ALC-PEER

Chair sees a quorum will go ahead and get this meeting started. First item on the agenda is we need to suspend the rules to allow the supplemental agenda I'd entertain I've got a motion and a second all in favor aye Nays does have it. All right. Start with item be. Thank you madam chair in section B. the use or the various temporary appropriation requests the first item is B. wants a letter from the department of labor licensing professional bill Boston licensing board this is requesting Peace preparation by thirty thousand any spending thirty allow the board to replace an aging vehicle the board is what about fees license renewals penalties an extra charge on bonds dedicated to the board the next item B. two is from the Department agriculture this is for four hundred thousand the new spending thirty allow the department to cover increased expenses for wildland fire suppression such as fuel and those are maintenance the appropriation supported by ten percent tax fire protection tax federal funds prescriber and fees and seedling into Purcell's. Next item B. three is a letter from the department of commerce securities department this requests for twelve thousand and it's to partner with economics Arkansas in the Walton family foundation to implement the stock market game for students in secondary schools is activities supported by fines and penalties. The force is on page five the letter from the department of corrections division of correction and this request is for three million and it's to replace older equipment use repair and serve inmate mills this progression support by generating new and fees from contracting with counties. B. five is a letter from again corrections this is the division of community correction and this is for four point three million the Senator to be allowed Division to construct renovate and equip skews me quick new beds for the White River correctional facility last month your nails the approved a fund transfer trying transfer for this purpose and this is from the inmate care because the fund today's questions for the spending authority. B. six is a letter from a corrections division he correction again it's for ninety eight thousand and this is to cover costs associated with expanding the instances supervision program the funding for this activity was provides month by peer Nailsea through a rainy day fund transfer. B. seven is letter from the school for the blind's for seventy two thousand and this is to spend salary savings from registered nurses and licensed practical nurse positions being vacant the entire year it's probation supported primarily Budget Revenue. B. eight is a letter from the Department fractions is for two point five million it's been it's already and this is to spend the previous rainy day transfer staffers of the Department and verify the funds are for the county jail reimbursements. B. nine is a letter from labour and licensing this is for fifty five thousand is beneath already and according to the letter the newspaper he would be utilized for operating expenses staff did reach out and learn the department needs new appropriation because of increased operating costs. B. ten is a letter from the private public safety needs for fifteen thousand and would allow the department to participate in the governor's internship program. Eleven this items pull by agency requests but we do have one more request for various preparation it's on the supplemental agenda so if you go to a one on the supplemental agenda and that is on page. So on page four The Village into. And it's a letter from the department corrections division of correction answer requests increase their preparation by eleven million. this is penny thirty will allow the department to continue to pay operating expenses that have increased letter notes they have one point two million in appropriation remaining the original preparation levels fifty three million for the committee's information peer Nailsea increase the same item last month by ten million the request was replaced preparation that was exhausted to purchase COVID related items secures funding. And your those are all the very Sebring progression quests all right thank you representative Dotson you're recognized. Thank you madam chair this might be for staff on item the five to four point three million dollars. Do you know how many how many new beds we're talking about constructing equipping. No. This thread to defer that to the agency okay. If they are available if I could have someone with the agency please come to the table. All right if you would please state your name for the record. Good morning Jerry Bradshaw director division of community correction. What Wembley chief finance officer of department of corrections all right thank you you're recognized Dotson thank you did you over to your right did you hear the question there yes Sir the final construction they'll be a hundred and fifty beds and those beds will turn over four times a year so six hundred beds two year excellent and how soon do you expect those to come online. We are interviewing for architect right now sorry about the start that process so I'm thinking of early two thousand twenty four okay thank you. All right do I have any other questions for them while they're at the table on any of the items for the department of corrections. All right seeing none thank you. I write will go through these real quick are there any questions on item B. one. B. two. B. three department of commerce we've got before corrections five is correction six is corrections what about B. seven department of education. At eight is corrections not as department of labor department of labor licensing or B. ten department of public safety. All right seeing no questions I would entertain a motion to approve help we've got one more I forgot on the supplemental agenda a one of their any other questions about that. All right seeing none out of I'd entertain a motion to approve the Adams the one three ten on the regular agenda and items a one on the supplemental agenda. Got a motion and a second all in favor aye any opposed nay the motion carries all right we'll move on to item C.. Image at the where to send the subliminal genex Bill one more item there okay infrastructure fund requests so the next page page five the subliminal agenda. So someone will be one is a request from the department of public safety is for seventy five thousand in our preparation for this infrastructure funds and they would use the funds for public awareness campaigns data collection and analysis for highway problem identification and support of enforcement efforts and see bill distracted driving speeding and impaired driving laws this is all part of the highway safety program. All right thank you are there any questions on item B. one on the supplemental agenda. All right I've got a motion to approve and a second all in favor say aye. Pose native. All right the ayes have it motion carries. I thank you madam chair in the next section subsection C. American rescue plan ACT preparation quest the first items on page two C. one this is Arkansas tech university and this is request to reallocate previously awarded appropriation university request moving fines and nineteen thousand to provide specialized support for hybrid or online at high flex course during of course delivery they also request the purpose the foundation four thousand from an H. fact project capital outlay and they'll be go to a wifi project with the same within the same spending category. The next item is seeks to this is on page five it's for you CA it's four one point one eight nine million and the fund's of use replace lost revenue from the spring twenty twenty two semester. Next item is. On page eight Z. three four universe Arkansas community college at rich mountain is for four hundred seven thousand and funds to be used for institutional resilience examples of this are provided in the back of document such as salary for COVID retention specialists and commercially PS for business operations funds also use for technology related expenses provide assistance to students and for reimbursement for indirect costs incurred. Next item is C. for and that is on page eleven this is for the department Education Division of career and technical education this request is for three hundred seventy five thousand and the funds be used to redistribute state salaries to to serve career and technical programs at local schools educational crop of cooperatives increase enters. Nicks vitamin C. five is on page thirteen actually C. five and C. six are both for the university of Arkansas community college at Morrilton C. five is request to spend two hundred sixty seven thousand and C. six is request a reality previously ordered appropriation The new funds to be used for H. FAQ upgrades technology needs and to reimburse the campus for indirect costs the reallocation is taking funds from salaries extra help matching operate expenses to help pay for the H. FAQ upgrading capital outlay into pay lost revenue reimbursement. Nicks I will be C. seven. C. seven is on page seventeen this for DHS to mission of aging it's request to establish a DHS program coordinator position to expand access to peer recovery support services as part of the first episodes psychosis early serious mental illness pilot program just like with image Jesus the funds will not be used to replace federal funds when such funds expired unless later appropriated by the General Assembly as the request notes one C. eight this is page eighteen this is the chess Division of age again it's request for four hundred twenty nine thousand funds be used to purchase rapid covetous certifications for nonprofits to administer tests employee stress management activities and installing temporary structures for quarantines the request explains the work force for twenty four hour facilities to provide services to mentally ill adult and seriously emotionally abused children is facing burnout and these measures are intended to address staff issues. All right thank you do I have any questions was go through when times were quick on C. one Arkansas tech. C. two you see a. C. three. Committee college Ridge mountain C. for department of ed. C. five and C. six Arkansas community college at Morrilton. C. seven DHS or C. eight DHS. All right seeing no questions not entertain a motion to approve. All right motion and a second all in favor say aye opposed nay the ayes have it the motion carries will move on to item the. The manager section the of the rainy day fund release request I was only one item it's a letter from the governor transfer one million to the division of higher education the funds be used to provide scholarships through the governor's higher education transition scholarship program. All right are there any questions on this item. All right. Seeing none I'd entertain a motion to approve. Got a motion and a second all in favor say aye. Opposed nay motion carries item is approved will move on to items for review. The man chair section II this is an appropriation or fund transfer there's only one items for department transportation its request to transfer fifty million in spending forty from operating expenses and send forty million that's Cappelli and ten million to persons services matching letter knows the Trancers are needed due to current expenditure projections. All right thank you are there any questions on this item. All right see none of the item will stand is reviewed. Moving on to Adam if. Thank you madam chair inspection of these are the cash appropriation request originally won the agendas for you a mess for a hundred and thirty five million an increase of any authority and this is needed due to increased expenses associated with contract labor nursing pay and rising costs of supplies and drugs. All right thank you a chair eighty eight not sure where that. Senator Hammer you're recognized the manager could we get you M. S. to the table please you bet I could have someone please come to the table from UAMS. And if you will please state your name for the record and senator Hammer you'll be recognized. Good morning I'm Michael Carrick with the office of institutional relations at UAMS. Thank them chair morning glory Sir question I have is along the lines of the contract you have with travelling nurses I got word that you a message terminating all the contracts are not renewing a contract with the travelling nurses that are currently there can you speak to that and clarify where that's true or not we evaluate those contracts as they come up if we have an opportunity to utilize staff that is your local and not necessarily travel we would prefer to do that because we want obviously we want permanent employees we've seen a a change in the market right because of the change in the band throughout the market but our preference is to have permanent UAMS employees as nurses does that mean we're going to terminate all of the contracts as they come up no that means will be evaluated at that time to see where our staffing levels are and if if it continues to be necessary to have can you advise just where that you feel you have enough local nurses to back fill the contracts that you're going to terminate or what kind of time frame are you we are operating we are constantly and consistently recruiting and we're in a very competitive market right now and our goal is to try and fill those as quickly as we can with local people are thank you thank you Mr thank you are there any and any other questions. All right seeing none thank you. All right that item stands as reviewed will move on to item G. thank you madam chair in section G. the is the budget classification transfer request the first one is for northwest Arkansas community college its request to transfer eight hundred fifty thousand from operating expenses professional fees the transfer will allow I'm sorry will provide spending authority for contracted trainers and software implementation next item G. two is for department labor licensee this the board of accountancy it's a transfer of four thousand from property expenses to conference and travel and this will correct an accounting issue on how to co travel expenses as instructed by the FNA. Next item number three is the from a alcoholic beverage control initiation this transfer is three thousand from confident travel operatives Ince's and this is the cover operating expenses according to the request. Nicks item transformation sure services it's fifteen thousand for professional fees the capital outlay and this transfers are purchased a van for pickup and deliveries of state property. number five is the from a regulatory division it's twenty four thousand for a conference and travel and professional fees to operating expenses and this is to cover operating expenses. G. six is Department labor licensing it's a transfer of ten thousand for confident traveled are pretty expenses and this is another transfer to ensure adequate preparation for operating expenses. All right thank you are there any questions on any of those budget classification transfers. All right seeing none will just mark that item as reviewed we want to item H. thank you madam chair in the miscellaneous federal grant request section of the first item is for the Department education division of career and technical education it's requests for eight thousand eight hundred twenty five an appropriation to spend federal funds they have a grant from the US department of education that requires travel to national conferences in this items under president fairly funded. Next item is for DHS division county operations it's four two hundred seventy one thousand they have a grant from the USDA to offer education and job readiness training for snap participants is I requires a fifty percent state Matt I'm sorry if the president matches contributed by third party provider. The next item is for DHS again Division county operations this is for three hundred forty six thousand it's another grand view CA that is also for snap implement training and in this request if fifty percent match is made with state general revenue. A number four is the department of labor licensing this is division of labor it's four twenty six thousand they have a grant from the federal Department labor to correct previous coding expenses the request explains equipment was purchased in operating expenses but should have been charged against capital outlay he did not have the capital alley line item for fiscal twenty two so establishing this will allow them to recall the expenses. All right thank you are there any questions on any of the items H. one through four. This is the easiest meeting ever have seen none will mark that item is reviewed and we'll move on to item I. Thank you ma'am severance pay plan there are fifteen request for pay plan appropriation on today's agenda totaling five hundred and sixty thousand most of the requested you to fiscal year twenty performance increases in other salary adjustments the three largest requests are too and you said four thousand for administrative office of the courts hundred eighteen thousand for the Supreme Court and forty five thousand for the court of appeals. All right thank you are there any questions on the paper on the performance funds on item I. All right seeing none will mark that item is review will move on to item J. thank you madam chairs on one item at a in a section jade's for overtime requests for appropriation this one's for the Arkansas state police and the request is overtime is needed in the crimes against children division. Thank you are there any questions on item J.. All right seeing none will mark that item is review I move to item K.. The manager reports now there's no action this is just filed for committee information of the first one K. one is that the chess inter agency interventionist and transfers and it shows all the Trancers is required and special language this report shows three point one million entrances for the last two quarters. K. two is the Office of Attorney General cash settlement fund report and it shows the quarterly cash account activity report details for settlements and shows a balance of cash funds on the first page and cash receipts and disbursements of the next pages as well as transaction detail report. K. three is for state police it's report shows asset forfeiture expect expenditures for each quarter of the fiscal year the first pages a portion of a hundred thirty two thousand expenditures for the third quarter and that's out of the TPC zero one hundred fund this is a fun for federal asset forfeitures and on the second page show zero expenditures and in the same quarter for that TPC zero two hundred fun and that is the fun for state asset forfeitures. K. four and K. five or both of these are the federal grant applications and awards report and the show all the applications work by state agencies in the third quarter of the state fiscal year twenty twenty two madam chair those are all the quarterly reports. All right Senator Rice you're recognized of phone okay for our own department of transportation's safety state safety oversight program by going to have. Just a brief description of the. All right if I can get. Someone up to the table on that. At. Ownership of I'll get it off line yes so we can begin nothing they stepped out for just a moment when you have to come back here in a moment. Are there any other questions on item K.. All right we'll come back to Adam K. for all we want to Adam ill. Thank you manage ever in the month reports down the first one L. one is a surplus income and distribution report of this report shows sources of unobligated funds and then the distributions from the or so sorry for the rainy day restrict reserve in long term reserve fund as of the end of April the rainy day fund shows eight point two million and distributions and a balance of eight point two nine million there are strict reserve fund shows a hundred and thirty three million distributions an overall balance of eighty seven point seven nine million the total catastrophic reserve fund balances one point two billion. L. two is the budget stabilization trust fund report and it shows cash flow loans throughout the fees throughout the fiscal year as of the end of April there are sixteen point five million outstanding loans and cash balances a hundred seventy three million. L. three tobacco settlement report this report gives a summary of income fund balances investments actual payments to the state and on the second page all expenses by fiscal year. L. for is a state Central Services Fund report and it shows the fund balance and disbursements as well as expenditures of each agency supported by the fund. And L. five it is the American recovery plan report. this the first page of the portion requests that were approved by the A. R. P. steering committee that the state has discretion in awarding according to the report this you committee has approved seventeen thirty eight point six million requests and the remaining balance appropriations eight hundred and sixty one million. On the fourth page begins attaching a and that's report A. R. P. funds were sent directly to state agencies from various federal entities according to the report one point four three billion appropriation has been awarded for these funds. The last five pages are attachment B. and this is a report of a R. P. funds that were sent directly to institutions of higher education according to the report three hundred and twenty million appropriation has been awarded and the remaining balance for preparation for both state agencies and institutions for the direct federal awards is two point eight billion. All right thank you are there any questions on the monthly reports Senator Chesterfield you're recognized yes madam chair may I ask a question of the Department of it yes we have these balances available yes Dr anyone with department of ed they can come up. I'm getting the evil eye and he gives it to me all the time I just refuse to look at. If I take off my glasses and for the trip. If you would please state your name for the record. Thank you Greg Rogers department education Hey how are you this morning all right how you senator recognizes you're welcome. It is come to my attention that there might be possible cuts to the A. Ellie program arch Ford in an and I'm not sure if that's true. But in light of the balance of the fund balances that we have if it is true why. I don't know they're supposedly going to be cut from a hundred fifty students a allowed and they help in there in the arch forty Ali program down to thirty or I've been getting those calls would you be so kind as to find out about that and get back with me that yes ma'am and that it is delisting rule changes that but they're not cutting the number of students they can have this deal with the class size that they can have okay due to some of those being virtual or not at the on the campus everyday that I can get those the rules are actually being review tomorrow so I can get that for you thank you thank you madam chair thank you always good to see you. All right are there any other questions on that. All right. Seeing none all with me go back to you senator rice's question we were on K. for on the Arkansas department of transportation line could do I have someone from the FNA that might come up in attempt to answer questions. We can try at least let me get the questions asked and then if you can't answer it we can request that that be answered and sent out. Please state your name for the record. The manager Robert Precht. Senator Rapert you're recognized. Thank you Robert I will if you enjoyed what I've I've been consistent with with the. DOT in questioning when the USDOT gives a pretty good chunk of money to find out what exactly that we agree to to get that money is there anything in your step the tales that is nothing I'm aware of but I can certainly try to find and I'll get that information to that's does want some description on Insurance lot others nothing we go about it but I have found out and I've seen some things in other states that they agreed to a pot of money that. related to Arkansas Staff that concerning sure thank you. If you could please give that help help us get that answer and we'll get it out to the committee sure thank you our thank you. Ups Senator Irvin you're recognized just questions from staff on L. five on the artists during committee S. State recovery state fiscal recovery funds where it M. unders under date funding approved by the Arkansas during committee where it says add not applicables. Can you explain. Why those will be not applicable or is that a direct funding without this during going through the steering committee. I'm looking on L. five like on page two. Senator your friend to the UAMS yes that and then there's several others on paid on the next couple of pages. I believe because these are sub grants so these are for if you look into the purpose you'll see these are a RPA subgraphs from DHS from the O. H. and from ADC so I'm assuming I had a whole given a up to inches more specifically but if you look in under those to departments you'll see the grants that were awarded to them and then they were sub grant out to these UAMS today so I have a preparation in order to spend it so that's why we have the preparation or to them. We've had several of those incidents where one department received the federal A. R. P. amount but then they have to separate out to other divisions but they both need to have a corporation it's been the same funds at that appropriation given to the first entity to then distribute that to the next entity expenses okay I understand that I'm just curious as to if the steering committee understood or knew that all of these. These amounts were going to be given to the to these entities Prior to the approval of the big chunk of money on gas I had to defer that to the to the steering committee or from even a okay. Adam got someone coming up to the table for you Senator Irvin. Please state your name for the record. Alink night DFA. Senator I think you the the list that you're referring to pages. One and two are. Proposals that were presented to the to the steering committee that were approved by the steering committee of the the state's portion of that first charge of seven hundred eighty six million dollars that we received with the rest direct the rest are direct the restore directed thank you they don't flow through the steering committee that directly to the agencies institutions and we we tracked them for compliance and for records but they don't appear before the steering committee for essential okay gotcha that's I just wanted to see what the okay that makes sense to me thank you for the clarification are and if you will just hold there for just a moment I've got Senator Hammer Senator Hammer you're recognized thank you Mr maybe along the same lines but on L. five on the. Money that was distributed to the hospitals and to the care facilities I noticed that some of them if I read the report right have used at all some still have remaining fund allocation sitting out there do you know if there are other ones that have allocation funds sitting up there do you know if there's invoices coming down the line that's going to take that money away. Senator Hammer we haven't we haven't received any notification that they're going to turn those funds back so we would assume that they're gonna continue to have to be able to utilize those I mean there's there are is criteria around how they can be utilized if they and if they can't at some point we will Recover those funds and reallocate them with their help and to my knowledge we are receiving notification that they're going to be retired and as far as any documentation to support how the entities that receive the funding for the purposes stated have you received documentation from them to support how they use the money to know that the money was used what was given for a I would. I don't know exactly the answer to your question for everyone of those entities it's an ongoing it's an ongoing use of the funds I can certainly find out and and find what documentation we've received in and what's pending okay last question based on what you just said. Have we given money to those entities. And may be they are holding that money and it's not all being used or what's the window of time that we're going to say okay you've had it we either need it back or we need the documentation to show how you used it. We the grant or the the funding was made to the department of health so we we would have to consult with the Department health to see I know the cases are are increasing recently that will I have to check the department help to see what the parameters are how they're but they're anticipating. I'm sure we July department has come up or I'll do it offline whatever you want to do I would I could have someone from department of health please come up. Thank you manager mmhm. All right if you both will please state your name for the record. Good morning I'm Joe Thompson chief financial officer for the department of health. John Adams Arkansas department of health I read you recognize Senator Hammer thank my chair of did you all hear the questions I was asking do you have any answers that you can give or anything new that you get at yes we have one of the recipients one of the hospitals to receive funds that have did not expend the full ward we're not expecting any additional invoices so if there's a need for us to submit that information back to the steering committee we can have that saw those funds returned. For the hop I'm sorry go ahead for the hospitals that have received the money have you received the supporting documentation or was our expectation I can't remember that they would provide any documentation to show how the money was used. Yes Sir we entered into memorandums of agreement where they certify that they would hear to the parameters of their proposal to us and that that it was cost reimbursement after the bids for use so we do have documentation of UN certifying father in law a also we have most reports of the utilization of the of the bids now that information has client only patient names on it so we haven't shared any of that but we do have monthly reports from each of the hospitals that more one ward funds are thank you they measure thank you. Question do you know about how much in funds that you'll be able to return to the steering committee you know I did not bring that but I can get it to you is Maybe two million I'm not sure I don't I don't know but is not a license but I can get that to you that's fine I don't need it if you would if you would mind go ahead I think go ahead work to get that reallocated back to the steering committee so they can use it somewhere else all right thank you are there any other questions. All right thank you all very much. All right so any other business no all right we'll call this meeting adjourned.