Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development - Senate

Out of line I don't have. Right. Search your cities quorum we're gonna function a little differently today because of a being jammed up on other committees and getting the close to the spring break of I've got a couple bills I'm going to present I want to ask the center stone last year compared the. Meeting for a few moments. Senator call will you please turn your back on the state your name for the record the thank you the center stone a roll call will District ten I have to bills to present today for whom would be Senate bill three thirty eight okay. The old look at this it pretty recognized thank you very much hello this is a pretty simple bill it adoption of. For injured bill from nineteen sixty nine we have a loan books that allow backyard the farmers to have of up to two hundred hands where they can sell a X. during pandemics this the process is expanded more more people are using a fall or flocks of chickens in the book to this would raise the member from two hundred hands to seven hundred hands that number was provided to me by Tyson those that we could to the they would be at five six hundred eight hundred and so to the middle and the that's always build us. Any questions. Senator love you're recognized. Thank you Mister senator call I just want to. What's that when I saw this number this thing like a. A pretty sizeable number of. He ends in a X. what. Indeed so indulge me for just a minute. Since I'm not a farmer in. Seven hundred seems to be a lot of hands. Isn't to be a lot of pigs I just want to know about the protections that we have I guess because I'm up I'm assuming that the. The the persons who are going to be I guess selling a X. ray showing a good career so. What what. I guess what protections do we have. In this critical protection I mean the it would be just like other farmers after the if if the. hands don't produce of obviously if they don't take care of a little produce for the I don't know what protection I just wanted from all right against the me S. like this. As far as. If you are usually I guess the USDA would be in the protection industry I guess these eggs are not gonna be to anyone else to actually look over is that I mean. Well the the I mean the law not change I mean it is you greeted for the eggs have to be washed and cleaned the protections that identified where they're they're coming from an identified as on graded book Of. If. I I guess if if someone were to be cruel to the animals to two hundred and they can be cruel to the animals at seven hundred that wouldn't change doesn't in the law this is that the the issues van that during the pandemic more more people have gotten into the to the business and the this particular comes from a person that sales is to the farmers market and he's grown to be large enough to the need for than two hundred in. to to be honest with you Hi motion has millions of chickens the item. The the the the the smaller roared with fall under the same guidelines as far to animal cruelty to this larger producers would would be subject to but So they they're subject to the same data assets that's what I'm that's what I'm asking of me yet if you're like yeah we we're not changing anything on on on that. The only thing we're doing is allowing a small farmer to increase his flock from two hundred hands to seven hundred pounds are so he can bring me along in that committee okay I'm not a far we're just bringing along okay out of committee but I mean Senator Leding. Can you. All right though the all the subjects are still the same the in times past the limited what they call backyard farmers that didn't mean that the chicken to run around in the backyard you can be a small house but the they're they're not commercial producers it is the senator Ty senator from the large producers would be answer the call on backyard but that but that means there's literally run around in the backyard but the the the the the times past of fear of that was the spread of avian flu is now avian flu if you've seen the news lately is is at a record pace or what but this mostly from a migratory birds and so there's no way this you know we can control the migratory bird from spreading avian flu. And but there's been no real outbreak in small flaw that has been to the avian flu of the but they are subject to the same regulations if the small farm avian flu in it of of folks elect former going going to destroy all of. Pickens to stop the spread of avian flu just as they would in a commercial production. Though no there's there should be to the same rules regulations. The of. Large producers okay. Senator Wallace you're recognized. Senate call will along that same line of questioning did you coordinate this with the roosters. That is leading me to and I don't have to go back to the two it is a artificial insemination presentation I just thank everyone and for those that were here he'd be made a good presentational last legislative session. All right are there any other questions. I said would you like to close for you hello from bill a move do pass. Got a motion the second all in favor say aye. All opposed. The regulation Senate bill passes thank you for the school to bill three seventy one. The this affects what we did four years ago when we has transformation of state government right after this took place of folks in that department the Department real services ask if they can be moved back to department of agriculture research that's been under department act for years and so would move to department of commerce in it to didn't seem to be a good fit and that's all this does and the the governor's office is neutral only if if legislator one moved back you should be fine with. Does anyone have any questions for the senator. Here no questions Senator would you like clothes for the baby I don't know if you want your wish to speak for against that I would hope that anybody signed up they didn't by how to speak for against the bill. I'm not saying I'd ask for a good vote I move do pass nine second. Got a second by Senator Wallace all in favor say aye. All opposed congradulations Senator you pass the bill. Three sixty two. Mr center Dave Wallace District nineteen you're recognized what will we looking at so we look at bill three three three this Senate bill three to five is the same bill that's a. administrative error okay you're recognized sure this is a simple bill that allows Black hills energy to build a one customer pipeline to US still. the the language in the old the regulations. Required Studies that this was written specifically very narrowly to allow one major customer to have this pipeline. there's no known opposition that we coordinated with the public the public utilities commission they're neutral on it. in Austin by to answer any questions that you may have basically this bill the current law says you can't build a pipeline for one customer in this bill makes an exception for you is still active agenda is written very nearly to apply this one particular question of questions from committee. No questions you wanna there's no one signed up for you if you wanna close for you bill I close and make a motion do pass motion have second second all in favor say aye All opposed congratulations thank you Sir. If you. What bill number do you have for. Three sixty three sixty two if you get that would you identify yourself for the record please. State senator forecaster. This is a bill. It relies. Yeah state parks. Commission. If you don't. As time goes on it's just time to rework some right reconsider them we think it's important. of the State of Arkansas is certainly moving. More of a that really helped me to resolve interfered so with that we want to make sure we're giving ourselves our commission of best of best before for just making some changes or continue fifteen members. Moving instead of having four people we from television radio we're just saying just has to be one. you know what I would argue that someone is an excellent open sorry I would argue that someone that's a an excellent influencer would probably do a lot more than radio right or even local list the story and state inspection and for the record and all right right thank you sorry about that from the I'm state Senator bart Hester. And this bill re works kind of the make up of of the state parks board commission. And if if for the record we're we're speaking Senate bill three sixty two Senate bill five sixty two you might get one on the I just want you for okay sorry about that that's fine. So we recognize the state of Arkansas is moving into a a time we're really pushing and we've been doing this as of recent years really pushing for tourism and we've been excellent that we want to continue to give the state of Arkansas the absolute best before we cancel reworking some things so on on the board of fifteen instead of having for the B. from television or radio or video service provider we're just saying only one has to be from an industry and I would say of if we had several people that were you know social medium fluent sirs they were spending time in Arkansas that that would potentially do better I don't know what work type of people are gonna put on that be up to the governor and that but like that we could focus on any one of those areas rather than only one person has to be from that industry rather than a bunch of people from areas that are less impactful to the country then that's impossible they used to be we're gonna move to just five members from the public at large and remove one that has to have a historic remove one that's of is a historian. we're gonna remove that someone has to be from the arts or culture and some of these we don't disagree that that's an appropriate thing we're just not going to require it we want to build up with the best person to represent Arkansas on that rather than just a title. we're gonna remove currently there is some a position on for an emeritus person that services twenty four years and state parks recreation so we're not gonna have emeritus position not saying that that position is not Marable just that we want to be able to put the absolute best people on the board and commission moving forward and then says instead of saying seven members have to call a meeting only a majority of those members to call a meeting. And that's really that's about it and the last thing which I think is important we're not removing anyone from the you know anyone that's a current member from that as members terms come up and they roll off than than the new ones will roll on. Happy to answer any questions questions from committee. eleven. It is incumbent so when it comes to the make up of the the the the board we're removing the requirement the one the from to have a historic background and one Be represented either employment or education in the arts and culture thank you so that we just wanna make sure that we have the best people possible and it's not just because of a title. We're also believing in a requirement to someone be it represented either employment or education and recreation conservation and requirement that at least one of them be sixty years of age or older so why are we leaving some of the requirements in place and not. Well I think some of them are easier to fill okay it I would be okay with removing all requirements and just saying fifteen people at large personally we're all rent we're just really just looking at the ones that are. Traditionally harder fill okay thank you. You want. No one signed up to speak for against the bill close for you will members I'm closed move the move do pass have second second second all in favor say aye. Resolution. Intervenor. Okay. The if anyone here for any of the bill other than the issue be five the. MacColl's Bill we're not are you lonely senator boxer on okay that's what we were all run filled with the date and efficient sponsor on so. More. There is. Okay. Well goes in the table please we'll talk with house bill fourteen eighty two. What Mr members the committee Senator Gilmore district one got the table Marty Ryland director of legislative affairs for the Arkansas department of parks heritage and tourism. If I may have a let Marty explain the bill is pretty simple sure. This is the another bill that has to do with a it devise re Commission this is the delta cultural center advisory board and is another one we have a hard time building right now there's only five members I know to make a quorum and it's somewhat limiting of for example it requires two people to come from the main street Helena organization that was Asian no longer exist so those two positions can be filled at all and so then we brought it a couple of appointments from just from Phillips County to the delta region and so it basically will help us have a broader pool to pull from and to fill this board and get them functioning again. Questions from committee. No one signed up to speak for against your clothes for your bill I am close to making that motion to pass motion second all in favor say aye All opposed congratulations Viktor bill thank you members. Or. Senate bill number five. Is amended. You would introduce yourself please Ricky Hill. You're recognized. That. Last time we on it. The. sharp turn over in the. The agreement go down it Ricky Hill Senate district here are eleven. I'm not within a lot of time going through this this bill we've discussed it left and right and everyone's had opportunity is for pretty simple just changing one one little thing in it And so I'm going to do your questions to to the To the Committee and then let the the others coming come speak. we do have several who signed up to speak for and against the. First I would the. I ask you approved column. The W. last No. The Amendment was adopted last committee meeting it had been a. You would station name for the record Sir you're recognized good morning members chairman Bruce Holland here today representing the American veterinary medical association and I'm here to to speak up against the Senate bill five. we we debated this couple hours last time we're going to try to keep our. Everything releases sank this time and please don't hesitate to interrupt me at any time to ask questions but I'm just going to go through this pretty quickly. I think Senator these **** question last time when it was debated what is the biggest risk. And there are several we've been through them before but misdiagnosis is very much research not only to the animal but also to humans if the disease is on arctic like avian influenza which can transfer from poultry swine to humans this can be very harmful not only to human and animal health but also to the state's economy we're poultry is a huge contributor to that. Perhaps the biggest risks though could be from the out of state pill mills and I think this is a was mentioned in testimony before but it deserves more attention I could call right now someone out of state if this bill were law and describe the mold August suffering from arthritis and need some medication to ease his pain I can get a month's supply and maybe even call another vet get another state month supply these places are in the business of selling medicine that's their sole purpose they're not seeing patients there filling prescriptions and they would never see you or your animal. Also there's testimony previously about the FDA and that they were allowing every state in the United States to use telemedicine to establish a veterinary client patient relationship during the code pandemic in center Davis ask for information on how this all worked out and is it turns out the FDA did not allow telemedicine for establishing veterinary client patient relationship what the FDA did was suspend enforcement of the animal examination and premise visits required for the veterinary feed directive drugs and the extra label drug use in animals the suspension ended last month. None of our surrounding states allow prescriptive authority without a veterinary client patient relationship established and with that members of take any questions. Committee you have questions of missile. If not thank you for your question thank you members to speak for the bill mark Lambert. Claims you would identify yourself for the record you're recognized. Mark Lambert home state affairs director for Arkansas farm bureau. Arkansas farm bureau's membership based organization representing farmers and ranchers in rural Arkansas we're of around a hundred ninety thousand members across all seventy five counties in Arkansas. with this with this telemedicine bill our farmers and ranchers believe that or that farmers and ranchers have been faced with a shortage of food animal veterinarians in our farmers and ranchers supporting increased access to Benton animal care across the state particularly in rural areas. Having a telemedicine telehealth option for veterinary services we give farmers and ranchers another option to receive that care for their animals I will I'd like to be brief so I'm not going to repeat things that have already been said. Thank you for your time and I wouldn't I would urge you to support this bill. Questions of. Which level will. Good. Thank you very much thank you. I will miss pronounces the name of service C. ng home. And I apologize if I mispronounce fine that's fine every. There is heading home veterinarian as small animal at practice owner and small production farmer in Mountain Home and I thank you for hearing my testimony today I'm here to to us speak in opposition of SP five I have quite a few notes all trying my best not to get lost in them I want to discuss another major problem today that this bill is going to create and this bill will not fix the veterinary shortage in our rural areas and in fact it will actually exacerbate or worsen the veterinary shortage and I sent a survey to Arkansas resident students currently attending our surrounding states veterinary schools I asked them if they would be more or less interested and returning to practice in Arkansas if this bill passes thirty one out of the thirty five respondents stated that they would be less interested in returning to Arkansas. Many felt so strongly about their opposition that they asked if they could comment even though comment was not solicited in the survey I have a lot of comments I'm not going to read them all but I mean I had a few highlights and one of them is that this would leave no incentive to live in Arkansas this would in fact decrease the return of students. This would put our animals at risk but also also the people of Arkansas as well our veterinarians or leaders and we need our leaders to be present and readily available in person for. I have the best interest of the state of heart along with its people and animals and this being passed would be devastating. Great this bill will greatly harm the general practitioner in Arkansas it is impossible to diagnose some conditions virtually eliminates more commonly diagnosed earlier in their course will only become apparent to the client wants critical. This will hurt the marketability of veterinarians who wanting to return to Arkansas. I'm disappointed that such a bill would be introduced. This law would decrease care for the patient and diminish the field of veterinary medicine as a whole and then a final comment if this bill passes it would almost ensure that I will no longer consider a return. That's the voice of thirty one future veterinarians that could be servicing Monroe County Lafayette County and Calhoun County just to name a few. The students are future. The students for me ten years ago they're important to me. We need them to fill the veterinary void here in Arkansas we want them to be encouraged and not discourage to return to our state. It was mentioned in the last hearing that the opposition to this bill was driven by fear of competition. I I don't know how one can say that we are under served and yet fearful of competition in the same breath that just doesn't make sense this is about what's doing right for the population that we serve. I understand that a veterinarian has a choice as to whether or not to use telemedicine I absolutely have a choice and I can and do use telemedicine right now to help my established clients in the last thirty days I have held fifty eight telehealth calls these are clients and patients that I know personally that I have seen recently and that I have a comfortable working relationship with I have charge my clients zero dollars for those calls zero. I do this because my patients and clients matter to me. And we are currently all servicing our clients in this way we all answer phone calls and look at pictures or videos to help pet owners without them having to come into the office. How will this bill improve the veterinary experiences for these clients how can you approve upon free and nearly immediate service. I humbly ask you today to consider these points of opposition I'm deeply concerned for the welfare of Arkansas veterinary patients and clients in under served areas I'm deeply conservative for the next generation of vets. I want those events to come back to Arkansas and work down the road from me and friendly healthy competition please encourage them to do so and vote no today thank you so much for your time and I'm happy to answer any questions. Questions. Sure you. Thank you thank you for being here we actually spoke on the phone yes yes we did for the do you mind sharing what we shared with those students sure I would like I'd just like to see that well yeah yeah I mean I can read it is one sentence that literally yeah it was it from I'm sorry do I have it written down. If. If the bill passed. That would allow. A licensed veterinarian in Arkansas who lived outside of the State of Arkansas to prescribe medicine without seeing a patient in person would you be more or less likely to return to Arkansas. And I'm sorry I don't that is from memory but it was literally one sentence thank you. Any other questions. Okay if the thank you okay thank thank you so much. Paul Jenkins. Morning committee chairman Caldwell thank you for allowing me to be here Paul Jenkins veterinarian from Bologna I'm here on behalf of the Arkansas that or medical association. And we of oppose this bill and our biggest concern is that it's going further deteriorate the care of animals and livestock and state whether it be through missed diagnosing or prescribing and those sorts of things and I'll take any questions with that young man. Anyone. The question. Thank you appreciation certain. Would you like to close your bill. Thank you. Green means go. With the in closing I just like to say I'm I want to kind of go back and. Interesting question from this time in the last time that that we all met here and make make it brief for for everyone. I want to touch on one thing that the. I briefly touched on last time. Veterinarian telehealth software. It's out there projected to be eighty five hundred and ten million dollar industry but twenty thirty. Veterinarian telemedicine required a vast amount of record keeping and veterinarian client communication capabilities therefore telehealth sale software companies are beginning to disaster offers specifically for mentoring medicine the main objective this software to facilitate real time did you limitation patient data storage and transmission advanced security systems. A typical veterinary practice System may contain electronic health records. Remote patient monitoring and customer relationship management and E. prescribing functionality this is already being done the software companies have developed these products it's more than just a telephone call when you look at tell a tale of it is more than just that. This is technology is bringing the veterinary medicine into the twenty first century. Yeah we can talk about the veterinarians who said they're not gonna come back to Arkansas these are tech savvy young people they will come back. They will want to do this because they can see more patients vacancy have more clients this is a very good bill or the under served areas that we have no we're not talking about Cabot Arkansas where I'm from northwest Arkansas we're talking about south Arkansas East Arkansas we have three veterinarians between little rock and West Memphis. That's a shortage. We are as the the veterinarian said while ago that she loves her patient she care for them. I'm the same way except they're not my patients. Their friends out here who are under served we are here to do what's right and that is to take care of the animals we have animals health who is suffering because we don't want to change the twenty first century. That is not right we do it for telemedicine for people if it's good enough for people back in a bit during not do it now the main thing about this is if the veterinarian does not feel comfortable they don't have to do it they don't have to practice it. They have a choice. To do it or not but those who feel confident in their technological abilities let's let him do it. Why hold them back yes veterinarians don't want they don't have to. We need to do this because our last stock. Neat. And it would mention while ago as far as. Senate Bruce that Bruce had mentioned it that up. When when you're looking at telemedicine's for the stab machine it I want to read what I read last time this came from rag part. It is legal for veterinarian to provide telemedicine services as long as there is an established by veterinary client patient relationship in most circumstances federal law leaves it up to states to define the VC PR. As I said again. Federal law under most circumstances leave it up to the state. Those three circumstances where we have no choice is medicated feed. Off label drug use and compounding drugs at that point federal law overruled you don't have a choice that is dealing with our food chain. We're not touching that lot bill testified last time seeing did not understand that we're not touching that we can't touch that. The main thing we want to touch is those people who are under served. Currently seven states doing this. More state or looking at it to current lawsuits have been filed I went to those last time where they were where you had to establish a veterinarian client relationship in person there's two lawsuits on that. And they are. The Society of prevention of cruelty to animals. The National Institute of family and life advocates and they're suing for this particular reason because they feel they are under served in animal cruelty is taking place because they're not able to get the services they need. When you look at what the what was the last time I just want to quote a few things. This is directly from the people who testified last time. I quit farm calls in traveling because I may not get paid. My staff is too busy to return calls an animal suffer. I make lots of misdiagnosis is in my clinic that happens already that was quoted by a veterinarian he said he made a lot of misdiagnosis over the years can't happen yes what will happen by anyone yes. What happened on telemedicine yes it happens but it happens in a live for live in. In office visits as well. But if there is an issue what we're saying is with this that you must the veterinarian he S. telling as it must be available to service the animal if needed he takes responsibility for it. Whenever he's in charge. Even the veterinarians last time admitted we have areas in the state that are under served that we need veterinarians that we need help that they can't take care of them that was said right here to see of the table. And we heard testimony as well last time that I can remember who whether someone's life of the doctor who is licensed in California. But they live in Arkansas. I think they're using telemedicine. Yes it for sure but you live in Arkansas and your last in and and practicing in California's got to be something to that. Committee we beat this thing to death I think this is a good bill I think we need inside ourselves to move into the twenty first century with technology is there the veterinarians are smart people they're a lot smarter than I am and I know if there's any doubt in their mind if they are doing this is not gonna be too difficult for them to say. I can't tell you need to bring it in this let me see or I need to come out to the. That's all they've got to say. Is I can't make a diagnosis or try this and give me a call tomorrow to see if there's any improvement. That's what you call good common sense veterinarian. With that certain closed. I appreciate a good vote will committee. Motion to pass. Second all in favor say aye. All opposed. Your motion passes congratulations except. We're doing.