State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs- House

Got a few announcements to make before we get into the agenda. Welcome everybody on this rainy day glad you're able to make it out but if you're here for the following bills these bills will not be heard today. house bill twelve forty eight by representative Gonzalez that a remaining on the schedule for the following week also representative wings bill house bill thirteen oh two will not be heard today. Also representative Wardlaw is bill of house bill thirteen oh seven will not be heard today. Representative Mayberry house bill thirteen twenty six will not be heard today. And the house bill thirteen fifty nine will not be heard today and at this point the chair without objection of we sent a special order for house bill thirteen fifty nine again that's a special order for house bill thirteen fifty nine representative Cavenaugh and that visual order will be set for for next Wednesday representative Wardlaw you have a question request Mr you're recognized for a question thank you Mr can we request thirteen oh seven be added that special order for next Wednesday as well. Seven will also be added to the special order land plants but thirteen fifty nine will be the first up on the special order Two bills will be placed on next Wednesday with a special order. And other staff for love make me aware that are all also ask when the time comes if anyone here to speak for against certain bail first item on today's agenda will be representative mark berry representative berry I understand you guys and special gas you need sprite breaking in to present your bill this will be a house bill thirteen nineteen. Troopers are we did also have a say you just. It does you self and have them to introduce the introduce themselves for the committee and then you're recognized to present your bill thank you Mr chairman colleagues representative mark very district for twenty six. Corporal Timothy Callison with Arkansas state police. Captain Robert road with the Arkansas state police okay thank you for being here with this representative very you're recognized. And of this is Ryan no. And there you go. The only thing is you can get rhino to bark on Q. we tried that son of I made a conscious effort to keep them wait represent Wardlaw represent a few banks of I think they'll be okay but anyway colleagues rhino is a Belgian malam why he's eight and a half years old and he cost about ten thousand dollars once he's trained they're about to twenty thousand dollars in we're talking about training the gentleman captain roads down there's probably the preemie or a canine trainer in the entire country trains dogs for secret service in this all the dogs in the State of Arkansas just as a tremendous tremendous job but once these dogs are trained to work about twenty thousand dollars or typical working life starts from about age to to ten in their typical life expectancy is ten to fourteen years old. Runnels normal duty a week is about forty days I mean forty hours and he works directly with trooper Callison every day of the week or any time cheaper calluses on the road rhino is is with the he in is trooper handler they they depend on each other for a multitude of things and in the I have to say in the last two years the Arkansas state police with the help of of these fine creatures have seized over one point eight million dollars in drug related currency in the last two years the canine teams of seized over three thousand one hundred eighty eight pounds of marijuana eighty five pounds of cocaine eighteen point five pounds of meth and two pounds of heroin. the they've also had two canines killed in the line of duty N. one was a dog name hammy hemi was also Belgium malam one he was assigned to the troop up in in Jonesborough and Hymie saved life of two troopers that's how incredibly value the they are tripping him he was killed in the line of duty when the head is funeral there were probably more flowers and more people attending him his funeral then would would attend mine that's how much these dogs mean to the public but also to Arkansas state police so. The the number of canines retire each year varies but typically is more no more than one and I think they have to in retirement now major or captain and the the think these dogs the the in their incredible dogs but they're not adoptable when these dogs retire they they essentially have two choices euthanasia or going home with the the trooper that's been as handler and partner for ten years and I know I couldn't put my partner down and these dogs or or just a they they have a specific bond I'll tell you how this came up and I would encourage legislators to do the same I was riding with the assortment chase Mildert over in troop J. and on interstate interdiction of mission and it was one of those things where we developed a relationship we started talking and he it was a canine handler and and he started about talking about some of the challenges that K. nine handlers have when they're they're dogs retire and so that's why I decided to come up with this bill a House bill thirteen nineteen which will allow the Arkansas state police handlers to provide for rhino and other canines just like right no no the bill provides up to twenty five hundred dollars a year annually for retired a canine officers which would take care of his food that Merion bills flea and tick treatments and all all kinds of treats and but until now the troopers have have had to pick up that burden of of taking care of of his partner so I think it's only fair that the state continue to do that because these canines have been state employees essentially for. the most of their life and so with that being said I think we can take some questions at the the chairman would allow case the gentleman had you have any questions for the troopers. Any questions from committee representative Wardlaw you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr I'm not real sure he's ready for this but can you tell me where you purchased your guns from. Which I'm talking to represent a very. What. You mention my name about a dog thank you Mr okay representative to make sure recognized for some questions thank you Mr chairman officers questions here so I've got so my first question is is that you know the fiscal impact of the state will be by doing this program and then at the chair's discretion I have a follow up as well but the bill are said the there's not a fiscal impact statement required in it's going to they typically have to in retirement at any given time so you're talking five thousand to seventy five hundred dollars a year. Vaught recognized and then the the follow up is it is a twenty five hundred dollars just paid annually to the to the care giver or will the caregiver half returning like receipts and stuff to justify the expense it'll be a good question representative make so it'll be the same process at that the state police have been has now it'll just continual can continue on so it's not they're not given twenty five hundred dollars as needed up to twenty five hundred dollars thank you thank you Mr. Any further questions from committee members represented Gonzalez you're recognized thing Mr are these state employees paid by the state for the for the forty hours of the work week. That's a good point we we probably could pass a bill that that we start paying on they get paid a lot which treats in the loving care and home. Thank you. Any further questions from because the representative Jane just information may I have many Thank you. Other questions. Like make a brief comment I remember when the state police implemented the K. nine program and twelve twelve state police of troops in the state in age group we started that program at our own K. nine officer that remembers a very difficult task and when the K. nine no longer could perform and and it and that that time there was no policy in place and it was very difficult for the troopers because they had to give up the K. nine so I really glad that this bill is coming forward because that was a difficult decision back in the nineties when we have to do that so She and no one signed up to speak for against the bill. Representative bill you're recognized close to your bill thank you Mr chairman and I'll just say that I have a tremendous amount of respect for are Arkansas state police and all law enforcement and our canine handlers they have a extra burden on themselves to take care of these animals and retirement and I think this is the best thing to support them and to support dogs that have done so much for the state of Arkansas and I appreciate a good vote I make a motion to do pass representative to make a motion of a do pass any discussion on the motion. Saying that playing none all in favor say aye. All opposed say no graduations are prepared to bury graduation doctors bills passed. Thank you Mr chairman thank you colleagues. The representative Cavenaugh I know she had to go presider she I don't know if you made it back representative Cavenaugh you're recognized. To present house bill thirteen twenty two. Allen says and what we're going to do with those fund balances this addresses the fund balances and boards and commissions both in the department of health and the the division of labor so this will rank the the high level is that it's going to require that if a board or commission has three years worth of fund balance that they will start reducing their fees to the people that they collected from they can reduce that up to ninety five percent. Up to the reason we did the up to is because it gives the secretaries the ability to if they can reduce it but can't reduce it to ninety five I use they can reduce that to seventy five and still stay within that three year balance at least so we getting money back to those people that have already paid it it sets in some guidelines. How to round it up it talks about how the secretary will have the option that if they think they have an extraordinary need to why they don't think that they can reduce the fee that they can come to an explain that to us there's legislative oversight so that we can look at that the going to be required to report to the Legislative Council once a year about their fund balances in the pre budget hearings so that we can actually see what the balances are we can determine what's going on and that's really kind of a file oversight of it and I'll just open it up for questions. The questions from committee members. Representative Gonzalez you're recognized for a question thank Mr who is going to be responsible for coming before the legislature and and reporting this is gonna be the secretary of the department or the the board the secretary of the department okay thank you. Any further questions from committee members. One is signed up to speak for or against the bill. Representative guy Cavenaugh you're recognized close we build this is just a good common sense bill to get phase back to those who paid it when we've got a big fund balance that is not needed it keeps away from this I need IT spending in these boards and commissions and I will say that the board to the Department health and the Division of they have all worked on this language and so it is agreed upon and with that I would appreciate a good vote representative Cavenaugh as close with the bill representative Beck. Motion do pass have a motion do pass. Any discussion on the motion. Say none all in favor say aye. All opposed say no congradulations representative your bill has passed. We have an amendment. So representative because you're gonna be recognized Division second while staff passes out the amendment and you'll be recognized to present your amendment thank you. I'm close for the bill and I appreciate a good vote. Representative colleges close with these bill what's the pleasure of the Committee. I have a motion of a do pass as amended. I have a motion of do pass as amended as amended any discussion on the motion. Say none all in favor say aye. All opposed say no does have a graduation your bill is passed thank you. Late.