Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee- House

Things a little out of order on the agenda and will lead a representative Pilkington run House Bill one thousand and nine first are you prepared to present that bill I am thank you chairman you're recognized thank you house bill ten oh nine if you'll recall I had an amendment in committee changes in the language basically creating this working group for ride sharing programs for non emergent transportation is a pilot program about four years ago we started it was up and running got shut down during covid we're just looking to get these programs back up and going and this is basically a networking group that DHS's ask for and so that we'll get a report by December end of this year of how to move move ahead and kind of reform are non emergent transportation that's it just create a working group thank you. Do we have any questions representative Pilkington. Richey Ferguson rep recognized for a question what things I found my federal qualified health centers actually transport has brains and transports people at no cost to them and I don't get any reimbursement because they're not a Medicaid transportation service but they is that something you would consider qualifying them under what you. You know on that had occurred to me in full disclosure I work for and if you see that offers van services and that never ever crossed my mind but I I'll be happy to have to make sure DHS includes them in those discussions so that we're not duplicating services in areas where does any duplicated because I think that the issue is we want to make sure that we're kind of spreading the wealth where people who are having issues getting to and from the doctor being taken care of yeah and it you know I mean if you if they use the provided services I mean sometimes the patient comes in our office for four hours before they'll get picked up so you know that the FQHC provides a very efficient service but for no reimbursement yeah okay yeah. There any other questions from the committee reserve Alan you're recognized for a question. I thank you represent Pilkington you mentioned that it was a pilot program we had to create a pilot program back I believe in the two thousand nineteen session okay and and DHS did start a pilot program to use right sure applications like left I think was the care they use to transfer patients and enforce the to cope with that kind of got shut down and and there's some issues they're working through and so now they're just kind of when the authority to go back and start this back up and have a working group to work with kind of the existing non emergent transfers providers as well as the ride sharing groups on one special pilot program just in certain parts of the state of Arkansas or was it located throughout the state my understanding right now is it our before when it was open it was it was just in the little rock metro area but I can I can as DHS is there someone here from there you can get a lower rate but my understanding is only in the little rock area well you you've answered my question okay okay. Representative the ready closure free bill I'll close right bill and motion do pass a proper time so soon here speak for against thank you. C. nine we have a motion to pass all those in favor say aye. All those opposed graduations representative can you've passed your bill thank you thank you chairman committee represent road are you prepared to present Senate bill ninety three. All right you're welcome president. Thank you Mr chairman colleagues presenting S. B. ninety three today this is an act to amend the Arkansas code regarding a college of dentistry to clarify that the commission on dental accreditation is the accrediting entity for a college of dentistry. Simply put this bill it updates the law as it relates to a dental school in Arkansas as is currently law the statute specifically related to a dental school in Arkansas in the Arkansas dental practice act is outdated and immaterial the current statute was written long before the establishment of coda the commission on dental accreditation code was established in nineteen seventy five in its nationally recognized by the United States Department of Education as the sole agency to accredit dental and dental related education programs conducted at the post secondary level so the question is who does this help this would help any higher education institution public or private nonprofit that can satisfy the rigorous multi year accreditation criteria and process through code separately this criteria and process goes through the HLC the higher learning commission which is our regional institutional educating our skews me education accreditor for Arkansas. I also this bill does not create nor does it fund a dental school this clear this only opens a pathway for a dental school to be started in Arkansas as the current law no longer has a pathway for that I'm open for any questions. The questions from committee members. Seeing no questions are you ready close your bill yes Sir because the bill and main motion to pass at his or anyone here to speak fluent form off point game this morning gas anyone here to speak for or against the bill. You're recognized for motion make a motion to pass anyone any discussion on the motion. Seeing none all those in favor say aye hi all those opposed congradulations representative road would you like to stay at the head of the table and president Senate bill seventy four. Yes Sir thank you. You're recognized president Senator seventy four. Yes Sir I thank you Mr chair I'll now be presenting S. B. seventy four and this is known Broadly as aids as the surrogate bill and to clarify it right out of the gates first time I talked this over to my wife she asked me so this having to do with pregnancy and so this is not that type of scenario okay so this is somebody standing in to help somebody who no longer is able to do that so let me share a few things with you in twenty seventeen our legislature passed the healthcare decisions act you're getting some code passed out to you right now I want to thank the staff for helping to get that prepared this act lays out the framework to ensure the most ethical path forward to engage a Serra get in making difficult healthcare decisions for another person who cannot make his or her own decisions his or her own decisions and has misuse me no power of attorney. The twenty seventeen legislation clarified who can and cannot be appointed by attending out by an attending physician or surgeon the issue is that many individuals and mated to hospitals lack capacity to make healthcare decisions on their own. Either temporarily or permanently and most do not have power of attorney or legal decision maker their examples of patients in a hospital's hundred eighty days two hundred days in literally have nobody to act on their behalf and so that is my primary focus with this today's legislation makes a small amendment to address the challenge for in capacitate individuals in a healthcare setting up such as a hospital here just a moment Jenna Goldman director of governmental relations with mercy will share some examples of patients who would benefit specifically from this amendment to the twenty seventeen ACT and describe precisely what this change will accomplish one thing I want to enter a is that we're not here to litigate the twenty seventeen ACT but address the small change in which will benefit a small number of individuals who desperately need our help they're truly what I would describe as the least of these and in a most difficult season of life so this time I'd like to ask a gentleman to come forward and share some examples absolutely if you don't mind introducing suffer the committee telling who you represent. Good morning Janet Goldman with mercy health system. M. and a with this bill it just allows that circuit to apply for Medicaid which right now they can not and as represent road side we're not changing any of the statute that's already laid out and how it circuit's identified and but this is B. come up bigger issues we've had adults as essentially abandoned in the hospitals they either don't have anybody or their family has left them in the hospital and will not come back to help get them appropriate care and we've had some. That just need a long term care services we also have some with a traumatic brain injury that are incapacitated and not able to do this themselves and we can't transfer those patients until they have coverage and so that's what we're doing here today and I'd be happy to answer any questions. Richey let in Europe recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chairman of Jenna the you know how many people are in this category I mean do you have an idea and I know you may only have mercy but can you give us an estimate on the page that do not I only have mercy but we have multiple come in a week and it's it's very expensive for hospitals but more importantly we can't hospitals don't provide the care these people need and so. Our end goal is to get them appropriate care which has become very challenging. They're the questions from the committee. C. nine is there anyone else here speak against and for the bill. Richey road you close your bill because my bill. S. the will of the committee The motion to pass any discussion on the motion. All those in favor say aye hi all those opposed. Congradulations represent refuse pastor bill. Committee members I think there is just represented Bentley here. I think she is not here yet she discussed may be presenting her bill. All that's a good idea it then there she is we don't have to take a short recess you're right on cue representative Bentley are you prepared to present your bill. This is House Bill. Eleven fifty five. this is one that we re refer re referred to committee and Ready whenever you are to present the bill again. Thank you chairman because as to what the president of the US this bill eleven fifty five was a very simple bill to allow those affected I'm sorry the minute you had has that been engrossed now any gross yeah that'd member's own amendment was that changed at all from the last time it was changed at all remember a representative board I had a question on there that we were decreasing competition by the one statement that was in there the bill I'll pull it out and read it but okay so it says The Amendment was presented before has been re amended has been engrossed on members now and now that currently the bill that you can see on our collect eleven fifty five is the bill is currently the bill okay members of utility has to pull that are ever device yeah that's. Folder yeah we're we're throwing it into the table right to the door we give you plenty of leeway to get ready. Yeah. Thank you chairman. Everybody got pulled up we could. Thanks a. Sorry my colleagues the one thing that we that was a concern to representative Wardlaw was prohibiting the operation of two or more child care family homes and immediately adjacent residence so we just stricken that part out of the of the bill so it's no longer in there so we're again very simple bill allowing those people to have a residential day care an area that we desperately need folks to work to help moms that with infants to three year olds and residential day care they will not be force to do things of that a commercial business would have to do as far as increasing sprinklers and all the same so farmers of coming and added unnecessary regulations to these folks make it impossible for them to operate so we're just saying a residential homes a residential home when you can't add extra regulations to them to operate as a child daycare. The questions from committee members. See no questions as you will hear speak against or for the bill. Resembling a close for the bill. Thank you unchallenged critical you want to say this is agreed on language for the fire marshals and that representative Julie merry has Julie Mayberry has worked well on this bill not added the things she testament add an added to Senate sponsor so thank you very much for your time with that I'd make a motion to pass on eleven fifty five three discussion on the motion. C. nine was the will of committee. All those of favour say aye aye opposed. Resolutions represent day pass your bill thank you chairman thank you colleagues I appreciate it members that I don't think we have any more business for the committee unless or someone has any comments or discussion before we adjourn. We'll plan to meet again Tuesday morning at ten o'clock I think it's the next meeting and our our photos can be that morning what time K. nine thirty in the mornings of a okay with nine thirty in the morning photo on the steps out here. House steps okay any other