Public Health Welfare and Labor Committee-Senate and House
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- October 2, 2026
OK if everybody can take their seats we're gonna go
ahead and get started thank you for calling this meeting to order thanks for coming in in on a Friday morning we've got some rules that we really need to take care of before ALc week so thanks for being here so glad the
senate showed up thank you Cinderella no hills here icky's here there's flippo. all right we got a few. thank you buddies appreciate y'all coming in ok
thank you how showing up big right I need a consideration to approve the ebruary4th mid motion secondcond on favor sayy I and opposed I habit those meetings are considered approved. we will go to item C Miss Franklin if you want to come forward, director of division of County ofperations for DHS exhibit C
OK if you'll just state your name for the
Mary Franklin
Unverified
3:42
record you're recognized to present this rule. Good morning my name is Mary Franklin. I'm the director of
the division of county operations for Department of Human Services this rule I am bringing today impacts medicaid and CIP the the first part of this rule change is removing the 90 dayy waiting period for children who qualify in the ArIS B programme if they have lost or dropped health insurance other health insurance group coverage
and the second part of this rule is clarifying child support enforcement requirements for pregnant women and the rule is clarifying that women can be referred to child support while they are pregnant but if they don't cooperate no sanction can be imposed until after the end of this the postpartum period the 60 dayy postpartum period so we have clarified that in our policy and if they are currently under sanction that would be removed until after the end of
the6ieth day postpartum. and in our good cause section for good cause for not cooperating with child support we have just removed the descriptor in front of the word rape of forcible rape. It just now will say rape or incest is a reason for good cause not forcible rape those are the changes there were no public comments on this rule and there is a small fiscal impact for this year related to systems and then
next year 12,507 is our estimate. and all happy
can you just go through and then clarify just the good cause and I I like that you took that language out but this is just this is saying that if the woman who's carrying the baby is going to be subject to pay child support if she had if there is
Mary Franklin
Unverified
5:37
an absent parent if the parent is
not in the home and we do a child support enforcement referral for any adults on medicaid who have a child with an absent parent if the adult is on medicaid we refer to child support and there is a process called good cause that if a woman says but this is not not a good thing we do not I do not need to pursue child support because this is an abusive person or I got you they child right you it is not I mean we go
through that process and any woman has the right to raise that good cause issue and we make a determination along those lines before we would sanction or remove healthcare coverage
I got it OK that thank you for that clarification are there any other questions regarding this rule from anyone? all right see none this without objection this rule is reviewed. thank you thank you
Thank you if you'll state your name for the record you
Speaker 21
7:03
are recognized to proceed to present your rule. Good morning Elizabeth pitman division of medicalical Services.
Speaker 22
7:08
I have a role today for medication assisted treatment and the original rule was brought to this body in 2020. mandating that we cover counseling services and lab services associated with substance use disorder treatment drugs that's that under federal law was set to expire on September 25th of last year there was a law passed in 2024
by the federal government that removed the end date. CmS issued a new template last year. We are moving forward with removing the ind date and usingcmS's new template. nothing else about the coverage has changed. we received no public comments
and this has no financial impact. right are there any questions? OK, Representativeladyman you're recognized for question thank you
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
7:56
madam chair so it uses the word mandate but you you said there's no
Speaker 22
8:03
financial impact sir it was already mandated by federal law that we provide this coverage and also by a state law that was passed here prior to 2020 that we cover medication assisted treatment which is at thehavial healthal counseling and labs associated with using those substance use disorder drugs so there is no change to that coverage at all. it's just a form change by Cms and a removal of the federal in date. so it is a change when it comes
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
8:33
to opioid addiction is this something in your opinion that might help us in that situation on we have addiction is there's something new that's gonna
Speaker 22
8:41
sir there's nothing new about what we're providing. all this is is a change to our state plan to take out the end date of September 25,2025. So now federally they're not ending the mandate that we cover it. We had no intention of ending our coverage because there was a state law that required coverage but under CmS they issued a new template and we had to go in and put put the coverage on that new template.
So there's actually no change to any of the benefits that we're providing or how much anything costs. it is a very helpful service but it isn't a
change to what we're doing. right thank yourector Pitman. all right are there any other questions regarding this rule No see none without objection this rule is reviewed. thank you if Jenna Goldman will come up put her on
the spot come on up girl
I'm sorry Miss Goldman thanks so you can just state
your name for the record and then I'm gonna take over
for a second Jenna Goldman
with UAMs OK, so members we have been invited to a culinary medicine experience and it will be Monday March 16th at5 p.m. I'll have her tell you a little bit
about what we're gonna do it's gonna be at the institute onagging here in littlettleRock it is gonna be our intention to have a public health meeting at4 p p.m. on Monday the16th so that way members of public health can attend that meeting and then go from this meeting to this planned activity for our joint committees so we will work hopefully to get Alc approval for us to have that meeting but I don't think that should be a big deal and I I
just really want to encourage people to attend this and I'll let you tell a little bit if you don't mind about this culinary medicine experience and planned activity we have for the the these our joint committee. go ahead you're recognized. Yes so we did
have to split Monday will be the senate and then Tuesday the house because of the size of the culinary kitchen, but it is a program our residents go through to see it's kind of a food is medicine program so we thought it would be a good time
for you all to be able to experience that and learn a little bit about the program and it shouldn't take too long. and you should have it in your email, but you do want to wear comfortable shoes. you will be actually standing and working in the kitchen and then eat dinner so it'll be a fun experience. OK. so and oh sorry one more thing because I know our campus can be complicated. it does have its own parking right there so it's not confusing to get to.
Oh that's a good note. I I think really important for us to try to attend this because of everything that RfK who is our secretary is working on that's really you know a big priority for the president and his administration through Secretary of healthalth and humanman Services obviously but also to note that through the rural healthal transformationgrame which we have been afforded the largest amount of money than
most any other state this is one of the priorities within that funding of the RHTp program is things like this where food is medicine I knowsenator Penzo has worked a lot on this issue but there's a big bucket of money set aside in the proposal that the state of Arkansas has put forward that was awarded by the federal government for specific things like this so I think it would be
very beneficial for you to go experience this and take this information back to your own districts and particularly with those folks that are in healthcare in your districts because it's an opportunity for them to apply for grants based on these types of things and activities. and it's not and we want this to be a wonderful thing here locally in LittleRock and at UAMS but the idea is we should spread this across the state and we should encourage any healthcare provider out there or
any hospital or whatever to really engage in this because there's gonna be grant money that's set aside for these types of things so I think that's why I would encourage you to attend this and to gather as much information as you can to bring back to your own communities and say he y guess what there's grant money at that's going to be available for you to pursue this. So I mean I just it's it's got all these it's not going to be just fun it's really going to be good and it's something that we can take back
to our communities so Senator Hill you're recognized for a question
Senator Ricky Hill
Unverified
13:48
just just for the committee could you just kind of elaborate a little bit about the type of food we're gonna have there and what
we're gonna be looking at and what's gonna really taste good I don't know the menu but I could get that for you. we do focus on healthy food but it is a program our residents go through and some of the things that they do you'll kind of see it's not just showing them how to cook but so that they're able to explain it to patients and to
consider where they live. So if they only have a dollar general or something similar to that what they could do what foods to eat for whatever health conditions they're facing and so it is it gets pretty intense we won't do this to you all of course but they do quiz the residents and kind of go through different cases so it'll be a neat experience but I can get you a menu. right. any other questions?
right I hope to see you there so the Senate will be on Monday
the16th. The house will be on Tuesday the 17th. Is that correct? OK if you have any questions you can call or text me orres representative ward d la w all right thank you Miss Goldman we look forward to this thank you for providing this opportunity for us representative Mr Chair for special recognition thank you madam chairir. guys if you
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
15:06
would help me give a warm welcome to the Monticcelo sixth grade class they've came to the capitol today to do their scavenger hunt and look around and they were over in the old
supreme court room and I told him I said nothing happens over here outside of sessions so I'll drug them all the way over here so if you guys
would help me give them a warm welcome. you just have to ask
is there any scavenger hunt thing list that you need to ask Representative Wardlaw. Here's your chance. they're looking
they're looking it's gonna be dangerous. I'll invite you to come to the table and ask what's on your scavenger hunt
they're looking I'm giving them time. who's gonna be bold enough to come to the
table and ask come on anyone ok come on up let's go come on up Good job. come on up OK, sit down right here
Representativeoodridge, stay there and help her if you don't representing OK. just speak right there into the mic just for the record
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
16:33
I had to question her really hard about her Id because she did not look like she was in the sixth grade so we had a conversation before we came over here and there it is ok
if you'll state your name for the record I'm Evabapps. Welcome Miss Eva right ask your
Speaker 53
16:54
question topresentativewarddlaw. what type of stone was used for this building's outside walls.
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
17:00
That's a hard one it's a really hard one I I think it's marvel What is the
capital architectural style the secretary of state's office when you get out there how thick that marble
is. what was your next question? What is the capital's architectural style
Speaker 51
17:26
you better ask somebody that's smarter than I am I'm a tomato farmer
I don't know that you went and got that neoclassical is that what you said Representative Pilkington are you making that up? No it's I think that he's right right what else get defencencent a whole legislature to your to your advantage go we're like
Speaker 53
17:50
we're likehona friends. OK how many triangle shapes do you see across the facade of the building. wow
Speaker 61
17:58
Representative Pilkington do you know that answer you're recognized's
Representative Aaron Pilkington
Unverified
18:03
only been here 16 years he never paid attention to the triangles.
we don't know that one do we? right you got anything else? how
Speaker 65
18:17
facade of the capital doors the brass stores I
feel like I'm at quiz bowl think it's I got that right
Speaker 53
18:30
y'all keep making fun of me back here right what else you got one more how many free standing columns are across the front of
the capitol. don't have a picture of it in front of me oh phone a friend come on get your phones
of the capitol someone. we can help these these guys out they're scavenger hunt. they got it? Oh here we go. Eubanks for the architectural styleeubanks
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
19:01
is using chatgPT just so y'all all know he is cheating he's the oldest guy I know that knows how to use chatgpT Is there 24 columns we have to go
and count and check that math all right thank you so much we appreciate you I think this
has been the best public health committee yet thank you Miss Eva thank you for being brave and coming up to that mic. right you guys have a
really fun time and appreciate you guys and senator flippo knows the rest of to your
questions so just find him he's right there
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
19:41
OK he's not rated G so I don't think we can let
Speaker 77
19:46
him go with the sixth grade class nobody ever tells us no and third floor any
other business to come before these meetings that seeing 9 were adjourned. thank you thanks guys for being here
Agenda
A. Call to Order
B. Consideration to Approve the February 4, 2026, Meeting Minutes [Exhibit B]
C. Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of County Operations, Review of Rule, Continuity of Coverage [Exhibit C]
D. DHS, Division of Medical Services, Review of Rule, Medication Assisted Treatment Attestation of Coverage [Exhibit D]
E. Other Business
F. Adjournment
Documents
Speakers
Senator Missy Irvin Chair
Unverified
Mary Franklin
Unverified
Speaker 14
Speaker 21
Speaker 22
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
Senator Ricky Hill
Unverified
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
Speaker 53
Speaker 51
Speaker 61
Representative Aaron Pilkington
Unverified
Speaker 65
Speaker 69
Speaker 77