ALC-JBC Budget Hearings

Report representative Cavenaugh you're recognized thank you Mr chair the special language subcommittee met on Wednesday November the ninth at one thirty PM and reports the following actions one the subcommittee adopted executive recommendations for the agency language listed the subcommittee adopted institution requests for the language recommended by the institutions of higher education and approved by the higher education coordinating board the subcommittee adopted legislative recommendations for certain pieces of agency language to agency against agency institution and legislative recommendations that were revised or not are noted in the report with a motion to codify additional compensation for athletic departments for all four year institutions in the division of higher education appropriation bill. And also be attached items for items a through F. and with that I move for adoption of the report. I have a motion and a second do I have any discussion. C. none all those in favor say aye. All opposed ayes have it with that we'll move on item to it's a letter from Department of transformation and shared services and Kevin you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman this is item be to this is a request by OPM to include the tax positions on page two in the fiscal year twenty twenty four draft appropriation bills what this is is growth course run to pull positions already approved by a L. C. in this personnel subcommittee but we're not included in the budget request to timing adoption of this letter will allow staff to include these positions on page two in the draft bills. Onita motion. I have one I have a second any discussion on the motion see in on all those in favor say aye. Oppose ayes have it with that members were gonna jump out of the agenda for second of suspend the rules do I have a motion. Hi motion of second all those in favor say aye. Oppose ayes have it with this expansion of the rules we made a motion a few weeks ago to move some stuff from the auditor's office to of the ministry of courts we were able to work with both sides to figure out the right language to put the controls in place to make sure travel reimbursements are being done correctly you guys can look at Marty Sullivan is shaking his head back there all parties work together with that we were able to put some language together for special language we will be moving that back to the auditor's office we have some provisions so with that I'm represent recognized representative Cavenaugh for a motion. Thank you Mr chair I make a motion to expunge the vote by which appropriations zero zero nine constitutional officers were revised to change the disbursing officer for this appropriation from the author of the state to the administrative office of the courts as proper motion of second second all those of favour say aye aye All opposed us have it resent Cavenaugh you're recognized yes I make a motion to adopt the agency request for appropriations zero zero nine constitutional officers which keeps the auditor of the S. the disbursing officer and adopt a special language in the handout to be included as a new language in the general appropriation bill this language allows authors state to review travel expense reimbursement for judges for accuracy and consistency with applicables travel guidelines. Thank you does proper motion and a second any discussion on the motion. Seeing none all those in favor say aye. All closed eyes have it so with that we'll move on to Yes yes our Kevin you're recognized Mr chairman we also have a hand outs already on your desk and this is just for committee's information these are on the number of positions eliminated and vacant for two years and those are two letters from K. bar hell on your desk or ready and no action is required Mister chairman. Thank you Members for we go into of the Department of Human Services there were a number of audit findings that have all been brought to the audit committee about fifty pages to be a gas instead of having audit go through in our report of the fifty pages that are already been heard I would said at this moment and give you guys a second if there's a question you have for audit on it is in the room and willing to answer those questions on those findings but I would with the pleasure of the committee I would like to just ask them questions and not hear the whole report. C. N. no questions will move on to DHS and we hear from secretary white. And and. Miss walls be the presenter. Miss walls in Mr secretary if you guys would introduce yourself for a committee and and miss walls you're recognized for you. I thank Mr Marquardt secretary department and services. And while also the fear of Legislative Research thank you Mr chair after the chair's instructions I'll be presenting at a very high level and staying on the department appropriation summary pages for each of these divisions it leaves the chair I will present the shared services appropriation with the secretary's office. And that appropriation is on page three of your manual. this is for their shared services appropriation this is for the salary matching for the secretary's position and it's about for approximately three hundred fifty thousand dollars and each fiscal year the agency's requesting slight changes for matching and the executive recommendation provides for the agency's request in this instance if you'll turn me to page six this is the department appropriation summary for the secretary's office it has authorized appropriations of eighty three point four million dollars with six hundred and seventy two authorized positions and utilized across the department in for appropriations and they're requesting approximately eighty five million dollars in fiscal year twenty four and eighty five point five million dollars in fiscal year twenty five with changes in one appropriation if you look at the top box on line three it says eight nine sixty H. S. admin Teague account this is their operations appropriation they're requesting slight change in the insider slight increases in salary and matching for changes made during the interim and a four hundred thousand dollar shift from the professional fees line item to the capital outlay line item to better support the other divisions of the department and executive recommendation provides for the division's request and this it concludes my presentation for this division. Representative Cavenaugh you're recognized thank you Mr thank you for being here I'd like to make a request not spoken to you about this just wanna make sure that you've got because we get it briefly I'd like you to provide me with a report that shows the fund balance the source of the funds any restrictions of those funds and how they can be used and I'm whether it's cash special revenues G. R. federal if you can get that report to me I'd appreciate it yes ma'am we're moment together now and we'll get that to you shortly. Any further questions a number one or number two. You see in those questions no questions do I have a motion. For executive record. I have a second. I have a second CNO discussion all those in favor say aye. All opposed ayes have it with that miss walls will go to number three. Thank you Mr chair the next division we're going to talk about is the division of aging adult and behavioral health services in their department appropriation summary is on pages seventeen and eighteen in your manual this division has total authorized appropriation of approximately two hundred and seventy million dollars with one thousand one hundred and sixty three positions and tie and appropriations their requesting to approximately two hundred seventy three point six million dollars in fiscal year twenty four and two hundred and seventy three point nine million dollars in fiscal year twenty five with changes to one appropriation if you look online five of the summary which is about a quarter of the way down in the big top box sets their operations appropriation they're replacing slight increases the salary and matching for changes made it during the interim and slight increases in their operating expenses and professional fees apply these line items for increased cost for food service medical fees and pharmacy fees and that's primarily occurring at the Arkansas State Hospital the executive recommendation provides for the division's requests and this concludes my presentation for this division. She. President fight you're recognized Mr chairman minus on a Page thirty two. We're not there yet. We are okay. It's appropriate time. I would like to make a motion that we increase the funding for the senior centers from the current eight million to ten million are senior centers are really struggling all over the state they had a triple whammy with food with travel and with minimum wage going up and they they need at ten million. K. and and this is on the appropriation only correct correct okay. Committee this is not a motion for the entirety section is the only a motion for this line item on this preparation on on eight ninety eight I have a second. I have a second and to have discussion on this motion discuss and representive all thank you Sir I appreciate you recognizing me I totally agree is there a way to make sure that this doesn't this actually gets to our centers and not to Adnan that's my. Biggest question in all of this is how much admin gets is versus how much my senior citizens are having. How much actually goes to the center because I have centers that are doing fundraisers every month trying to pay for meals for people when in reality I think that's a disservice to this program in itself. Yes ma'am so for this money this would flow through the area agencies on aging and would flow according to the distribution formula we use distribute the normal trouble if funds around the state and so I was based on population the several other related factors once he gets those triple A.'s is up to each trip later determine how that is distributed within their area most of them use a similar formula but not all of them do that but the the the constraint for us is that there is a special language it says that funding that flows Service appropriation must be destroyed in that same way as those normal Tripoli funds okay again my question is though how do we make sure it actually gets to centers and not to administration I think we have admins that are making way more money than what they should be making verses the amount that's actually been spent in our centers we do have some of forty over over the plans that each triple a files for how they're going to spend their funding they have to do that so that too is called area plan and that outlines exactly how the money will be distributed in spent in their area we do have to approve those but we don't we don't have full discretionary authority over those approvals so I would say that with our current authority right now we can use that somewhat I don't know if I can promise you that we can absolutely make sure that every dom gets to the senior center centers with our president authority. And we need to look at that authority and fix that or authority because it is a disservice to a beers every senior in our state. Who is having to do fundraisers to make sure that they can feed people within their centers when we're giving now ten million dollars to our centers and the amount that's getting to our centers is not near what it needs to be compared to how much I believe is being spent in our administration thank you Mr. Representive said you're thinking through all the options N. I. S. Kevin could we get something done in the next hour or in here but it seems like sessions by the right place but special language needs to be written up to restrict the amount percentage amount that could be used for admin so maybe a five percent orders for seven you know whatever's happy for you but you would be able to do that in special language to attach this to make sure funding came with that appropriation none of it could be used for admin above that percentage. And that would fix that problem any other questions I got represent would is a question on this motion. Okay I'll hold you in the queue Senator Hammer are you on this motion. we can ask them any questions where within a motion so this is only discussion amongst members. President Cavenaugh you have a question on this motion. Okay see no further discussions motion all those in favor say aye. All opposed ayes have it so with that we'll go back to the questioning on the Adam three representative Cavenaugh you're recognized Senator Hammer if you will get back in the queue thank you Mr my question is going to be dealing with the singer citizens but not with the motion so in my area we don't have senior citizen centers through triple eight so how do we enroll Arkansas get some of this ten million dollars that we just by the appropriation for to those areas that don't have triple As I mean we have senior citizen centers but they're not part of the triple A.'s. Agencies so they're not getting any funds and they're out there having to raise money privately but we still have all this money to go to senior citizens but it's only going to one organization but there are a lot of centers that are not part of those agencies so how do we get money to the. For any senior center that is not operating under contract with triple a our special language would have to be changed to allow for us to devote funding to that entity I will say that the vast majority senior centers our approach operated under contract so that the triple a contract with an outside vendor or outside nonprofit sometimes a government agency to operate the senior centers so very often there's a relationship there and there is funding provided but with that said for to be outside of that system it had the special ones would have to change okay Kevin did you hear that I'll okay just make a note that I'm going to want to special language if you'll flag this recession I appreciate it thank you. Senator Hammer you're recognized thank you over here afternoon maybe a little distracted so I don't think use answers questions but the decision as to what the administrators get paid at each individual Senator who makes that final decision that is made by that triple a and they're governing board or an entity so it's handle let what we would refer to as the local level so they currently have the ability to adjust what they pay administration now without us being involved is that correct that is my understanding okay so they could take it to the local level and confront the directors or their overseen by a board a guest and and deal with that that will say correct I believe so all right thank you. The representative when you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman Mr secretary on the. All your fund balances following up pursuing Representative Cavenaugh loss of report she requested I also would like a report for the all your interest and we're this work towards located in your budget and the and the dollar amount the I'm not necessarily interested in the. the break down about individuals but the total interest for the department and then I have a question on the report I have it shows that you have a thousand. Seven hundred four vacant positions and and of those only twenty four our but over two years old is that is that correct for the whole department. I let me turn back my HR person I believe that is correct yes yes Sir that is correct okay the only with the in the last session we gave you a hundred nine more new positions a four family services hello how many of those have been filled. Hi representative wouldn't case dismissed deputy director Sergio cast so we we actually did pull that information before we came over so out of those a hundred nine positions currently as of today we have twenty six filled positions but we also have twenty one where were we live there extended a job offer to the individual or we are waiting there background check but we've had not I'd I would no this is Pulaski County and we have had individuals fill those positions and equally have had individuals leave those positions during that time that right now we're about half field of those positions a little bit under half of those position of those hundred nine yes Sir okay of. I have over the are you able to pair him up like you into like mission indicated miss Martin and indicate you will impairment up when they were doing their investigations. With the ones you parent that's what we are we are trying we're we're having a look a lot more success and hiring program administrators who are the individuals that are scary program assistance who are the individuals that are providing support services so we're still not fully in the teeming mode but we are trying our best to get there. Thank you Mr chairman thank you all thank you. Representative Cavenaugh you're recognized thank you Mr I'm going to ask question on page twenty four and forty or thirty nine it's dealing with the mental health grants on twenty four what happened grants are we given out with this money. So for the this money this money goes to our committee will health centers you're recognized and are we expecting the twenty three million from the federal I thank I'm sorry it's twenty million. The how are we have that like in twenty two it was four point eight but we're projected to be twenty point one million in twenty four. How do we arrive at that number. An informed which one you're looking at I'm sorry on your federal revenue if you look down for twenty three twenty four if you're projecting your revenue to be twenty point one million dollars for the federal part how do y'all have that projection number. Dawn Staley deputy director Medicaid director so that number is really based on what ultimately we receive from the federal government because that chunk of money flows through us as a as a mental health block grant from the federal government and so we project what is going to be based off of historical expenditures but that that amount does very just depending upon what the federal government decides to to give states from year to year basis and I'll add to that that that number is also it's been affected by the one time code money the federal government construed into us through that same mechanism okay so in twenty two what we actually got was four point nine. But you're saying that in twenty four we're going to get twenty point one is that over inflated because of all the cold but in our moneys. I don't believe so I think we we've adjusted for that but is Director Staley indicated there is a lot of uncertainty on that and that. These come it it comes in a variety of wards all in different amounts all different times and there's not that's not a consistent flow from the fence fortunately and on thirty nine this is the that mental health grant and it's a non funded appropriation. My question is on this on our tobacco settlement money and we have fund balances everywhere on our tobacco settlement monies can that fund not being used to fund this. I can't speak specifically for that tobacco settlement money must section would be yes but I'll be that's what directly responsible for those funds and what has been committed to that also if the appropriation absolutely we could use that because we put this preparation place back was west cares money the road used for if we could find some additional funding for that would be wonderful. Okay and. Kevin if you don't mind flag this one also for session Preciado. I see no further questions for part three. I'll take a motion. Is that correct yes Sir with the exception of that. Yeah it be a motion for the executive ranks X. with an exception for San representative Fite's motion. Have second. I have a second all those in favor say aye. Is have it with that miss walls will move on number four. Thank you Mr chair next division we're gonna talk about is the division of child care and early childhood education and their department appropriation summaries on page fifty five in your manual this division has an authorized appropriation of one hundred and seventy four point nine million dollars with one hundred and eighty one positions and seven appropriations and they are requesting approximately one hundred and seventy five point three million dollars in fiscal year twenty four and a hundred and seventy five point four million dollars in fiscal year twenty five with changes into appropriations if you look online three the summary it's about a third of the way down in the big box this is their operations appropriation and the requesting slight increases in salary in matching for changes made during the interim and a two million dollar increase in professional fees for both years to support technology systems improvements and replacements. And on line five it's eight nine eight save the children the division is requesting the discontinuation of this appropriation an appropriation for this purpose is also included in the department of education and it has been determined to be a better fit their needs second recommendation provides for the division's requests this concludes my presentation for this division. Representative Cavenaugh thank you Mr chair my first question is going to be on page sixty one FOR your upgraded technologies can you tell me what you're going to be upgrading. Okay let me bring Tony Williams is the division director appearance you can see speaks with that specifically are thank. I'll make sure that you can hear me speak Tonya Williams director of the division of child care early childhood education and we have really changed almost every system that we work in many of you may be aware that we automated background checks in the middle of the pandemic and we are in the current process of upgrading our technology for the nutrition program this one is specifically for childcare and we have a system that's been in place since two thousand six I would like to bring that at to some modern technology and we do have federal funds to do that so would be for the child care before the eligibility for families as well as the payment we have automatic payments currently with providers they bill and get paid directly and there's no paper but we would like to bring that if it's very L. technology I think we've also added a feature where parents can see if there's an opening at a child care currently they can see for all the child care is all over but they don't know if there's an opening so they have to call the list of providers in their community and would like to add a feature for families to be able to see where providers can put in any openings that they might have so that's really what we're talking about in terms of upgrades okay so what's the difference between that and data processing. Well this is really upgrading the technology platform that it's on the current system that we have was built with older technology and let me just say I'm I'm not the technology person in the room here but it's very antiquated we can't do a lot of the features that I was talking about where parents can see real time openings at data processing to me is more about and looking at data like what's the data goes into the system and you're looking at it this is being able to enter information by the program by the parent in in determining eligibility from that so I don't know if that really answers your question if we need to get the I. T. folks here I'm. And I was that that I think is over in recent years that data processing appropriation line has not been used very much typically most expenditures have migrated to other appropriation lines okay so do we need to keep that appropriation line if you're not using the data processing line. Representative Cavenaugh that is one of the standard lines of maintenance and operations you can't it's in all of maintenance and operations because they're essentially in the bills as a group and you can't get rid of it there have been instances where we've added a data processing services line item that a lot of those types of expenditures have make migrated to and they don't have that in they do have that in this appropriation it's down at the bottom that that data processing line item that's as part of maintenance and operations okay. And on page sixty three on the grants that we're gonna be given out for child care how how to these grants get given out. There are there a couple of different ways we have providers in Arkansas that are licensed that get incentive grants when they meet levels of quality we also have grants for contractors who do professional development that's required by the federal block grant and those would go those are all typically University systems at or education coops I think that covers most of them represent Cavenaugh so these grants are necessarily going to the actual providers but for people to monitor and train the providers well trained at trying to providers but as there's probably several days probably at least a million or two million that goes directly to the providers as incentive grants okay if you don't mind if you will give me a list of where these actual grants go to an eight so we know where they're actually given out to I appreciate that thank you. Representative Springer you're recognized. Good afternoon thank you Mr chair my question is or is the budget appropriation for the voucher program where you pay the childcare centers. It would be in two places referred to spring representative Springer it's on that probably page fifty seven in your book child care development discretionary that predominantly is used for children who are eligible for vouchers childcare at low income children Hispanic families meet the work and or training or school requirements and then on page I'm at page sixty three at the grants paying accounts there are some vouchers that will be in that there's Session of the federal block grant that is mandatory and it is for children who were on tennis or foster care some of that is paid out of that particular category. Thank you what you made aware of that in our meeting on yesterday that I had some concerns about you got the information for me okay wonderful all right so if if you was sure that I would appreciate it thank you doctor Smith I'm calling you doctor. Thank you state. Seeing no further questions to a motion for item for. I have a motion and a second all those in favor say aye opposed Is have if with that we'll move on to five this laws you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair the next division we're gonna talk about is the Division of Children and Family Services and it's on page seventy to the Department perforation summaries on page seventy two in your manual they have authorized appropriations as three hundred one million with one thousand three hundred and. Sir that might please sorry do you want me to start over Sir. Okay with one thousand three hundred and eighty nine positions and seven appropriations and they're requesting approximately three hundred and fifteen million dollars in fiscal year twenty four and three hundred and sixteen million dollars in fiscal year twenty five with the following changes if you look on lines two and four there's a line for foster care and a line for ten a foster care they requesting online to for the foster care appropriation an increase of five point two million dollars both fiscal years and for the ten a foster care appropriation on line for the requesting requesting four point nine million dollars in both fiscal years and those are for increases import payments to foster parents if you look online three where it says Division of Children and Family Services that is their operations appropriation and they're requesting increases for salary in matching that are associated with thirty pole positions being permanently added and other changes that were made during the interim an online fives DHS dash children's trust fund this is their appropriation and they're requesting slight increases our salary and matching and that's the agency's request the executive recommendation is slightly different the providing for the division's requests with the following exceptions in the operations appropriation on line three the salary and matching this associated with re classifications is not recommended in the children's trust fund appropriation on line five they are recommending the discontinuation of the position associated with that appropriation and the associated salary and matching and that appropriation and on line seven at the bottom where it says parent council federal. They're requesting the discontinuation of this appropriation the division operates under an MO you with the public defender commission and transfers applicable funds to be expense there so this appropriation is unnecessary and this concludes my presentation for this division. President fight you're recognized thank you Mr chair could you please tell us more about safe harbor for SEC. Your smokers of fireworks double checking our our memory here. So represent if I am sorry for the delay we were trying to remember so safe harbor that's actually the the fund that we utilize that receives funding for human trafficking victims and so you know historically we haven't had a significant amount of funding in that in that funding area and so typically we we have provided that to as grants to the few entities across the state that actually House human trafficking victims them and provide care for them. Representative Cavenaugh thank you Mr chair my first question is gonna be on page seventy six dealing with foster care can and I know we just increased our board payment and I'm assuming that's reflected in this this appropriation. And I'd like to know when we were looking at upping the board payment did we see how we compare to the states around us for payment in foster care. I'll make a couple points and then miss Smith will add on to that so Two things we did around the board payments one was that we expanded the availability of payments honestly board president payments to provisional foster homes and those are what we place a family member it takes more time to get fully certified and so we've got something in place now we're make a smaller payment to them as a star our attention is in the next fiscal year with the funding we want to make full board payments to those individuals and there will be legislation committee all in the session accomplish that and then secondly wanted raise all we're payments across the board ten percent and that was us some of the governor directed us to do I well I'm not sure if we look to the state you're not and and the only thing that I will add is that we haven't increased our board payment since two thousand and nine so what we were looking at is making it that doing a an increase for families necessarily is there anyway we could look around the states around us because that my gut feeling is we're still below many of the surrounding states and as we know we have so many children in foster care that. It's hard sometimes to find foster parent because a lot of them can't justify some of the expenses coming in as you and I've talked many times a lot of these children have really special needs at this point in issues and so that's why I was kind of curious about that if you could find that out for me absolutely in on page seventy nine I just wanna ask you you've got a transfer on a reallocation of resources for like four point five million dollars where does that get reallocated to. It's going to be down there in your funding sources I believe. With my understanding that's what Greg if I'm wrong that's during the year we do this reallocation of resources into with that is where DCFS is paid out for services provided by the another division so for example to transfer funds the Division county operations to cover rent on the offices where they are where they're located in yes we do that to spread those expenses around make sure there were allocated them to the right both state and federal funding sources okay and that three point four to state police is that for the hotline is for both the hotline and the crimes against children division okay and on your professional fees your actual spend was nineteen point four million but you're asking for thirty three point two million. Why such an increase compared to what our actual spending is what gets lumped into that is professional fees. That is for the development the new IT system for child welfare which is what's called C. with we renamed it our focus is within it will be but that's we're in the midst of that now we have a vendor that was procured through competitive contract they're working through that and that increased cost just reflects those costs we expect to incur. Okay and on eighty seven this is going to be the parent council. So I noticed that you had federal revenue and then you do get a inter agency transfer fund where did that get transferred to to the a mystery lost the court okay is that where that always goes to or you just to pass through. Yes. Right it is it's pass for okay thank you. The wooden. Mr secretary the. You're you're requesting apparently thirty two new positions in the in this division on page seventy two. That what is not thirty two new positions is. The positions you authority granted in the interim and we're seeking make those permanent okay all right next question of back on the on the parent council federal money you didn't use any but you gotta authorization of two point five million. Are you. Are you not using it or you're not getting the money is this a corporation just so if you get the money you can spend it or not we have been making the funding to fourth pair council using the mixed both state funds and federal funds is just being moved to a different place in the budget okay all right thank you thank you Mr. I see no further questions do I have a motion. A motion and a second all those in favor say aye. All oppose ayes have it with that miss walls will move on to number six. Thank you Mr chair the next division right to talk about is the division of county operations and their department appropriation summaries on page ninety they have authorized appropriations as approximately one hundred and eighty million dollars with one thousand eight hundred and forty one positions and nine appropriations the requesting of one hundred eighty five point seven million dollars in fiscal year twenty four and nearly one hundred and eighty seven million in fiscal year twenty five with changes into appropriations if you look online five it's about the middle of that top boxes as Medicaid expansion dash County operations and this is their Medicaid tobacco settlement appropriation and they're requesting slight increases for salary and matching an on line six which is derived underneath that says eight nine six Division of County operations this is their operations appropriation this is for increases for salary and matching and shift of six point two million dollars from their operating expenses line item to their professional fees and data processing services line items for the snap education and training case management contract and for IT related costs and the executive recommendation provides for the division's request and this concludes my presentation for this division. Representative Cavenaugh. Thank you Mr chair my first question is going to be on page ninety five. And that is dealing with the refugee resettlement program. We really have not been spent a lot of money in that and I know it's because we haven't had a ton a refugee I mean what are we able to deal with that fund balance. Because based on your Speaker and I mean we have a large fund balance because you're asking for appropriation for twelve thousand dollars. What a double check on that fund balance in that may be just there was from federal money that was still an account at the time and that's what made it appear larger I'll typically we don't we don't spend a lot of money through that because the only funds that we pay out to refugees is a small a small cash payment they can go to those families for temporary period of time there are many benefits they get to become directly from the federal government or through Medicaid and so it is not a lot in there I want to look back and see if someone can addressed fund balance issue or you can just give me that information is not a large fund balance that I'm just counted based fund balance of trying to gather up these fund balances and see if there's a way we can use them in another place more efficiently is what I'm trying to find out in on page ninety seven this is the city homeless assistance grant I'm assuming that the reason that this is actually higher than what you're asking for you know appropriation is because the call of an arc of funds that came through yes okay and. Could this be used for transitional housing how we keep talking about transitional housing could this have any of these funds be used for transitional housing. Our living this merry Franklin from to day operations I think I know the answer but I want to further her. Good afternoon I'm Mary Franklin division director of Division of County operation there are four components this is emergency solutions grant funding and so it yes. I'm sorry. Of. Therefore can going to get you closer to the Mike. My apologies is better. Yes. purchasing solutions grants we can spend those funds and for components for shelter operations for homelessness prevention which is similar rental assistance rapid re housing street outreach and a small amount for an admin so I think whether or not transitional housing would qualify would depend on if it if it could be considered in one of those four components would have to get more information and probably get you back a more definitive if you could I appreciate that and my last question is going to be a one on one this is that the Medicaid tobacco settlement program I'm just curious all the monies that we're using here how have we actually improved the health of our Kansans through this. Our this this appropriation is is to help with the eligibility process for determining eligibility the funding that DHS gets from the tobacco settlement Medicaid expansion programs is in four categories it It benefit seniors aged sixty five and older through our Medicaid category called all our seniors in it benefits seniors whose income is at eighty percent of the federal poverty level or below it also increased our. Income limit for pregnant women coverage so pregnant people who are approved in pregnant women category between a hundred thirty three in two hundred percent of FTL that is one of those categories and then there is hospital there's a hospital benefit attached to this for adults who are in the hospital there it helps defray the cost out of pocket costs for individuals and helps cover the state share of some hospitalization costs and then there are five hundred slots in the community. Community and upon employment supports waiver the DDS waiver program that are funded by tobacco so. Essentially we we are improving the health of our Kansas through that program by offering those services to individuals that we were not I'm able to offer before the tobacco settlement Medicaid expansion program if I'm just at two point one always wanna be explicit about that Davis says expansion this is not the ACA Medicaid expansion population different different group and I always like to remind folks that bill the as as miss Franklin reference no this wasn't one case where it's been I guess about two years ago that we switched the funds over the duty waiver where we had some funds that they were being used and we work Charlotte rock work better re use and we use that to forget some slots for that waiver okay and one thing that you said kind of caught my attention when you're talking about the levels of poverty that these people qualify for so our elders are only at eighty percent they can even be at a hundred percent poverty. For that particular program yes ma'am that's now we do have some other programs where it might be higher like in our Medicare savings program where the state helps pay the Medicare premium and co pays and deductibles and then we also have our LTSS categories for those seniors that need Additional services beyond regular state plan services where they're they're very and I home and community based our choices are assisted late ninety we set that eighty percent. I'm just gonna save the elders in my area I mean they're usually on fixed income and we're talking to usually there will well below I'm in. Right so I would have to look back this particular part of the language has been statute for quite some time I think probably when it was initially created really the idea behind this program was that it was to be able to help individuals who might not otherwise be eligible for Medicaid so otherwise if they're eligible for Medicaid then they would be served through the traditional Medicaid program but this was set up for seniors who buy it for whatever reason have a you know be ineligible like merry six is very close example of like pregnant women who you know potentially had too many resources so that's that's really kind of the history behind it but where women were at a higher rate than what even the elders or right but certainly we're we're open to to suggestions mind if you'll talk to be offline about that because I'm kind of curious why were. Sure serving the elders thank you. Representative would recognize. The. Just said they're meant the in home page one on one I have a couple three questions own what what do these what are these thirty nine folks two. What one other job responsibilities just in general they support the eligibility determination process so we have some case workers the majority or case workers and we have some clerical support and a few supervisors. Part of this these thirty nine individuals okay is it is now Ridge program for secession or quit smoking or what no Sir they determine eligibility for Medicaid and other programs all right okay okay on you have Thirty four thousand dollar average salary and in the new request it goes up to forty two thousand so is that an eight thousand. Eight thousand dollar raise. Arson wished NO. One of yes one one. The average average but in the thirty nine is thirty four thousand and then it's going to forty positions with forty two forty yeah forty two thousand average. I would say that's just the preparation not just to allow for where the salaries are at but we're not using this to raise anyone salaries they still come in under the normal salary is another things are in place for those employees and the same is it as other eligible workers within the seo hello Mister chairman. owner you're matching services you're you're using forty one percent is that what you're is that throughout the department or is. I this my understanding yes Is consistent forty one percent so that so actually. We're we're using twenty eight in the personnel OPM assign so I guess we need to look at that. It's important yeah I know the typically the the permit the matching component there is there's a formal behind how that's calculated but essentially just from year to year into just just based on what the expected increase is and beyond that I can't tell you okay all right thank you thank you Mr chairman. Secretary what Can you give us a little bit of the process. that you're using for income verification on programs like slapping ten of and with the you feel those are going to be sufficient when you have to do the re determinations when the federal health emergency ians. What we we follow the federal guidelines as far as verification of the snap program most everything in snap is required to be verified income verified and. Utility expenses are rent expenses childcare expenses medical expenses snap snap requires verification residents verification identity verification now in our other programs it it depends on what the regulations are related to those other programs some of Medicaid is it. It just has to be considered compatible with our federal data source checks and then other programs it has to be verified it depends on the category in the rules that regulate that category you know we do use a variety of data sources for programs but those with vision workforce services for the federal government outside sources we'll get all those to do that income verification and we do believe that what we have is in place his vision for the end of the PhD no unlock melts a lot of states we've continued to verify individuals and return or eligibility throughout the public health emergency and so now we know which ones we have verified which ones have not been verified and so when the PH she ends with a focus on that population and Senate arses and work with you to get them verified or redemption program is this going to cause when it ends is going cause any kind of a my **** That will require extra staff or do you have plans for that it will be an additional workload we we've worked accommodate that with our existing staff we also vendors where we have under contract now revised surge capacity if needed. Okay thank you Mr. President speaks Alerted audit you had audit questions so they're ready to go to the table if need be but I'll let you ask the department first thank you Mr chair. Back to this audit there are some things it's really. Bothers me. There was a thirty five thousand four hundred and twenty three this could not be traced down a deposit. Can you tell me what happens is this. And speaks you can tell me which audit funding number you're looking at it says on funding finding to it was on the very first page. If I have Brett Hayes who's our office office security compliance and work these audit findings he can give you a summary of what happened there and what we've done to address okay I have a couple of questions. Britt Hayes deputy chief counsel for department Human Services so the audit finding that you were referencing was related to one check in the amount of twenty nine dollars that are three checks or CD for the your telling thirty five thousand four hundred three dollars that cannot be traced deposit It was it was my understand it was just it was one check that they could not trace and it was that was a refund that we had received a voice from office depot that just couldn't be traced from when we cash receipt it to when we deposited into the actual account. So so the words like so for ask the thirty thousand dollar figure thirty five thousand dollar figure for data if I'm if members members correct I'm reading this correctly that's the total amount of checks they look that does not with the amount of checks they found a problem with but they looked at checks totaling that amount in the identify the specific checks that could not be traced. So we don't know what happened to a it was just that one check. Right so that that one check for twenty nine dollars was it was it was received by then I thank simply lost is this the best way to put it but it is a twenty nine dollar check from office depot for a refund so out of your what you're telling me that out of that thirty five thousand four nine twenty three there was only one check that wasn't deposited. Yes. Okay the other thing that I'm asking about. So it looks like on sixty nine thousand it's C. and Tom is not get numb depa of Reseda Dannon but the bank is what this is talking about sixty nine thousand six hundred nineteen. The eighty three days before it was deposited how come yes this is a case where the staff receive the check and this did not turn over to finance staff to have to step timely. Yeah and all greater Spokane S. medicinal details of that. In representative expert I'm sorry. So the the the reality pertaining to this audit finding is that this respective division does not typically receive funding in in this warm and so that staff work necessarily in have a and a procedure for how they were going about depositing checks when we realize this issue when we receive the audit finding they now have a very set processing checks don't sit sit around what happened is that they were mailed to the division and they in essence sat for a period of time before being deposited so they just didn't ask questions but but we have we have corrected that process okay and that will not happen again. Thank you thank you Mr chair. Thank you and and you don't need to talk about it so you're happy. I haven't read through all of it I'm sorry. Okay so just let us know okay so with that will move on to item I need a motion and a motion the second all those in favor say aye. Opposed Is habits with that we'll move on item seven miss walls you're recognized. Yes. Thank you Mr the next division is the debate division of developmental disability services and they are on their department appropriation summary is on page one hundred fourteen in your manual and they have authorized appropriations of approximately one hundred and ninety five point eight million dollars with two thousand five hundred and eighty six positions and nine appropriations and they're requesting approximately two hundred and twelve million dollars in fiscal year twenty four and nearly two hundred fourteen million dollars in fiscal year twenty five with the following changes. online eight which says division of developmental disabilities services is pretty close to the bottom as their operations appropriation and their increases in salary and matching associated with changes made in the interim including re classifications of twenty positions and a title change. The executive recommendation provides for the division's requests with the following exceptions in the operations appropriation on line eight the salary matching associated with the classifications and title changes are not recommended an online for which is about a third of the way down it says autism treatment coordination ed the executive is recommending that this be discontinued the funding associated with this appropriation is transferred to the operations appropriation to be used to match federal funds and is expensed there an executive recommends that the appropriation be discontinued and that the associated funding be permanently transferred to the operations appropriation and this concludes my presentation for this division. Representative Cavenaugh you're recognized thank you Mr chair what you answered my question on one twenty two but on one twenty four with the greyhound racing going away what will happen with that fund balance once that is gone. Yes so those those funds will be going away what we are working to see if there's other funds that can be identified to help offset that purpose but otherwise since those funds are no longer there that will no longer be part of our budget. But if there is a fine balance because you're not spending their what you're getting and it looks like what happens to that fund balance where does it go to. Yeah. We'll have the division director was whether to come up to their staff force okay thank you. Unless the weather ten director for development disabilities and I have my deputy with me. Tell me Tarpley deputy director DBS. The remaining fund balances as long as the appropriation is there would be spent in accordance with the preparation for what it's been spent for in the past there would just not be additional funds from the dog track coming in to to replenish lack there was previously okay is there restrictions on how can be used. The restrictions that are in the the appropriations bill I don't have the exact language in front of me I'm sure you'll get that on that report Page one thirty. I talk about your regular salaries. Looking based upon your actual spending twenty two you're asking for an increase of nineteen point five million dollars. So part part of the issue there and Courcelette the was whether to invest properly added this is needed are the issues there is during the pandemic like other health care providers we struggled to hire staff and so we saw Arcelor line Arkansas actual expenditures drop the problem is that we have to have staff or even a bill the centers to care for those clients so we can't higher than we had looked other sources whether it's over overtime for existing employees or contract labor which is more expensive and so we had to heavily rely on contract nurses and contract workers coming into the season during that year so that's why such a large difference is that we we've had more success since then again more employees so it shifts more that spent from the contract spent the salary but that's when we can we hope to see more of in the next year is get more that the employee stock because that's cheaper for the state in the long run okay so you're gonna actually increase your salaries almost twenty million dollars. Four eight hundred and seventy eight more employees that's a hundred nine thousand dollars eight. All of this with wet and add to that. Sorry this is awkward. Representative Cavenaugh so. I don't know if you were here when I talked about this at a committee so back in twenty twenty we changed all the grades of the staff of the ACC's to raise them all to an O. three so we can put a man see in a positions and increase their salary by was around I guess six seven thousand dollars annually and set up their CNA schools and then we re classified all of the supervisors and we've switched out doctors four we traded those in and brought in a PR ends in trade and LPNs for foreign positions to have a better chance of hiring foreign positions but as secretary white said we're still heavily relying on these temp agency contract specifically for nursing and we've hired a hundred and fifty four. CNA's in the past year which is really exciting but you are correct our salaries for those employees the ACC's is increased by twenty one million dollars annually for all of the things we've put in place since twenty twenty and so you are saying that correctly unfortunately what we've had to do to retain staff has increased by twenty one million a year okay and when you were talking about that you're trying to take some of these out of like I guess. Third party payers and move them up there. I don't see a reduction in your other line so really this is just an increase you still have those other lines at the at the same appropriation level it is but the the the problem for us is that we've got to keep that capacity available to respond to conditions as they change no so that when a contract labor we can pull it in or if we if we need over time we can do that as well and it's you know it changes no as economic missions change as calm as no the situation health care labor force changes and so we just we need the flexibility to build switch because at the end of the day whether it's a state employee contract employee or whatever we've got to have a certain number of people in those residences day in day out taking care of those individuals right thank you. Representative Wooten. Thank you Mr chairman on page of one fourteen. You have a. A hundred and forty four million dollars roughly for disability services. And twenty three other fifty seven employees that's an average of sixty one thousand dollars and then over in an agency request. You have a hundred and eighty seven million four of twenty five hundred thirty five positions that seventy four thousand. So what are you increasing the puppy from sixty one to seventy four. Well as ms ones is said no we have worked over the last year or so to increase to pay for those workers in order to get workers in in the door and to keep the maths the lease we don't have any plans I believe four additional increases beyond what we've already done this is just reflect what's already been been done to try to recruit retain as a twenty five million registered. I well I representive wouldn't I think it's fair to say that our average staff member is that certified nursing assistant that's the majority of the employees that we have a DDS and we brought them from twenty two thousand dollars a year to. Twenty eight twenty seven thousand dollars a year that that's our average pay we pay employees. Right but how under under budgeted you budgeted two thousand and ninety five. You authorize twenty five eighty six but you had twenty three fifty seven. So the hundred and forty four million that's that's the entire operating budget so not just salaries that's operating expenses of which if you go back to the other page I think is twenty seven million is to normal operating that has nothing to do with salary so that's that's that's not just salaries that's all of the divisions operating exposure will what I'm asking is you budgeted two thousand and ninety five you had two thousand three hundred fifty seven and you have. So how. You okay were you authorize a hundred center okay next question I've got is on page one twenty two. Under autism treatment coordination what what it would not have any expenditures out of that okay. So representative that's the fund that miss walls was referring to so it's it's been confusing to explain to you guys when I get that question year after year because as soon as we get it we transfer it so that is the line that miss walls referring to that we're asking that it be put into the right account from the beginning because it always says zero on this page and no one understands why and that's because we transferred immediately what we're is it come for. The two hundred seventy three thousand I mean what it pays for the contract to administer the autism waiver. It comes from state general revenue state general revenue yes and what is it what is it Sir of the pay for. It pays for we you know we have them we have a several waiver programs but we have a autism waiver specifically for very young children and its administered by the university of Arkansas at fable so we pay them to license behavior applied It analysis these BCP As that do that there be the ABA therapy for kids with autism under this program is that through the university or yes you A. M. S. click at the University of Arkansas at fable it's the company that's called partners for inclusive communities what it what is the Dennis Center in Arkansas children's hospitals that tied in with this program no Sir it's not it's completely separate that program is a an evaluation and testing program that we were for a lot of parents and clients to that's connected with UAMS and children's hospital to that okay thank you Mr chairman thank you thank you representive Senator Irvin you're recognized. Thank you just add back to staffing and you still hire Retain physicians don't you are actively hiring all the time this position that you have positions as well because I heard you say you're replacing them so I just wanna make sure you still have physicians caring for these populations as well yes I probably just didn't wear that correctly we replaced him but we change them out we didn't eliminate any positions that the centers we just change the grades and try to make it more appealing for people to come there and build a better career ladder but we're actively recruiting emerging going really well on and certified nursing assistants we've seen a big uptick since we've been doing all these different efforts to increase pay and the latter but we're still just really struggling right now with nurses and okay. And how many how many doctors do you have on your staff you know we had a hard time being competitive with doctors because that the pay so we have a part time position but we are utilizing a P. R. ends at the HTC's right now to have M. A. P. R. ends on site when. Do you have I mean outside agreements with other physicians on a contract basis or anything like that in case it gets to a different specialty needs and things like that we we have a contract in place with you I am mass where they have several doctors on staff that not only can assistance at the HTC but they can assist us at nine HTC for our for our community programs they can be called in to help us okay all right thank you thank you senator. And wouldn't back to you. A owned on the nursing situation are you all pardoning within the nursing school to help direct nurses to you all or do they have a work study program with you all or what. Well we in addition to starting our certified nursing assistant program I will say that are DHS human resource office runs down every Avenue that get sent to us so they do an excellent job we actually last week came over to request turning in some LPNs cement licensed practical nurses because it's easier for us actually to hire registered nurses then it is LPNs right now so if we get that finally approved then I think that will help us registered nurses we're very competitive with the pay at the state level and they're very efficient and with COVID we've seen that higher qualification be really helpful to as at the human development centers thank you thank you Mr as a interested just to add to it as well and said so in addition to operating we actually started operating our own CNA school at the facility so that's part of our outreach and recruitment effort in terms of being able to actually train nurses on site but then it is as you also said we we partner like for example with Pulaski technical college here in Little Rock in other places at the departmental level to try to recruit and then get nurses both either to come to our schools or we also offer at times assistance to be able to help them go back to school while also working at our facility so we're we're always we're always looking for other ideas but those are just some of the things that we're currently doing thank you thank you Mr thank you seeing no further questions of motion. Motions active record second on favourite any posed motion passes moving on to item eight as well as you're recognized. Thank you Mr. Adam eight is the Division of Medical Services it's department appropriation summaries on pages one thirty five and one thirty six in your manual they have authorized appropriations of nine point seven billion dollars with one hundred and three positions and fourteen appropriations. They're requesting appropriations of one point one billion dollars in fiscal year twenty four and I'm sorry not everyone ten point one billion dollars in fiscal year twenty four and ten point six billion dollars in fiscal year twenty five I'm only going to discuss significant changes all of the significant changes are to the Medicaid appropriations and are being made to better align with the Medicaid biennium forecast I'm going to keep you on this page I'm gonna try to give you some directions to keep you with me okay online for it says six four eight Medicaid E. X. P. dash hospital and medical services this is the hospital medical services line item for the Medicaid tobacco settlement appropriation and they're requesting that this line I this appropriation be decreased by forty million dollars in both fiscal years. On the line nine which is about halfway down in the appropriation separates as eight nine seven hospital and medical services this is the line item for the Medicaid grants paying appropriation and they're requesting increases of four hundred and eighty six million dollars in fiscal year twenty four and eight hundred and eighty four million dollars in fiscal year twenty five on and the next one is prescription drugs it's eight nine seven it's right underneath that hospital medical line item and they're requesting that a decrease of seventy million dollars in both fiscal years and the next on the changes is on line eleven which is right underneath the prescription drugs line item it is eight nine seven private nursing home care this is for skilled nursing facilities and they're requesting increases of one hundred and fifteen million in fiscal year twenty four and one hundred and sixty five million in fiscal year twenty five. online thirteen which is to up from the big bowl the place where it says not requested for the biennium that is the infant infirmary appropriation and they're requesting a decrease of sixteen million dollars in both fiscal years and then the last one is the last line that there were appropriation of the recommending is for public nursing home care it's the last one eight nine eight on the very very bottom and if they're at requesting a decrease of forty million dollars in both fiscal years and the executive recommendation provides for all of the divisions requests throughout and this concludes my presentation for this division. Representative wouldn't you're recognized. My question is thank you Mr my question on page one thirty five. That you have is seventy one million actual or seven the two million actual expenses in the Medicaid is this is this is account were you refund money or payments back to the hospital. No rest within this is for paying for Medicaid expenditures related to individuals who come to eligibility through that tobacco expansion program we talked about earlier. So. What what do we. Well we have two hundred million and now we're kind of the two forty. He spent or you budgeted under nine and now you're you're your requested four hundred and sixty million and you only spent seventy one I guess I kind of as well trying to get into right what way we are reducing so we can get closer to the actual amount or movements no so the additional preparation this release Morty the other piece the program at the end of the interest the argument is there depend on what the make up of our population looks like is a specially with no the coming expected in a public health emergency no we we have some guesses about what the population will look like over all but there's a lot of very ability there and so if we end up having more people in these categories that stay on the parent others then Willie that additional preparation but who so is it are these individuals you speak of these the ones you're doing a survey on now to see. They're eligibility relative to before and after the health emergency they are part of that group yes Sir okay on thank you Mr. Thank you represent to fight. Thank you Mr chair my question is about the intent infirmary I know the costs are not going down so why is that reduced. The last turn that page so I saw this on page one sixty nine. Yes this is a situation where much like with the last line item we're asking to be able to better line the appropriation with regard to this funding at this particular funding line item based on the forecast as it relates to those individuals that are currently utilizing services. And I would say those facilities I believe they they would receive funding from other preparation lines as well all right just that one. The chairman rice you're recognized. Thank you in regards to the nursing home closures that we had in the past is there any outstanding liabilities that we have orders or anything on the rise right now that it's concerning what is a pretty stable. All right so there's always you know we're always continuing to work with facilities both your within this state and then you know separately the federal government also does their own monitoring and so we have been working with those facilities both that we monitor as well the federal government and with the associations at this point you know there's not a particular facility that we're concerned you know in terms in the next few days or few weeks but you know that we know it's a very you know we know it's a big challenge out there was some of the work force issues so we do continue to monitor and work with those facilities. Thank you. Just on your overall bottom line of this I mean obviously you're going up. Roughly half a billion dollar increase in your total but you already you already had close to half a billion dollars cushion over actual expenses. And and that's almost half a billion each year of the biennium. Can you not get a little bit closer to the the actual spend especially with your ability to request transfers four times a year between appropriations. What two one one I think the are our biggest issue right now again is that public health emergency no that we in the the pharmacist says it will end when that happens we just don't know as long as going on I mean are enrollment is larger than the normal because we've not built or move individuals from the rolls no this for about twenty percent over where we were when the pandemic started a course in that it that has raised expenditures as well and so that's that's going to be the key determining factor you know it may be that if if they go ahead and ended this spring that we will see a lower expenditure level going into no. Parley first about animus especially second you're the biennium but not knowing that that will lead what's that that would leave the some uncertainty and we strive you prepared for that in terms of the the transfers in our the divisions that resources are reallocation forty does help us in in meeting needs and filling gaps slow or difficult here just because the size of the dollars that we're talking about it so if if that federal emergency is declared at an end does that also change the reimbursement rate at that time it does it does run over getting an additional six point two percent on our traditional Medicaid population as well as an additional amount Ark ship population and that was that PhD expires that goes away. And and that will kick in that six point two percent on the extra twenty percent enrollees automatically or or how many do you expect to those to fall off. That that's a good question we know there's about as of right now there's about three hundred and eighty thousand or so that we have tried REDETERMINED and I've not been able to and so we have extended their eligibility now it may be that they're no longer eligible it's also possible they are eligible and just didn't respond to us and at this point all we do is guess at which of those two it is but we are expecting are conservative estimate is that will no one will lose I would guess maybe fifteen percent of those so in the end I'm thinking you'll see a drop of anywhere from no sixty two hundred twenty thousand but that is again that is a very the Ralph park estimate yes absolutely thank you. See no further questions I have a motion executive wrecked and second on favor I any posed motion carries takes us to item nine miss walls you are recognized. Thank you Mr chair annexes the Division of provider services and quality assurance and their department appropriation summaries on page one hundred and seventy four they have authorized appropriations of twenty point seven million dollars two hundred eleven positions and three appropriations and they're requesting appropriations of twenty one point four million dollars in fiscal year twenty four and twenty one point six million dollars in fiscal year twenty five and changes in two of their three appropriations on lines one and two there's the Medicaid tobacco settlement program appropriation for this division and that DHS I've been paying account which is their operations appropriation and they're requesting slight increases in salary a matching in both of those appropriations that are associated with position changes that were made in the interim and executive recommendation provides for these divisions requests and this concludes my presentation for this division. Right see no questions I have a motion. The motion is that correct second all in favor aye. Imposed motion carries item ten missiles you're recognized thank you Mr chair the final division is the Division of Youth Services and their department appropriation summaries on page one eighty two they have authorized appropriations as seventy point six million dollars with ninety nine positions and five appropriations and they're requesting appropriations at eighty one million dollars in fiscal year twenty four and eighty one point nine million dollars in fiscal year twenty five with changes in three of the appropriations and if you look in the middle of that top boxes as federal child and you services grants and that's on line three there's a four million dollar increase in both years for federal funding associated with the expanded in home services program. on the next line of for residential services that's online for their increases of five point eight million dollars in fiscal year twenty four and six point six million dollars in fiscal year twenty five for increases in pharmacy costs anticipated increases in the residential services contract that will be repeated soon and the opening of a twenty bed complex cases unit. And then finally in their operations appropriation which online fives Division of Youth Services they're requesting increases in salary and matching for changes made in the interim and potential wage increases the executive recommendation provides for the division's requests with the exception of the salary and matching associated with the potential wage increases which are not recommended and this concludes my presentation of the Department. Thank you Kercher rice you're recognized. On the facilities that the youth or. Hello Stan of. Thankfully we've not had things in the news things settle down can you tell me something as part what the population is now what change there isn't that what what kind of an update on our our cost with the inflation and all kinda where we had on those. Yes Sir all it directs meet the press that one thing I do is we'll put out there excise one make sure everybody understands this the contract for those facilities is procured to spend about seven years now so are reaching the end of that contract we're getting ready re procure that and the rate we're paying is the rate that was negotiated seven years ago so we are expecting to increase when we recruit that contract and that's why we ask for some additional as your funding for the Division assembly that out there just so everyone keeps that in mind with that I'll turn the Director Smith. And and I was just sad Senator Rice as. We actually you know you've been with us through a lot of times especially if they're in Mansfield and we have done we've done a lot of work in that area so we are grateful for the fact that we haven't seen the number of incidents and definitely not the number of children leaving the facility what we have seen over the past couple years as our our census did go down considerably during the pandemic we are seeing an increase now so we are starting to see our numbers grow but we are still at a number where we feel like we can still maintain what our primary concern is is what secretary white reference which is it is time again for us to re bid those facilities and our understanding especially when we look at other states is that the rates for housing children is going up across the country and so we're going to have to be able to accommodate that so that we can continue to have a provider that provides a level of care that we we need for our kids. Richard David forward vision with you know as it comes online thank you Sir. See no other questions motion. In a motion executive wrecked the second all in favor aye any posed motion carries. Thank you that takes us to item eleven. Secretary of state's office. Misspent. You are recognized. To begin your presentation. Mr chairman the secretary of state's office is going to be in a little small packet of papers that you have on your desk of it says secretary of state. I like to allow your packet members. Go ahead okay I am presenting today the secretary of state's office again it's from that packet begins on page one eighteen I'll direct your attention to page one twenty this shows the appropriations there are twelve appropriations for this agency four of these have changed levels the requesting about thirty nine million dollars each year of the biennium there will be no executive recommendation on these agencies the first one with the change level is found on page one twenty one this is their operations appropriation. He is funded from the state Central Services they're requesting about twenty two million each year of the biennium it's salary in match adjustments made in the current biennium being requested to continue into the next biennium then on page one twenty two. Of this is of high hopper the help America vote act title to. It's funded from federal funds they're requesting four million for each year of the biennium they're decreasing this to be more in line with the funding expenditures that they've had in the past the third one with the changes found on page one twenty six is the campaign filing and reporting system is funded also from St Central Services they're requesting about one point one million for each year of the biennium this is a new appropriation it'll be used for building the campaign contribution and expenditure filing system and then the last one is the electronic filing system cache is found on page one twenty nine and the agency is asking to discontinue this appropriation so those are the request being made by the secretary of state. Right the representative Cavenaugh you. If you have a question for the agency. If we could have somebody from secretary of state's office. Him up. Please state your names for the record. And. Thank you Mr chair Kirk Nauman secretary of state business office director. Jordan you are secretary of state assistant business office director. Isn't Cavenaugh you're recognized thank you so much my first question going to be on page one twenty six which is dealing with the campaign filing and reporting system The New appropriation you're asking like four million ninety three dollars or something like that the online reporting the highest that we ever spent on that was five hundred and seventy eight thousand and some change why are we needing more for this than we did for that. Thank you for the question this is an entirely new system that we have initiated partly partly at the request of the legislature of senator Johnson last session passed a bill that ask us to look at the system for those of you use the system though it has quite a few king Senate and it's nearing its end of life cycle and like everything else unfortunately the cost to provide the same type and hopefully a better system has increased the actual contract itself that was signed was for nine hundred ninety seven thousand dollars the amount of the one million eighty three thousand includes the first year maintenance and that was the competitive bid that we selected through a formal process okay and on page one twenty seven would just add man and maintenance you've got a large fund balance there of one point two million dollars you're spending twenty two was only eight thousand dollars. First of all what are your various administrative and maintenance I guess X. Bense's but. What we can be able to do with that fund balance. This fund is in regard to the parking lot that we maintain on wood lane and love like most projects of this nature when it comes to a major projects like repaving or completely re doing it it's it's a very expensive task is so we try to build the fund balance as much as we can so that we're able to award that contract yet in in in whole instead of trying to piecemeal it that's the reason for such a large balance in that fund and that's what we are authorized to spend money for okay and on page one thirty which is the grants for the voting systems. You're asking for an appropriation for ten million it shows in twenty two you spent one point two five eight million. But your historic Spender heist had been and twenty for nine point one million. How many machines have not been replaced. As of this point in time all seventy five counties have County a quick meant that was purchased at least in part or in whole through the secretary of state's office all seventy five counties have a Quitman like most equipment some of this was bought in two thousand sixteen that was the initial funding so what we want to do is build an account that is consistent throughout the years for replacements of that first generation legacy equipment and also to be able have funding that can be utilized for areas of high growth were new machinery additional machinery is used we've reduced it to ten million dollars a believes twelve million dollars last year phones is staying consistent at ten million. Okay but that's mainly to allow for the reception of any federal funding that we get for that particular Quitman. Okay and how much do you project you'll have to spend for New equipment that I do not know what we're doing is we're waiting until after the election and we're going to try to figure out the from the counties what their needs are and first utilize what we have remaining and hobble funds and also project what the annual maintenance agreement is for the counties that the state pays on their behalf so that will hopefully when the session starts will have a better feel for exactly what that on going costs is are going to be from year to year moving forward okay and on page one thirty one this is the Arkansas video service fund you've not had any standing there since seventeen eighteen. That is not really doing with this that is correct this is a fee that's collected on various companies that provide video services there's a small pool of those companies that are assess this fee it's such a small fund at this point that during our administration we've not utilized any of that money what we're hoping to do like most things is let it build to an amount that is going to be usable for a larger project hopefully since it's collected by BCS were thinking maybe it could be utilized by them to enhance and augment what they need and and systems material. Okay so it's a fee that someone's paying you but we're not utilizing it. So we don't want to give it back to those people that are actually paying that since we're not using it I believe would be amenable to a suggestion if okay that's legislatively per it's such a pittance really for yes five thousand that the it's the it's still in that account because we really haven't got a sufficient amount to use for anything of back to K. and on page one thirty two this is the US statutory hall trust fund have the the have the actual stage where he's been paid for are they all is all but expense done we are in progress right now it as most of you know there are two statues one is of Johnny Cash the others of daisy Bates and we're at the point now with Johnny Cash where the actual clay full size model has been submitted to the architect of the capitol and approved and the sculptor Mr Benjamin Victor has sent that to his casting company so that the bronze statue can actually be paid his contract is in four phases he's completed two faces of the contract the soon as the statue is Bronston sent to Washington it in re received the approval on that he'll get his third phase the statue of Johnny Cash its the full size clay model has been completed the architectural design is being sent at this at this very moment to the architect of the capitol so as soon as we get them to approve then missed Kevin Cressy will be able to send that to his casting so right now we've spent about three hundred and seventy five thousand dollars of a projected nine hundred fifty thousand budget and both statues or imminently in the process of being cast themselves okay so when do you expect that to project to be done in twenty four or you could you're requesting that all way up to twenty five it is given the nature of. Of the unpredictability of having to deal with the federal Congress and also any supplier chain things that may happen COVID we built in a little bit longer on the back end to bleed into the next fiscal year we're hopeful that we can get this done this fiscal year daisy Bates probably will be first in the spring city gonna be late spring early summer for the Johnny Cash that you it that the latest so we did carry this over into next year out of the over abundance of caution okay and if you don't mind if you could also give me a report on your fund balances I'd like to know your fund balances the source of those funds and any restrictions are on those funds. If you can just send that to staff and they'll get it to me. Would be glad to okay thank you so much thank you representative representative Fortner you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman a my question is about the national national statuary collection trust as well are there any funds. At this time to bring the other statues home and what is the plan for the statues yes Sir thank you for the question all the funding that we have received for the entire project has been either from donations that have been made by donors individuals and by any and C. R. C. grant from the Arkansas historic preservation program as part of the requirements of the statuary process we are required to bring those statues back to the state of Arkansas therefore we budgeted that amount into the entire project at this point in time we've reached out several of folks who might be interested receiving those statues and the latest discussion at this point is to have the cemetery in which both figures or buried it they've talked about receiving those statues and putting them on display there but we are certainly open to suggestion. Follow. Are those statues state property or where are they someone has someone funded in the past and they on the way the process works now it's when you created the statue you donated to the federal government and it becomes their property and at the point of time when the new statues or delivered in the old ones are brought back it reverts back to the state. Become state property at that point in time okay thank you. Representable. You're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman my questions page one twenty. You you reduce your budget. But you're requesting Roughly. Fifteen fifteen sixteen million dollars more than you expended in actual for what it. One one and then the CVS Grenz. OR one point three million and you've got ten million budgeted. What what what what the difference. What what are your budgeting twenty three million or. Thirty nine million when your own expended twenty four. And then and that one item is about eight nine eight the half million dollar difference one point two compared to ten minutes. Thank you representative wouldn't and in regards specifically to the CVS grant we have left the appropriation larger in anticipation that we may receive some funds that are not necessarily offer related that will need a housing system within our budget because it has been a pattern that we have received money to take both pay for a collection equipment maintenance and also pay for a new election equipment which is why we have left it higher and at the ground that it has been in the time the Secretary there's and it's been an office we have reduced that appropriation from twelve million to ten million it is remaining the same as it was last biennium. I believe it was two maybe three years ago and ACT eight oh eight we received a significant portion of money from the state that was housed in this in this funded that helped us pay for a large portion of new election for mentor of the state as well and so in anticipation that we may receive something similar or have talks or something similar in this by any and we wanted to leave that option open and be ready to provide that to the state should we receive some sort of finding the then answers the C. B. S. question what about the fifteen million the thirty nine point three million versus expenditure of actual or twenty four. Well well what are we budgeting. And tying up fifteen million dollars more than we're spending. I understand to the three million but. Just looking at our budget right now I think that if you add up the differences. Close to eight and half nine million dollars for that CVS grant the natural a national statuary hall is another seven hundred thousand dollars an appropriation it probably will not be used as we have with us Garner. The question I'm asking you what are you budgeting thirty nine point three million when you own expense and expended twenty four million. I know I've already spoken to the CVS grants all just reference it briefly that represents about eight and a half million of the difference in the fifteen million that we're talking about in addition we had about one point five million that was originally budgeted for the ninety one electronic filing system cash fund that was originally appropriated and intended to be used alongside the sealed bid competitive bidding process for the new CC any system that has since been awarded an actual determination of the cost of the funding would happen and that has now changed to become the campaign filing and reporting system for the one point would just under one point one one million eighty three thousand six hundred ninety seven dollars that money was not expended in the previous by and because the project was not awarded until just a few months ago as of right now we sent about a hundred thirty thousand and we are on I believe phase five of the project to build the new system with the vendor so that port that additional million will be used hopefully by the end of this biennium it might it would it will hopefully be used by the end of this fiscal year with anticipation that might believe for the first six months into next fiscal year in addition due to delays and different of. Experimentation with the system and process dimming the system there may be changes that have happened so we have requested the appropriation for the full biennium to ensure that we're able to pay associated costs with that system in addition there is the admin and maintenance B. ninety seven appropriation that we have only spent eight thousand dollars and as listed in the twenty one twenty two year that is appropriate for three hundred seventy five thousand that fund is almost entirely used for refunds associated to fees that are collected by our PCS Division including franchise fees court filing fees of notaries Exeter that can sometimes be quite large and therefore having the appropriation available is is necessary to get consumers timely refunds if it becomes necessary while filing with that system and that brings us to about ten and a half million. And then as as current head suggest Mr now in its adjusted the a national statuary hall is about another seven hundred fifty thousand dollars you're pointing to the. There's also the increase in the harbor which takes into account another million dollars an appropriate in funding that they provided to us and then an increase in the salaries as part of the operations so you went to the you're saying that you anticipate spending fifteen million more next year. Is that what we're saying we are budgeting that should funding become available largely through the federal government and then also with three so you are you so you're are you saying that you're going to spend the a and a half million and the CBS of. We do not know if we will or not it's going to be based on what the county's needs are going to be and what the federal government is going to provide to us in grant funding at this point we do not know the answers to either of those questions so we kept the appropriation pretty high up you for those Potential C. expenditures thank you thank you Mr chairman thank you thank you representive. There there is no executive recommendation on this having no other questions got a motion for agency you're recognized. The second. Any discussion on favor I. Opposed. Motion carries. The folks that wraps up our budget hearings for twenty twenty to sing other business where adjourned.