Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs - Senate

So I'm glad we got that out of the way house bill ten eighty six general very here. Share. Are you are you gonna run that bill. Okay. Senator you're recognized to run house bill ten eighty six. Senator Rapert you're recognized thank you Mr Joshua Bryant district thirty two. So what this is what this bill is doing is is amended our loss to. Back on our citizens the need for a as. Handicap permit to park in the ADA accessible spots throughout our businesses in the state. There were several years ago I once at least ten we pass a law to allow a disabled veterans two parking AT a spot is kind of look this is what maybe way too. All of them I'm not sure with the intent of the bill was back at that time. The. What we will I think we do we fail to realize is disabled veterans their service connected disability whether it's ten percent or higher percent doesn't have anything do necessarily with their employer Tory status and so. We are actually accent represent Collins gonna run a bill to lower that threshold from thirty percent disabled which is against the compensation measurement down to ten percent to go to allow that better this is able to to display that status of the serve the country and in a receive disability compensation through his years of service. What this what this bill would require is for those those disabled veterans that truly are non ambulatory that have that meet the conditions that are being seen regularly by the VA for those conditions to do the same requirement and fill out the the single page form. And send that to the to the FNA to receive that special permit which is a four year permit there is no fee. That way we we are you truly use in R. eighty eight spots for disability purposes and not just as as a recognition status. So that's that's the measure of the bill and we had happy to answer any questions. Surfboard has a question you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair so so to clarify this there's a difference between disability and handicap is that okay way to describe it yes yes if you want to survey I served five years and as you exit the you know different groups from the American Legion department of veteran affairs are better and worse veterans of foreign wars if W. they they take X. the members and and look at their service jackets to determine if there's any eligibility and I do that as as a free service for exiting veterans if they agree there is and they they kind of guide you through the process to look for compensation you could have a dislocated shoulder that you did that that you can't have mobility above your arm above your chest level and you may get eighty percent disabled that benefits on that it doesn't affect your ability to walk to breeze to do anything that a disabled member of society has to be able to get access to that spot. Thank you. Other questions from the committee. Okay anyone. I would also there's a coalition of veterans that that. Make up several different individual memberships throughout the state they sent a letter in support and understanding of what this measure is because it's it is not I mean it it's a simple page that you fill out its every four years to get that special that use permit and so if you're going to be seen for us ambulatory disability caused by better related compensation you're going to be seen by the VA doctor so it's his signature requires the. Thank you senator brite senator here. We explain to us how will this be display will be on the the mayor are we on the tags or how the displays it is a it is a on the mir it's a tag that they give you can put on the mayor saying the same for any citizen of society that has a position that with the if you list under the qualifying section of why you need the tax okay thanks it wouldn't change anything with the FAA's on the tag they would have to change anything in their system and just be requirement of tax center Brian is there any distinction between Hey. Non veteran that qualifies for the handicapped permit to have the hangers we call it and the anger that would be used by these veterans with the ambulatory disability that there is not the way I know you distinguish you would if you're disable that you get your tag to put on your vehicle which reduces registration fees and and all the no taxes that would normally apply within you get a marker to hang in your mirror. Does it and again I'm not if it's someone from either R. dot or a DF nine wants to correct me if I have this wrong but my understanding is if you have a disabled veteran tag and you park in a metered spot you're not required to slug the major do I is that law still in place can anybody talking not if you know the answer to that. Okay Mister Gehring doesn't know which means we have a dearth of knowledge because he knows almost everything so okay of. We'll we'll find that out later I don't think it's necessarily relevant to the bill but I did want one of any other questions from committee. Okay we do have some Citizens signed up to speak. Justice Samuel strain from Faulkner County would you like to be able to would you like to come testify. You come around and and sit next to Senator right. Justice is is your push that but make sure that red lights on on the button. Thank you. My name's notify yourself for the record justice strain I know you are but the resident committee does. Okay I'm just the same strain I'm District four Faulkner County so when you're going north on interstate forty as soon as you cross out of Pulaski County we in the district for so. I was pretty disappointed to hear about this bill I I kind of watch the I'm a disabled veteran I was a navy veteran I was injured follows and on active duty and and I'm also hundred percent disabled on social security. And But I'm retired now I'm seven years old and You know I'm. Some people tell me I look pretty good to be seventy years old and I think that may be part of the problem. Is that we have people that. You know we have doctors well trained doctors that have all kinds of expensive cast that look inside our bodies to see what kind of disabilities that we might have what problems we at the end we've got a lot of people that That look across a parking lot and they can diagnose your physical conditions and decide if you're disabled or not. And and it kind of appears that might be what's going going on part of our problem that we have now. I think a bigger problem that we have the handicapped parking which is is just quite frankly lack of enforcement. I commonly see people without any kind of tag or sticker anything parking in spots I see people parking over the lines so that people can't get into the parking spots and I have only known one person to ever have gotten a ticket for any of those infractions. And it was that store the other day and a gal on the park on the right side at at you Peter card went over and pushed her shopping cart instead of going to the corral where they collect and she pushed it into the middle of a handicapped parking spot you went back to get in your truck and I confronted her about it she went over and push the card into the cross hatch area. you know under duress but bad anyway I I guess. You know we have we do have some struggles in all that you say we're just going to go down and fill out this form I know military veterans I know what I'm thinking of right now there's been out of the service for probably pushing three years he has yet to been assigned a primary care physician so you think he's going to take they are thank you don't even have a primary care and it's been close to three years around three years since you got out service he's not gonna be able to take that form down most veterans even if you have physical problems you're lucky to see your primary care physician five minutes every six months I know veterans older in worse shape than I am in that are lucky to see their physician five minutes in a year Saul Senator take that form your primary care at the VA good luck with that it's going to probably be at least a year before you can get that I will work signed by a primary care the VA you know the other problem is that we've got to we've got an aging population. And I read I read to a lessee other day of some of the things that are that a private citizen can go and get handicapped plates for and that includes obesity and and Parkinson's and in are you gonna have a herd arm and you mentioned shoulder while ago yeah you can do that you go to your doctor get a handicap sticker if you have a hard armor a lot of different things and that we and all we want to scoff at if if a veteran has got those and he parks there and and that's a problem but I guess what I'm thinking is that we need to I guess in conclusion I would like to suggest that if the state of Arkansas is going to start a crusade against handicapped parking violations. That would not start with our heroes and disabled veterans and I would like for you to please vote against H. B. ten eighty six I'm not saying there's nothing that we could that we could do because maybe there are people that. But but you know you can't tell by looking at him. In on how means like in my case you know I've I've got all kinds of problems that would qualify me for disability or handicap parking sticker but if you tell me I have to go get one today and it'll probably be at least six months before I'm seeing my doctor and I'll tell you another problem we have is that the federal government doctors they don't like to fill out local paper work so if I left it with them I might not see it again for another six months or a year so. So that's my situation I appreciate your let me address the committee you have any questions for me any questions for just a strain from the Committee. Thank you just a strange thank you Sir for your friendship to me and for your service to our country thank you. Mr Paul foster speak against. Mister foster make sure that red light is on your microphone and please identify yourself record. Okay. Well first of all I'd like to thank you for allowing me to come in testify. I am A master sergeant or first sergeant full foster of spent twenty seven years in the army. Twenty two. With the green beret. I have over a thousand jobs. Of both knees are bent replace my back to confuse the other. What if I was young enough and strong enough to do it all again. I move to Arkansas because of friends the Arkansas is veteran friendly. My dad was from Arkansas and that's one here I have family here. And I'm proud to be an Arkansan now. We're talking about H. B. ten eighty six. Which is a duplicate. Of making you the veteran disabled veteran duplicate what he did to get his license on his car. In order to get the license. No the department of Veterans Affairs letter stating that you are and wine and faxes your hunt percent rate and you are currently disabled due to your service connected disability I'm a disabled veteran. I have one of those lessons on my car. And now they want me to come back improve again that I'm disabled otherwise this is the only document that I have the cruise on disable I have to present this again and get some certificate or something that I'm supposed to hang on my car that's a duplication of effort. And it does not solve the problem that we have with people parking in disabled of reserve parking spaces. I see it all the time my wife get so furious when she sees also you some. The car comment my license number starts with eighteen thousand. And they'll be less than eighteen thousand or around eighteen thousand on a on a license number what a young person gets out of that car nobody else is in it no run into Walmart and I have to park in the back of the parking lot. With my disabilities. And I walk a long distance I have or what is called claudication which means a lack of oxygen to my legs and very painful. And the but I suck it up well as I did when you're born by the way I broke my back in two thousand seventy. And the next day I went out may two more jobs and I didn't realize I just twisted my back since all three months later this or will you have a French Hill line fracture on your L. five vertebrae anyways and so I set up keep going no complaining and that's what I'm not doing I'm not complaining I'm just stating the facts this is what happens. There's no way that even the current law can you can give anybody is gonna be caught doing that. There is no police officer will going to a Walmart parking lot unless they're asked to come in the Walmart parking lots in Conway at least. Do not have a security so who's gonna who's gonna finding people. If they do have somebody come out. I went and got a lot of new license which those veteran on it and on the back it list. The license that I have a two cars that have DVDs lessons on all. And of my wife's car we had to get a tag. And all I have to do is let me see your license look on the front Reverend and the vast and it lists those B. B. license but who's going to do that you can't even service the current law and now you're making instructor for the disabled veteran who's not at fault. With this amendment to the law and it's still not going to solve the problem of these people going in an illegally using a disable of reserve parking lot. Thank you for listening thank you Mr foster I questions for from the committee members centreboard. Thank you Mr so just help me understand so I I had a grandmother we're working sorry I'm hard of hearings or I had a grandmother World War two veteran who was one hundred percent disabled but it was all because she had severe bipolar disorder which she have qualified for disabled veteran license plate with a. You know bipolar disorder disability insurance okay so I also had a mother who was not a veteran who had multiple hip replacements. She wouldn't have the disabled veteran but but should my grandmother who had the bipolar disorder who had no mobility issues preempt my mother you know. Who had multiple hip hip surgeries I may help help me understand practically what what the issue is there I'm no expert on it but what I would do if you're your mother would go down to use me or primary care you get a letter from primary care and then they would both be on that same vehicle I believe that's where we should be. And then it would be on her license also known issues other eligible to start here you're saying Mister foster and in the case of center ward's mother she would get what I guess we would call a regular handicap permit yes as opposed to good and still be on the back of the license thank you Mr foster any other questions for Mr falls. Thank you for your testimony thank you for your service in your fridge thank. we have one more witness to sign up to speak you D. castles Mr castle's. Please come forward. My name is sue castle someone Arkansas citizen and also a veteran I'm not disabled and this bill is pretty or take me even though I'm not disabled and it's very clearly gonna add on the board and a bird and additional burden to our disabled veterans to have something in addition to their disable tag a handicap tag or handicapped placard is all that's necessary not both so if fair's fair make the handicapped people have a placard as well otherwise this is totally unfair to our disabled veterans. Okay. Any questions from the committee for Mr castle's. Not thank you for your testimony thank you for your service. A. A discussion or questions for a related to the bill if if not to Senator you're welcome to close your bill thank you Mr chair I. I would first start off by saying I don't I don't find this bill being anti better. I think we've we make progress we made progress in the state to to address the needs of our veterans I think the federal government is trying to meet those needs especially us as we come home from overseas with you know a a large population the the companion bill to this by representative Collins is going to it's going to lower our current ability to get a thirty percent disabled tag which again has nothing to do with ambulatory status could be bipolar disorder could be broken nose during or it's however the VA's thanks your compensation benefits should be set. We're we're going to be asked by represent Collins to to lower that threshold to ten percent which means you could you could technically not be able to bend your ring finger or maybe even put your ring on your finger and be allowed ten percent compensation which again the VA the Germans point be a gives you a letter This Is Your ten percent disabled man you're gonna get a small stipend the rest your life you can proudly display that tag on your license for on your vehicle. Under current law that broken finger will give you the right. To park in an ADA handicap accessible spot. Passman federal law in the early nineties to give those rights to our citizens who do lack mobility issues. So I'm not gonna say that everybody and takes advantage of that I know every part of society has a component that's going to abuse the privileges are giving. boat we I think we have an obligation to protect those members or society that do need those spaces for ambulatory issues and so I do not think personally one one form every four years to identify that need is a is a burden on our on our population special veterans general Barry three star general he's when it brought brought this bill because he sees that there is there is a need to protect most vulnerable first even though veterans are deserving of accolades we need to not set it to where they are more. have more ability to park in this license those that RT need to spot because of ambulatory issues so with that I'll close from a bill. What are the wishes of the committee. Senator Breanne Freddie didn't get a motion but thank you for presenting a bill. House bill eleven oh one I believe senator Wallace is going to present that. Senator Wallace you are recognized if not we'll pull the Mike closer to you I can I can hear you but we want to be on the live stream with all the folks out thank you Mr cheer Senator Dave Wallace District nineteen. Members this bill Makes it very simple change it's all down in line thirty five and thirty six and what it does is lowers the requirement for a. Veteran who is disabled. The requirement was you had to be a thirty percent to have the license plate. This lord to to ten percent. It what it does is is recognized as a veteran that has some type of. Of Injury. From service to this country or her country it just civil recognizes with a license plate. This this particular bill has nothing to do with handicap stickers. And with that I'll stand by for your questions a question for members of the committee for senator Wallace. Senator Clark I believe your hand was a little faster than Senator heels you go right ahead. Senator Wallace thank you Mr of. Saying the. The presentation of the last bill does it not in fact have something to do with that if it lowers it down to ten percent and with handicapped parking. It would based on the the last. Thank you must vote. Senate bill. Senator Wallace you know how I respect you and your service to this country I would like for you to explain to us why this is necessary to lower it to ten percent from the thirty and also does this does this include. Entry that someone could have sustained it was a veteran after their service. No no if the answer the second part first Your service connected disability is only related to injuries that you received while you're on active duty. Or or in a reserve status if you were on the active duty status what do Reserve training so if. If you're driving down the road. And you're not on active duty or if the. Your reservists not in the Reserve duty status if you're injured has nothing to do with this bill. And I forgot the first question. For the first for a question I guess in an industrialist since we do not pass the other of the bill is just one really necessary since has been this in place for so long that the thirty percent lower to ten percent threshold what what what this bill does is it recognizes the group of individuals from. The ten percent threshold to the thirty percent percent threshold it It recognizes that they did do service to our country and and it's important to those individuals to be recognized. This Dave Wallace to like this is necessary I'm sorry the Senator Wallace to like this is necessary for veterans. I would have voted for the last bill. But I'm not on this committee. And This bill. Would be a better bill if the previous bill and passed. Thank you Sir. Senator English. Thank you senator Wallace there are. So we're speaking about tags the A. B. tags and and the beat acts can you tell me the difference between the two I know the one of them is for more disabled than the others so where would ten percent of the folks fit into that those two license plates or do you know. I know there's a distinction the there's the station and I could not tell you that I can yeah. Now I by a person do they could probably be combined I think that's. Two different tax that because of laws passed the last three or four sessions and those bills laws to task could probably be combined. In my opinion. Thanks. Other questions for senator Wallace. Sir would you like clothes for your bill I'm closed okay what is the will of the committee. Senator Wallace I think again we don't have a motion thank you for presenting your bill thank you for time committee thank you for the time. Okay let's move now to Senate bill one twenty is Center love here. Okay of. This bill will be moved to a special order of well we're gonna move it to the deferred list but I'm going to tell Senator love the if indeed he wants to bring it back we need to set a special order of business we've had several people indicate an interest in testifying on this and I'm I want to do it as a general matter or policy that if people really concerned about some of these bills I don't wanna have to drive from Blytheville or Bentonville or or picture can to come up and testify on a bill not come up so it will move move to the deferred list and then we will do a special order if in the day comes back and they'll be up centered love course so since he's not here will move to House Bill thirteen twenty four by representative Vaught so. I'm sorry. Mister chair I'm on the Senate sponsor on thirteen twenty four thirteen twenty one and with your permission I'd like to present thirteen twenty fourth the next meeting and thirteen twenty one at this meeting that'll be fine it will not go on the deferred because I believe this is the first meeting that's been on the counter so those two bills will be at our next meeting and the one we have left this house bill eleven seventy one by representative. I'm sorry. What you're gonna do that one too okay. It's certainly okay with me if it's okay with answered board you're recognized to present house bill eleven seventy one in Manbij invites and ended with Arkansas trucking association assist me with my joint center board at the time. Yes Sir. If it is one oh so we're we're doing thirteen twenty one now yes yes okay we're going to present it if you'll let me at the next meeting of president the other house bill the the one from the invite eleven. But but but not eleven seventy one not the one from a representative. Though the one from representative vote on the Senate's okay I got it now okay I'm a member of the title or you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair committee members of this bill is an act to amend the law concerning truck platooning we passed in two thousand seventeen and so I'm gonna let miss Newton president the update if that's okay. Is it new please identify yourself for the record yes Sir thank you chairman vending machine and it and the president of the Arkansas trucking association you're recognized thank you house bill thirteen twenty one is designed to go back and update language from a bill that passed in two thousand and seventeen in two thousand and seventeen there was not a framework in Arkansas for autonomous trucks and so the legislation that we passed at that time required drivers to be in both vehicles even though they were communicating using the vehicle to vehicle communication the platooning bills much like adaptive cruise control which is a technology that many of you are familiar with in your personal vehicles it allows the two trucks to communicate maintain a distance and have efficiencies from fuel efficiency as well as safety. In two thousand twenty one the language that was passed in the autonomous vehicle legislation allowed for a platform in which they would not be a driver present in the vehicle as long as all of the safety systems are in place and the plan was approved by our not this bill simply copies the language from two thousand twenty one passed through both chambers and goes back and insert it into the two thousand and seventeen bill allowing for the follow tract and not have a driver in it all of the safety precautions with regard to filing a claim with are not how many trucks what time and date if and when it were to be approved how they would be marked is also subject are not approval so all we're trying to do is make the language match in those two pieces of technology legislation that have been through this committee before so that our statute is technology agnostic if you will at I do think it's worth noting that no one is actually use the two thousand seventeen legislation the member or the provider of this technology is a member of my association the company that which they are trying to implement the test project is also a member and that's why the legislation has been brought to me in order to ask that we make that update so that should they choose to the point Arkansas we would have to framework necessary it is legal in Oklahoma and Texas as proposed today it is also working its way through Missouri Tennessee and Mississippi which have the two thousand seventeen language which are updating it to this model this year. Okay this state I've got a couple questions the first one a. I call this bill when we passed a few years ago like one truck was the driver and the other one was like a puppy dog following around is that a fairly decent analogy yes Sir that is that could be I could be a after an allergy now this technology of course has changed and improved in and and does a lot more active Tesla for example as you probably know is about to release their their electric semi which has a lot of these autonomous features of our week are we covering the Some of the upcoming technology in this bill or we can be and I'm not saying anything wrong with coming back two years when something new comes out in and tweaking it again but are we pretty well up to date for twenty twenty three on the technology and our law with this both the framework that was passed in seventeen and twenty one are pretty permissive with allowing our dot to make the rulemaking policies so it's a little bit more nimble than actual legislation this bill is pretty simple and I don't want to say that it does more than it does it's really just updating the language of the seventeen law to match the framework that was passed in twenty one okay of the. When I first saw opportunity I thought about these. two drivers one sleeping in one you know in that that so that's not what we don't realize that's not what it was and and even when we passage of the bill I was not familiar with that nomenclature but now I'm glad to see what it is Is the. Is there an overall I'm a call at length or. Limitation to the the second truck. And also the two maybe the two counted together and is there some it Interval Lord help how much can the other truck tailgate first trust how is that set up so that the laws with regard to how long a unit could be is remains the same so you still the fifty three foot trailer the combined length of that vehicle as itself as remains the same as it is today when I adjusting that all of the two thousand seventeen bill actually did per it change the following distance that's kind of how we got around that was why it was necessary to adopt language in seventeen because the following distance of I believe at that time for you and I as I want to say fifty feet don't that could be incorrect but the the purpose of the seventeen legislation was to allow those trucks to travel closer than would otherwise be legal okay I can't help but worry that and again I'm sure everyone's work this out but you know both known people who would pull in between the two trucks if there was placed right is there some way to yes to where maybe it got couldn't happen that's actually the the number one question of the most popular questions and having this conversation is you know you and I or other four wheelers tend to cut in or take advantage of any opportunity sure of course I'm not a people to people like us might choose to do that the technology is such that that second vehicle would recognize that and back off to allow appropriate distance the first vehicle would be notified that there was an intruder is what it's called in and their lingo and this is the first driver could either slow down or change lanes or did something to make some sort of accommodation to allow that other car to move along through traffic you mention other states of our implement this any accident statistics that you can share with the service at St been working fairly smoothly there are no accidents I'm aware of that are specifically related to the platooning technology and the deployment is so small scale that any statistics would be still be greater than in this case I will say you and I because the technology does not have to be perfect it just has to be better than us and we're not that great okay thank. You. Any questions for Senator board our mission is. Okay anyone the audience will wish to speak for against the bill. If not what is the will of the committee. Motion to passengers second Senator English second Centerville. A discussion. All favor say aye hi posed. Thank you congratulations senator You pastor bill. Is. Okay are you running for eleven seventy one to center right he's we kept Senator Rapert busy today I. I should let you go go ahead earlier but that's fine all right I need to stop telling my house cause fails Limon's seventy one for by representative pocket you you're recognized to present that so thank you Mr chair Josh o'brien District thirty two a representative hawk brought this bill out of the Mennonite community changes one word for prohibits to discourage because they. They want to make sure that they themselves are not are violating the law because they they wouldn't prohibit an individual within this. Insurance self insurance program to go buy something so that I want to make that individual a liar in the purposes of there now want them to prohibit them they just want to discourage it so we're just trying to make sure the law falls with with their intent is in print change one word from prohibit to discourage on the self insurance of religious denominations. Does this apply to Bugis as well as cars. I don't know but you sure you meant the minute I don't know it's going to use use of the vehicle so far as I know okay. Of. Sounds pretty straightforward any questions of center right about this bill. Senator all right so you're you're confident we vote for this we're not gonna hear from the Mennonite community that we somehow dictated their religion to them. No not to my knowledge and I and I will say center board after speaking to a representative Haak if anything the contrary because I think they seemed at I want to also adamant but the concern to that the word prohibits was not accurate as far as what the Tennessee religion was that the tenet of their religion was discourages and this bill. Makes this a line with the actual tennis that's that was the the sponsors for a description to me with that Senate be accurate you think yes center drive okay. You. I would have is is not the proper time yet we need to see if there's anybody in the audience that would like to speak for against the bill. And if not are you closer and now it's the proper time center. Senator just feel motion do pass second by Senator Hill any discussion on favour say aye aye aye opposed you pass the bill thank you senator Committee I don't see anything else I will reiterate that to any bill that is on the committee counted more than two meetings and then the third meeting no one shows up we're gonna move it to deferred and they'll need to come back and let us know about it so if I need information for return thank you all.