got a better job or got a pay raise as a result of the program so a couple of questions that I've gotten from people just what I filed the bill or you know how much is this going to cost well obviously that would depend on how much the state and the legislature choose to allocate to it but there's no funding contained within this bill we have been in discussions with the department of commerce and they've indicated that they would invest some of the funds from the skills development fund the how to the op under the office of skills development and they've indicated that the amount of money that they'd be willing to put toward this program would be somewhere in the five hundred thousand to seven hundred and fifty thousand dollar range this is funding that already exists another question I've got is you know would this take money away from existing adult add an answer that is absolutely not we've had this discussion at length with the department of commerce and date or anybody else has any interest in taking money away from traditional adult ed this is adding to our existing infrastructure not taking anything away from it and. At its core I think this bill is about promoting human flourishing helping people find the dignity and fulfillment that comes with earning an education and being able to provide for their family put food on their table and change their family tree I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the economic impact on the state you know high school drop out will end up costing our state approximately a quarter of a million dollars over the course of their lifetime from taxes that they don't pay and social services that we do pay out. Possible incarceration but if you can convert that person to and educated employed taxpayer the the R. O. Y. on that is huge and so I just feel that we have to attack this adult education crisis with a lot more urgency than we have been and that's why I've been working on this bill for many many many many months and be happy to take a quick break you representative ray representative Charlene Fite you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mister chair I promised local people that I would ask this question. Is this duplicating the efforts of adult education that we already have in place. Well I don't think it's duplicative because it's it's a different approach right and I think some of the big distinctions are. number one it's and it's an open provider model so it's not just for public entities you know the non profits or for profit companies could also enter into this space and be approved as providers the pay for performance model is also very different from anything that we do and so it's it's the same in that it's tackling the same problem but it's a very different approach and the problem is so large that I would argue we need more people working to solve the problem not fewer people. The other questions from committee representative Cozart. You knew you were gonna get away without me talking I would be disappointed if I didn't. I may have a couple questions for Mister chair thank you so I've been talking with some people in my area that do this and your cost is very high compared to what they actually have for cost of taking care of one of the some of you have like seven thousand dollars in here or less so I don't know how you derived that number but maybe from a of. Someone that does this that's what's their cost of the work you know we look at Jennifer program thirteen hundred dollars and one of my local colleges there that does this so that was one of the things I and so I guess my other questions you may have said this while I was we're talking to someone earlier but is this a instead company that would be offering this or is it kind of spread around or is it just announced a company. So I'll let your second question first because I'm looking trying to find my answer the first question on the on the second question The department of education will put out an RFP and they would be the ones approving the providers and it could be either or it could be both a and I will tell you in states of Ohio for example has a very robust program that's been successful they have nearly forty providers that are approved in the space so it it could be both on the on the cost per spin and I've I've been sent those numbers as well as you know with these sorts of things it depends on what you're trying to calculate right so that those numbers that I was sent said it was a cost per student I'm I'm talking about a cost per high school graduate for completing that high school degree not just somebody enrolling not just somebody being served and with a class here class there are about ensuring that person gets across the finish line and obtains obtains a high school diploma. That's your question the yes I am okay one more ability and the other thing I'll say about is you know we we spend and this is not to demand anything and and and traditional adult at I think I've I know several other people and they're doing they're doing important work right but we based they spend we spend a proctor the statement approximately thirty million dollars a year in that area and I know last year we conferred just over two thousand G. Edie's so that that cost per spend is not in line with the numbers that that I was set I guess my last question does fall on that number amount because yours your Fiscal impact has no number and its cost to be determined so I guess you would only be able to determine that by knowing how many we would serve that's correct well no I I mentioned that in my presentation I think you were somewhere else but I'll go back to sleep. I'll go back over it again so we've been in discussions with the department of commerce and the Office of skills development has a skills development fund that they've indicated that they're willing to allocate some existing resources to the amount that we've been told is somewhere between five hundred thousand seven hundred fifty thousand dollars and that would get us you know. A couple of years into this program so that we could get a cohort graduated so that we could get some numbers back on how it's performing and And I think that would be beneficial I'm not against your program at all I'm totally for doing what you're trying to do and I wanna let you know that I just kind of want some information on it yeah thank you Mr representative McKenzie you're recognized thank Mister and I appreciate reserve cart Cozart and asking these questions because I had to leading into this but in you mentioned in your presentation and I think it's the important factor directionally about outcome do we have any understanding of what our current adult ed Metrics of poor performance of completion is because if if I'm if I'm correct in reading your bill as you presented it. These funds cannot be permitted unless the institutions that are that are conducting the the height they don't add. Graduate fifty percent of their cohort correct that's correct can you understand for that thirty million dollars that we invest in adulthood three the what is our percent completion of conferring of the GT or any form of certificate. I don't know I couldn't speak to that but I was attracted to this model because of the success it's experienced in other states but also because of some of those mandatory metrics that they have to achieve and the accountability on the back end because you know there's annual reporting required and if they're not meeting those metrics it says that they they shall be well initially mandatory probation and if they fail to meet him for two years it's you know it's like SMU and the Pony Express since death penalty thank you. Any other questions from committee. Seeing none we do have. One signed up I believe to speak for the bill Mr Zook. Wallace yourself for the record you can and provide you testimony. Thank you Mr chairman thank you members of the committee I'm Randy Zook with the Arkansas state chamber of commerce of I can only a man what representative right is presented to you I would offer a couple of thoughts and emphasize the fact that we need to all out full scale war on adult literacy and and capability for the work force we've got about three hundred thousand I don't know if I'll had I just got in the room but if you've heard this number we got about three hundred thousand our Kansans who don't have a high school diploma or a GED this is a big challenge for employers for. Companies to find and put to work and put into good jobs people who are capable of of understanding and following instructions and all those things that come with a reasonable level of preparation and education so. This is this is this is competitive and it's it's accountable and it's a reasonable amount for the for the evaluation of it if you will over the first couple of years and then see if this I'm I'm like representative row Love the adult add people they they do great great work but it's just not enough we need more effort and this is a very accountable attractive model that would give us data on how to further reduce and accelerate the rate of reduction we lose about twelve percent of our high school go hard every year to drop out. So you do the numbers that's about five thousand a year that this is growing maybe six depending on the year. and we can't afford that we can't afford to have five or six thousand people who were economic road kill because they fail to complete a high school graduation program so with that I'd say just we appreciate a vote for the bill and and support for members any questions for Mr Zork. Seeing none thank you for your presentation Sir. Anyone else in the audience when speak for or against the bill. The nine representative ray you're recognized close for your bill. Thank you chairman I just say real quick enclosing you know on the on the work force discussion we talk so often about the need for workforce development we got to do more for workforce got to do more for force and usually those discussions the solutions from those discussions lead to focusing on younger people getting them equipped for the workforce to go out into the work force and that is great and I'm all for that but with the huge. The share of the size of this problem that's a even if we're executing everything flawlessly that's a forty or fifty year plan and the you know we got attacked this problem and in both directions both from youth and adult and that's why. I'm excited about this I am closed. Representative race close for his bills will committee representative McKenzie. The motion do pass by representative McKenzie on house bill fifteen twenty nine discussion on the motion. C. none all those in favor say aye opposed nay graduation to pastor bill thank you Committee. Representive wing and no you've got a plane to catch a little hole that you go back seventeen thirty three. Representive shepherd you will be after representative waiting. All right I believe we have an amendment. Got an amendment to the amendment to the amendment. That's right. Yes. Was. Representative Wayne. Your drawing quite a crowd Hey Lou NO what I should charged admission. Unless they were here to hear about adult education within about two minutes later. Your identify yourself for the record you may present your my name is Carlton way I represent the good folks in North Little Rock insure within districts seventy so the first thing that we need to do is go over the amendment which is you should have been just handed out you'll be happy to know that we have taken out a good chunk of this bill and so I will walk you through what we've done so I'm I mean the the meat of the bill starts on page. Two at the very end of the day everything above that is some definitions but right there on page two we delete. Start with the line thirty four. And we go we go down we I'm sorry yeah and then. On the other page two that's we get to the first part of the meat of the bill that will remain that deals with homeless students will get with that and just a moment we got to bring ourselves into compliance with federal law then the meat of the bill that goes away as on page three starting a line nine all the way down to the end that is all gone Page four in its entirety all gone lines one through thirty six. The first two lines of Page five are also gone. What will take the place where it says section for we are We are going to take that out and replace it with agreed upon language. Regarding club sports and then everything from line sixteen down is also gone you may think okay what does that mean the original bill addressed five issues it addressed the homeless status from a federal McKinney vento standpoint It addressed the appeals process it addressed what is not considered recruiting then number four is the part that we're replacing here dresses club sports and the number five addressed transfers for athletic reasons my guess is that's probably the bulk of the emails you got was on that and so that is gone so what we have retained is just the two sections that deal with homeless status and this section that deals with club sports we have worked very closely with our folks of triple a I hear about a lot throughout the morning and yesterday as well we have agreed upon language I think director Taylor will take a chance to speak up to speak on this as well here in just a moment so let's will cover that in a second let's take the site of the first section that remains with regards to the McKinney vento homeless status and the need for it and Mister chair with your permission I'd like to introduce our guest recognized to do so. Thank you Mr chair right now the deputy Attorney General and the opinions Division. The wind is going to speak to yeah so I've been asked to speak a little bit about the the portion of the bill that the representative bring just describe that will remain the the McKinney vento of peace this is a McKinney vento with the named after the two legislators in Congress many years ago who created this Act McKinney vento act that creates a federal preemption that requires all school districts that receive federal funds to give homeless children immediate access to all the activities that are available for other children who meet the residency requirements in those school districts the the the difficulty here is that this is it's very clear and federal law that if you're if you're if you're homeless you have immediate access to these programs including sports programs just like every other student would and of course we have residency requirements just like other school districts do and and activity associations to review how much can't meet the residency requirements and so that's why they created this this bipartisan probe of bill many years ago that bill applies in Arkansas under under federal preemption however it it what this bill does is make it very clear that it applies in Arkansas now sort of a belt and suspenders and makes it clear that it applies both under federal law but also under state statute which frankly makes it much easier for people to find and it removes any questions that someone might have when they come across the the code a U. S. C. site United States code citation and wondering whether that applies in Arkansas so by adding that that provision into the bill here it makes it clear that if a homeless homeless student is in is enrolled at a school district that that students eligible for all the activities just like any other student who meets the residency requirements at that school. Then we can move on to the next part in fact Senator Irvin just arrived and she is our Senate sponsors loan we can talk about the sports. Thank you members of the committee and this section of the bill that refers to a student's ability to protect the practice and participate in club sports I what we've done is we've kind of merge some of these ideas and legislation together so Senator Davis and representative Haak had filed a bill and so we took part of their take their bill but then changed a little bit and added it to the language in our bill basically and they cannot participate in the same day as and high school athletic event if there is a club event but this doesn't prevent them from participating in club club events at during their seasons we did create some exceptions in the bill because of the more calm I was a team sport aspect of those of those sports whether it's it's so those are volleyball football basketball softball and baseball and that was for the request of of some of the athletic directors here in the room which were happy to have with us but the main conflict happens a lot of times for your soccer seasons because that season is really when the college seasons occurrence so you have a big conflicts because those are those are the opportunities for kids to go in participate where they're going to try to earn college scholarships or get those looks with college opportunities and not primarily happens more in the club sports and they do in the house high school sports that as senator Davis is very passionate about that as well as myself representive Haken representive wing so that portion of the bill really just clarifies that section triple a does have. Rules around this and so where they can still practice during those seasons but I think it's mainly events and so that's that portion of the bill okay thank you explained the Amendment. members any questions on the amendment. C. nine anyone would speak for against the amendment. C. nine representative when close remember to close for the amendment present a good vote on like a motion to do pass motion do pass by representative wings member the committee to adopt the amendment all those of favour say aye aye opposed nay member has been adopted. You're now recognized to present your bill you know we kind of just did us that was a very thorough amendment the record federal amendment so yes this bill is designed to help our kids be able to play and so we've just we've just narrowly tailored tailored this to two specific issues I really appreciate the work that director lance Taylor has put in with us on this to be able to come up with an agreed upon language that that we can all walk away with we also in the interim will be able to discuss things as well and I'll let the Director Taylor speak to that a little bit later we're happy to answer any questions that you have on the bill itself now with those two things that that remain. Centerman. I was echoed those comments and just say I I appreciate the fact that there are so many areas that that that that I think that we had in the bill that I think representative eleven can speak to more so where there's got to be a little bit more and I would just say aye. Education from the triple a to us as as legislators because where the front lines with constituents and so we've talked about that dynamic that occurs I'm in a lot of issues that pop up I think it's just symptomatic of the fact that you don't have a lot of that so I know and they're going to work through those appeals process which was in the original part of the bill they're gonna work through that and bring some recommendations I've also asked the director lance Taylor if you would look at the issue surrounding school safety as a flood events that's something that we really haven't really address but with the rise of some of the incidences that have happened in the past and I think that precipitated bills and legislation this session on protecting referees that I think we need to do a little bit more due diligence when it comes to school safety at athletic events those are different if they're different we have focus really on buildings and so I think during the interim that that we need need to focus on that but I ask that triple a kind of bring us those kinds of recommendations as well represented when you're ready for questions yes Sir representative Cozart. Person wing at I think the biggest problem I have well I have a I have a problem a lot of these because I just don't I think every time we give somebody in the age we ask for your the next time so athletics is a big factor we're we focus on a lot but anyway my question is and my concern is about the McIntee vento and part in and it's time not for bringing these kids and let them play I just think that's the abuse side of it because I believe that site could be abused as I believe it has been lately and Garland County and used to of the advantage of someone that wants to just move schools ADD like to know what the real definition of homeless is and how the show would of state that homeless this. Is for these kids is it something. Different than what I think it is because I see films as someone's laying on the street sleeping on the streets we're using the federal definition and this this part of the bill is essential that we bring ourselves into compliance with federal law and we've not always been able to do that and so that's why this part of the bill is absolutely essential that we do so we're using the federal definitions Mr out they'll let you add on. The federal law already applies in Arkansas under preemption so what this bill is doing is not saying that there's now a new standard that applies there's already a standard that applies so then why included in the bill for the reason I said earlier that most people don't like me dig around in the federal statutes to find legislation that's relevant to you know that their issues and and then when they do find it to the extent someone does find it is often a question about whether that federal legislation applies to states so as is very common in many other provisions of the Arkansas Code there will be a provision in the Arkansas code that just adopts by reference the federal law to make clear even if it already applies to make clear that it really does apply I took your question to me more about the application of that definition than than the actual definition itself because of that definition already applies under the federal they can evento Act it creates a liaison that is supposed to be in every school district in my understanding is that that there are such people in all the school district I see someone not in and that person is supposed to be the liaison between the school district and the state board of education so that's the the in between position that they occupy and that person is the thanks for the front line person that under McKinney vento applies the law the McKinney vento to determine whether the person is homeless and then that person makes a recommendation based on that so there's no change from the existing standard to what is currently in the bill it may be that in some places people are not complying with the standard and that's all the more reason why one include this in the bill to make it very clear that the staff does apply in Arkansas follows you're recognized for follow up so I guess my real question is to to be homeless are you on the streets or can you still be living in someone's house and be homeless. It's the latter. It's it's about it's about custody and yeah it's it's about custody but but it's also about impermanence of of where you're where you're living you may have you may be living in a and a friend some on Monday Wednesday Friday and then at another friend's home on Tuesday Thursday Saturday that and into that child it you know meets those criteria where they're they're they're couch surfing essentially that child homeless under McKinney vento. I'm just a questions representative flowers. Thank you Mr just wanna pick it back off of that question so what about the case of a child who is in the foster care and maybe have been in foster care for a year with the same family. It's my understanding that a child is in foster care because of the legal arrangements that are associated with that that child's not homeless under McKinney vento thank you. The questions from committee. Representative. Thank you Mr cherry because what if I did have a question so my god so would you so my question is I'm a little bit more clarity on the clubsport peace and how that's going to work. If you're in any of it. I need more clarity on that. Senator jim. Sure and I think director Taylor could probably talk about this as well so so we. A lot of times during club sports is really where a lot of kids earn opportunities for college which is very important to them whether it's getting a spot at at a different college for scholarships particularly your smaller students smaller schools that may or may not have the ability to have. Kids that are really really good but they're not able to play at the higher levels so the participating in club sports so the way we have the bill written in this amended language it allows for those kids to participate and we do have some exclusions because of the nature of those types of team sports verses individual sports the real the real issue comes when there is a season that overlaps with that college recruitment type season so that's what we've tried to be more specific with the exceptions in the way that club sports as written we're trying to open it up to where kids can play a participating clubs sports and in high school we don't I don't want a kid to have to make a choice between whether they play in a club sport or a high school sports and my kids were in that position before but we want and we want them to be able to to bring all the although there aren't learning at the club level back to the high school level or vice versa I think it's a good mix it's just being able to have that ability for those students participate in both but we have some exceptions because of the natures of the sports the intensity of their schedules like for basketball it's a very intense schedule the high school level already as well as at the club level so that's a very easy one to understand exclusion football's a full contact sport but you seen a rise in more clubsport football is seventy seven and those kinds of things so that's that's the clarity around the I hope I've answered your question as much as I could recognized for follow up. So will the coaches in these areas the high school coaches still have the ability to have any control whatsoever of a student who is playing other sports to say look we've got a game. You can go to practice I need you in my speech I need you in my gym I need you with my team that's competing through the season is that do they still have it on me on this stuff or is it they lose some of the with this bill well I mean you have exceptions so if they're in the sports I mean I'm assuming that that exists we don't touch the existing rules around practice so he would answer Sir question do when it comes. Taylorville induce yourself for the record and you. Per se with answering that question and why you're there other members have questions for you thank you Mr chair I'm lance Taylor the executive director of the Arkansas activities association and your asking great questions and I'll go back to years of the first. Okay there sixteen sports and every such board that we have the size one it coincides with the College Board sole the state basketball during basketball will pay you starts after that when they have all the showcases and they go out same thing with low ball soon as low balls over the jail starts the only conflict we have in Arkansas with team sports is soccer and we play soccer in the spring all the colleges played in the fall so when their coaches can go out is in in the spring and right now there are kids are not allow they have to make a choice between high school and club and the league kids shoes clothes and what this bill does it doesn't make a make a choice it gives them a sense of bill says that they can not practice or play with the club team the days at the school team is practicing or playing so it protects what your question we protect the school team but then if the I thank you about some soccer coaches in here they don't want to lose kids early kids they want to play in the kids want to play and so this act makes exception if they're not playing on the weekend they can go play in the showcase for all the college coaches are and I can still play for the high school team during the week. Representative McKenzie get a question it representative flowers. why have an other all these years has that never been worked out in the way that the other sports might have been worked out that's a great question of our schools make all rules are always protective of high school their high school taking their I mean that coaches are all passionate a matter if you look around I have cultures of labor support here today representing and all coaches want to protect their own support okay sure but I mean in terms of the clubsport officials and. And. It's sound and I don't know this to be true and I just had to ask what clubs what's worse okay okay okay but it sounds like a the club sports were willing to make concessions work around the school teams in the other sports I don't know if that's what you just meant. What if you have all those sports of the real problem is the soccer like wise soccer the problem support and the others are great great question I think it's growing there have more more showcases is during spring for the college coaches now used to we had big showcases for football tell you truth the basketball and involve all got going to shall know when you're in jail volleyball issues now and soccer is just catching up because soccer is the I guess the the support that we've only added lately it's probably been around since I've been in office so that's probably about since two thousand maybe so it's a it's a last board that we've added in lost on the southwest okay but I want to go back if I can't answer your question about you said earlier you ask questions I think about foster care we have hardships and when a kid is placed somewhere else to live only thing the schools have to do is hardships in that for me and then we approved those kids to go ahead and start participating immediately when they when they being assigned somewhere else we we help kids. We want them to participate the more kids participate falls the better they did And and around their teammates around our cultures and that's the best places for kids to be. Your representative McNair you're recognized. I guess I'm asking a question that I don't know anything about the I would have asked them. There's a baseball pitcher pitcher throws eighty six patrons by by triple a rules he has sent out three days. Under this rule you could Pitsch the next day hello no Sir because the thing is there's exemption if you look here football basketball baseball softball and volleyball or protected so they have to wait to their seasons over but that's a great question and I think Senator lettings just passed a bill or another individual will probably see an eight eight gold going down to what you're talking about protect younger kids from I think they're going to have that they're going to have to have the heat illness this concussion to marshal all the things article just had to do more fixed and pushed out all these other individuals to make sure those kids are safe on the with the club teams to. President McKenzie thank you Mr so I just. Learn a lot today is this an administrative rule is this a triple a rule over say coaches and athletic director rules so Benton schools says I'm okay with clubs but Rogers school says absolutely not focus on my team who's the person and the level of enforcement if this bill passes. Chevrolet okay follow up yes you're recognized it just and I'm just kind of come to grips this because again most subs of the bill the thing that we're gonna spare discussion today kind of fell out but it's okay I appreciate it I'm just trying to gauge what is the. What is the ultimate outcome of students participate in these activities is it is it the result of the team within the school district or is that the student participate in the activity so that they can flourish outside of the classroom because. By this bill it makes it seem like we're disincentive Ising students from participating in something that they love and cherish outside of the classroom outside of their school. Is that would that be a correct or incorrect statement I would think so we're we're always considered education based activities are sold we hold our kids as you know education is a right athletics is a privilege by the United States Supreme Court so it's a privilege to play so we hold our kids to a higher standard they have to have a two point oh or they don't get to play they got a past working academic classes or they don't get to play we don't start are being sent to a three thirty because we try to keep them in classes much as possible during the day before they come out but all these people you see in here they do a wonderful job and they want to protect they want the kids to play for the high school team but some like soccer they also would give the kids opportunity since that's the only time those college coaches to go out to to protect those getting for soccer. Any other questions by committee representative. Thank you Mister chair I just I just have got to make sure I completely understand this so if I'm a soft if I'm softball coach. And my child and my when my kids want to play travel softball. They cannot still do that during softball season they have to be on one roster the other that's correct into seasons over did they go okay so is the issue if I am a volleyball player and I want to play club soccer. Then they can is that that is correct. season that's the problem but if you're a basketball player I'm so I'm sorry for all the extra questions not I'm a I think that's all the same question that I just but there's a question mark somewhere well the question marks the and all those sports questions so just inserted there so if I'm basketball if they're basketball player they can't practice play on a travel basketball team at their basketball player and their travel softball team is having practice during basketball season the coach can say the basketball coach is still able to say no that would not for my is it not during the that's that's the school's decision is correct that's remaining the same it's mostly addressing that conflict between volleyball and soccer through soccer because will sock will not intoxicating plate is changed you can't in football volleyball basketball baseball and softball you can't play on outside team in the same sport in two years your school team is finished right K. okay. Okay. I wonder I wonder. The area I wonder if I can help on this as a former soccer player Maloy He said all high school sports except soccer. Are keyed with the semester at the college program plays so when the college coaches are finished coaching in the next semester they're going to recruit in those kids to the extent there on club teams are gonna get visibility does come up to those college coaches not so soccer and in college soccer is played in the fall in high school I grew up in North Texas played in the sport is played in the spring just like it is here because we. A note no disrespect my football friends you can get access to the football field to play in the fall so soccer is played in the spring here but in college soccer is played in the fall so when the college coaches have finish their seasons and now they're going to recruit the rule is now well now you're playing soccer for your hot your high school team in the spring and you can't play for club so you don't get visibility there when I grew up in North Texas I played soccer in high school and for my club teams there was no rule that prevented me from doing both and I got visibility for club teams and played in college so this is designed to show Hey let's make sure that there's no conflict in the spring for this unusual situation okay follow up and it's gonna be short. I promise. So the recruiting part is part of the issue here. Because they can still they can't recruit them during that time period. But they're they're they're playing high school soccer so those recruiters could go and watch them at the high school soccer games is just that and I understand I mean I've I've traveled I understand there's some of them get more exposure on some of their travel teams that thank you yes ma'am because. A college coach can go to one of the initial case and watch thousands of kids playing all at that same time instead of going to school by school by school and they don't have to a true soccer don't have the budget to be able to do that in college so they want to go to where there's multiple teams plan so they can see a whole bunch of kids play at the same time as league players usually all together and that's how they get they can be seen by college coaches. Okay. One more thing in the I want to I want to thank senator Rene represent a wing for working with this and I also want to thank all of my life about photo triple a members behind me all the coaches and athletic directors I see superintendents I see principles in here I really appreciate you all coming in and supporting this thank you. Okay. See no other questions from committee and there's no one that is signed up to speak for against I believe Mister Taylor you spokesman for the group that you have read today. If any would like to speak for or against now would be the time. Seeing none hope. You're speaking. For the bill. As an individual. You go then the table introduce yourself. And who you're representing you may speak for the bill. All right good morning. Carol Fleming speaking as an individual and a member of the a LA and a soccer official and a mother of a son who played soccer. I completely support this bill I have lived. The experiences of students having to choose where they play I also recognize the importance of the showcases and here in Arkansas. Our soccer players they do their showcases in January and then they're done. And I can tell you. As a soccer official the level of competition is completely different from high school to club soccer and on a personal note. I really wish that this session would end so that I can get back on the pitch because I have not been able to be on the pitch since the session started thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Representative when you're ready close for your bill yes Sir thank you very much I want to thank director Taylor I want to thank all these coaches this bill is designed to help get our kids more involved in athletics I'm a beneficiary of that I know I don't look like it but once upon a time head football coach that absolutely changed my life and Greg Thompson was a was a someone who took a scrawny kitten turned me into a starting defensive end believe it or not short lived but it was had but it happened. And I'm very very grateful for the and as a former sportscaster I've been able to see the change that happens when these kids embrace the teachings and the discipline and the team work and all that they learned by being involved with athletics and so that's that's what we're trying to do here and so I am very very grateful for what's taking place here with our with our athletes in Arkansas do you have anything you'd like to close with. I think it was so well said I really do appreciate all the due diligence from all the members the Speaker and at representive eleven and everybody that met with us this morning of course lance Taylor and everybody I think there's so much more and just things that we need to do to protect get kids encouraged to participate in sports that it just helps them find a family in a home and and there's so much education that occurs by these coaches that are that's on the field or in the field house and I want to encourage kids not to have to choose between one or the other but to be able to to do both I had kids in that situation so very passionate about this issue as the former coach an official and a and I just appreciate a good vote thank you. Close for the bill okay I'd like to make a motion of do pass representative we mix motion do pass as amended as a member of the committee. discussion on the motion representative flowers. Since my coach In public high school texted me the other day and asked me not to vote for this bill but since then the bill has been very significantly amended and he's here today that's why I'm going on the record. He's not here in the room he's actually here with the champion of high schools the rebels involved. Which is why I wear my red white but I will vote for the bill today and I appreciate the work you guys put into amending it I appreciate that and I will show him the bill said I haven't talked to him about the changes but I'm sure he will appreciate them thank you so much thank you. Members I just want to comment that as is senator mentioned I did said in a meeting this morning between representative wings and in the Speaker myself Mr Taylor and Mr Ousley and one thing that kept coming up was doing what's best for kids and I know in this committee which so often ninety plus percent of time what we're talking about is academia and we talk about what's doing best for kids but I know several of the standing around the room I have my athletic director for my district he would be the one in the in the read back there caravanserai had also have our head athletic trainer Jason Cates and I know that these guys back here spend day after day after day doing what is best for kids and they have had tremendous input into this it's been great collaboration and in that meeting this morning we came to an agreement and and regarding part of things has been taken out of the bill part of that is the appeals process and Director Taylor is committed to me in Speaker Shepherd and into the two bill sponsors that they're gonna do some diligent work during the interim and they will be coming back to our committee to provide a full report to address the things are not in this bill and they are committed to that and I believe they would do so so we have a motion to pass by representative weighing all in favor of the motion say aye. Opposed nay legislation your bill is passed. Thank you so many to came today thank you thank you Committee. Representative Shepherd. I got. We could. If we could get to the. If we could get all the conversation about side please. Thank you. Representative Shepherd. Thank you Mr gill identify yourself for the record have your guest identify themselves in you're recognized to present house bill fifteen fourteen thank you. Terrace Shepherd representative district seventy nine. I'm Cheryl may I'm director of the criminal justice institute in the Arkansas center for school safety. Good morning good morning Tom Fisher Arkansas state drug director. Mister chair I have amendments with the bill what they passed out to the members. Your gift remember to pass out. Miss Kathy if you'll get those circulated around. Give me just a moment. And then you may present your amendment okay. Members you've got amendment in front of you represented Shepherd if you would like to Present your amendment discussed or discuss the items in the amendment thank you Mr chair so members I will start by most deal where this is my first term so I'm learning the original bill I presented it in order to have the fiscal impact statement of course you can bring the bill to the Committee without the statement so there that's why there's so many amendments that were made attempted this last month to do my due diligence and work with everyone at this with this bill will possibly impact so we will start by going over the amendments and I know we are pressed for time here this morning so I try and go over everything fairly quickly but it would definitely take any questions that you may have so on page one of the amendments what has been identified was since I originally filed the bill I have added on twenty seven representatives that have decided to join me in my efforts in addition there were six senators that signed on to this bill as well another thing that we deal with in the draft that the bill was we clarified the fact that this is an overdose and opioid overdose keep the original bill just simply stated overdose kits if you'll turn to page with me a webpage to I think they have front and back for you all on page two what was clarified at the top which I need to make a distinction the specific bill discusses both public high schools in addition to colleges what we wanted to ensure was as it relates to the public high schools they will collaborate with doctor may and she will discuss the board here shortly in addition to all overdose kits will be in place by January one of twenty twenty four mid section of that we addressed the fact that the overdose kids will be with a registered with the school nurse in addition to the SRO officer a and they'll carry them on them. Sales at all times does it basically changes on page two on page three of the bill as it relates to the institutions we wanted to ensure that the institutions report to the Department of Human Services and the Arkansas state drug director in regards to any use them knocking at our our local colleges in addition to that this will be in place by January one of twenty twenty four we also identified effective all locations and where the overdose kits will be placed at so that's another change that was made made to the bill if you'll turn to page four of the bill to change the amendments that were made as we wanted to make sure that there was inspections performed in the colleges another area we identified was the reporting we also identified defected to freshman's would go to a training upon freshman intake and all other students would be offered training to it in Arkansas at which is of course the only set such apps in the nation and those are pretty much the amendments that were made to the bill. Members any questions on the amendment. Seeing none no one signed up to speak for against amendment in one the audience will speak for against the amendment. C. nine percent Shepherd recognized close for your management I've closed the representative longer believe your first. A motion motion to pass on the amendment a motion to pass on a minute by representative long a discussion on the motion seeing none all those in favor the members say aye opposed nay graduations remembered as pastor now work with president house bill fifteen fourteen as amended thank you so House fifteen fourteen what I'm attempting to do colleagues is to be preventive and our efforts here I was not expecting the nurse to say what she stated this morning when she presented all representative may berries bill in regards to overdose in our schools but there was also more of a testimony to the need of this bill we are aware that we have a drug problem not only in our nation but in the State of Arkansas is way off so what my efforts are I want to make sure that our schools are prepared in the event of an emergency situation just as we have fire extinguishers in our schools we have ADD kids in our schools briefly I want to tell you a story about the ADD kids the original law at the time was that if funding was available we would have ADD kids in our schools we found ourselves in a situation where young man passed out doing basketball practice in there was no A. ET machine the young man lost his life so I'm hoping that I'll have you all support to date behind this bill thirteen thousand and then I'll turn it over to others for the most part what I've learned is the as a freshman lawmaker is everybody wants to know who's going to it who's it going to impact how's it going to benefits and how much is that going to calls so in relation to those three questions who this bill is going to benefit is going to benefit our public high schools and I state supported colleges how's it going to impact them we're going to ensure that our students staff and all the others are prepared in the event of an emergency and the question we've all heard here today being ask on every bill is how. Which is a good idea because what I've got your answer for you is going to be funded to the opioid settlement dollars and that's another reason why so many people was willing to sign on they see I found the money so hopefully you know. The answer some of your questions but in the meantime the actual experts in this I will give them the opportunity to speak which doctor maze will address from the public high school perspective in the and that the director will talk about the universe yeah thank you ma'am very very much let me first of all say that we've made tremendous progress in our state with supplying our first responders and and others with naloxone and through a collective effort through funding CJ I had and significant funding that we get through the Department of Human Services and the drug director's office collectively we've been able to save eighteen hundred lives in this state because of naloxone. That's eighteen hundred people who were alive today that otherwise wouldn't be thanks to of grants that we receive through the Department of Human Services we have been able to provide naloxone are two nine hundred and forty four school nurses already our program focuses also on first responders unfortunately I can't give you the number of school resource officers but any law enforcement agency I can apply our grant funding is going to last until the end of September of next year so this grant funding from the K. through twelve side is going to be enough to be able to provide any of the locks on I don't have to take the training they also on the law enforcement side have to adopt a policy to protect it but I appreciate representative Shepherd bring in this bill forward so thank you ma'am. Thank you. I too appreciate representative Shepherd I bring twenty five years a special agent with the DEA to the office that I currently sit in and having a strong perspective of what the synthetic opioid crisis particularly brings concern to me when it relates to not not just high schools of the colleges as well. You the eighteen to forty five year old category. If you look back at CDC. Seventy thousand folks died eighteen years of age and older and if you were to. Include unintentional The definition of unintentional injury to include an unintentional overdose of an opioid it seems it's the leading cause of death for that eighteen forty five year old category as well. We're seeing fentanyl adulterated. In different substances now. It's continuing involving the analogs offend all continue their their evolving something that we haven't seen law on level in this state but I it's it's coming based on where I was in my previous seat was of the floor for or proliferation of of Dan acts an adder all stimulants that are widely abused by the college population. Recreational use drugs. No one knew. They thought they were taking something that they had no intention on taking that had a fan all in so having something like this in our tool kit and be able to perform what we know is going to be a life saving. Action it is tremendously important me because they're not numbers the people are sons and daughters. In that same category can be mothers and fathers as well so thank you very much I appreciate what you've done with the I just like to also add that another key important part of this bill requires folks to report the administration and us being able to gather data I to be able to talk about the circumstances of the overdose and who those individuals are are helps us really better define this issue as a state and to develop some very specific policies on on how to go forward. Ready for questions president Shepherd I am Mr check. Represent a mixture recognized thank you so I have a question or follow up that's okay with the with the chair yes So I and I appreciate the intent of the bill of where we're going my first question is do we need to put this in law is this something that the department can't already do on its own to rules and regulations I guess would be my first question. So I'm gonna be honest with you. When I found out the moneys were available to make this happen I've had a conversation with doctor not doctor direct line it regards to will why did it happen. One individuals it was stated to me now I'm not gonna say by their directed line but because of the stigma behind you know no one wants to actually address the fact that they could possibly have drug use for going on campus so to answer your question yes I think we should make a law the card that will provide cover now okay then I guess my my second question this might probably go to our our experts there according to what we're asking is for these antidotes if you will be placed in a public area or people can get access to them in an emergency high school students being high school students if there's a chance for a prank and up to to get a hold of and play with the stuff that's our that that's out there DO we inadvertently create a risk to our students by making this readily available or one student can get a hold of it start playing with it and start. That injecting themselves with these Type thing you know with with these antidotes if you will the two week our does that create a concern that we need to address I personally don't think so you know one of the things that we focused on was trying to put in with eighties And putting with Sadie's kind of performs several different things number one most folks know where the eighties are located sure and so the should be the lock some should be easy to find I they're gonna be and in case like this this is what they look at and they can actually push a button or they could go to the not concise app which was developed by CJ I am the drug director's office several years ago These nobody's messing with the AD's. So I don't necessarily see this as a. As a potential problem and then hopefully it won't it. If god forbid. One dead is there if. I know I'm playing devil's advocate here that's part of my job if if one did add what could be the potential concern there what you don't know like someone's not going to hurt them okay that let you know how you can give somebody naloxone and and they not be suffered an overdose and the way it's always been provided to me as the worst things gonna happen is that they got a really wet naps okay you know there are some folks that have allergies two not carry on but it's a minuscule amount so even if they did it will they wouldn't hurt each other by doing that okay that's a that's what I was after thank you okay representative painter you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chair just a motion at the proper time. Any credit distal questions from committee. Seeing none anyone in the audience like to speak for or against the bill. The nine representative Shepherd you're ready clothes for your bill I am as I've mentioned before I started I would appreciate you all support and show that we're trying to be proactive in included as a part of the emergency preparedness for our institutions and our public schools thank you. I'm close chair. Thank you for that representative pain you're recognized as a proud co sponsor this bill I make a motion. I have a motion do pass by representative painter discussion on the motion represent McKenzie I just want a moment because I know representive Shepherd is been working on this piece of legislation since day one of session. And I was one of those ones that asked how are we going to pay for it I want to commend you on your docket pursuit of getting this bill across the line this is truly great work and I'm happy to support the bill thank you. Representative. I want to echo that thank you Mr chair and I was in the same thing that you did I'm going to but I am so proud of you and I know how hard you've worked on this and I'm glad that you got it accomplished and I'm only about four to thank you. No other discussion. A motion by representative painter all in favor the motion say aye. Opposed say nay graduation your bill as amended has passed thank you. Representative warned members we need to knock out two more we'll break after that the both the should be short represented Warndon representative McClure and it will break for lunch. Thank you Mr chair of asco D. in Jordan to please join me at the table so for the record and your guest and you may present your bill. Les Warren represent District eighty four. Dan Jordan Arkansas school board association. The. This bill is being presented to you today it amends an existing section of code dealing with vacancies to clarify that an appointment ends at the next annual school election regardless of whether or not someone runs for the board. This would reinforce Arkansas school board association's interpretation of the statute that ISPA at A. S. B. A. has had for decades this resulted from a district that was unable to appoint someone following the election where no one including the appointee chose to run in the county attorney in order to not have the quorum court get involved ordered that the individual who had been appointed be treated as a holdover that's just not the process so we're trying to codify it to make sure that the process that's supposed to take place happens and does not get by past again. Any questions from committee. See no question. Anyone from the audience like to speak for against the bill. The nun representative warning read closing your bill I am closed I would appreciate a good vote. Represent pain you're recognized. The motion by representative painter of do pass the discussion on the motion. They now favor the motion say aye opposed nay Is have graduation thank you Committee. President of McClure. The show for the record. President removed says you're ready present your bill okay representative Rick McCord District twenty nine and I have an accomplice with me this morning accomplice yes shame Broadway it's for this bill I'm here for several different reasons Vice president for university relations issue system former director of ADHD and former member this distinguished committee. Representative bill. So basically what we're wanting to do is basically up day some things on the community college establishing a community college and also a board transition when they become a part of a system of are you showing an amendment there Mr chairman. Should be engrossed as it already engrossed into it okay should be great it is hi thank you so basically so long as we have been around for a long long time and they required to expensive amount of research and reporting before an establishment of a local community college so this basically updates that and provide some alternate alternatives to it let me give you a personal example on the last part of the bill I was part of the board of trustees governor appointed trustees to the college of the Ouachitas college of the Ouachitas made the decision to become part of the A. issue system family at that point in time we have an existing board of trustees at appointed by the governor but we now function as a board of visitors with a different of forty power so since that time we have a double layer governor appointed board of trustees wanted a issue system and one at the local level it is functioning great but that is not necessary for those of us that are on that local board to be governor board trustees because we have a different view Disher responsibility that we had we were standalone college. And that's the essence of it. Representative makes recognized for a question. Thank you so this going to abolish any existing boards then or as a issue getting ready to absorb another community college are or will never stop that right now thank you to rex I just kind of wonder what was motivating the bill if there for for not abolishing anything existing or for we're not absorbing another one or four dollars making plans for the future here is kind of been an effort no one of you on the closest tweet thing between you and what so I don't take a look back to nineteen ninety one but prior to that in for instance and represent Cozart district you had the bow tech school this now part of national park when that when the legislature ninety one converted the Bill tech schools into community colleges and technical colleges the technical college could stay at technical college. And there is a permit there is ways in which they could convert to a community college and so but the problem is those statues have not been updated since nineteen ninety seven I remember exact I was part of that so there there are some of the technical colleges that still exist that would rather instead all be community colleges that out it doesn't mean it anyhow we're going to go down this route we were just asked to go back and take a look and since I'm by the longest one is still around here to go back and try to remember and we got to look into all the code sections and it was just a merry at is probably going to take the next couple years to clean them all up but this one we we figured we could get done this session it just allows the opportunity for them to pursue the route they still have to go through a quorum court. They have to go through a vote of the people all of these things still have to occur but when all the statue was done back in ninety one there wasn't really the thought of these colleges joining a system that you would need to separate boards so this is kind of clarifies all of that And creates that opportunity they've always had but it just didn't consider some things back the I guess would be the is easiest way to say it right thank you representative. Thank you Mr chair so this is doing two things one get rid of the study part of yes you need to communicate all its and the second thing is removing that layer yes thank. Representative Hodges thank you Mr. Just to make sure would this affect any of the independent community colleges or their boards in anyway the but the committees to be a personal observation we have a great board they issued three rivers we serve under great boarded a issues systems however if we had someone that wanted to take that government governor appointment. Issue a little far we would have some clashes and we'd we don't need that because we we are serve more as a we are called the board of visitors right which is Mr probably knows I hate that term we are and the advisory board now so we just do not have the same fiduciary responsibility. It would not impact like in wax border in the independence this is would only impact if in what which I'm not advocating for or you're saying this don't know other if any of the independence say independence user like let's go with that in the independent colleges decide to to them better still a technical college Senate joint system and that they decide to become a community college to a technical college it just means a board but no law you would have to boards. Thank you. Representative. Thank you Mr I'm sorry one three two so my question is I'm reading through this again so they'll be no feasibility study no check to see if it can it if. In this new communicable H. conflicts with existing law or anything before they go to an election but there's still a fight they start fraud all that information it's right below that qualifies them for that yeah okay so and that was mainly done back in the nineties in terms of. Doing the study to determine how many community colleges or technical we were going to have so it's really they've been in existence for almost thirty twenty almost thirty years now right so you really know Reeves need to study the department study was required millage passed yes and that might not be necessary to out of state tuition and accreditation which they all have five. Representa Maddox. Packed it off you got a perfect example in your committee it won't change anything what it. But under the existing statute what would have happened is that they had converted it Three Rivers a Are you ready close real close for the bill appreciate a good vote representative hours you're recognized your motion motion to pass a motion to passing discussion on the motion seeing none all those in favor say aye opposed nay graduations your bill has passed thank you members we're gonna go into recess now we will reconvene ten minutes upon adjournment of the house session this afternoon we've got about twenty bills to work through all House bills they've got to be heard so bring person acts and be ready to sit for a while. The representative Cozart has an announcmenet J. blazes jim.