ALC-PEER

Your sees a quorum will go ahead and call this meeting to order. This will go ahead and get started on items for approval. I do need to suspend the rules so that we can take a supplemental agenda to a motion to suspend the rules motion second all in favor aye opposed nay moshing carries. Thank you madam chair on the first section is the section be these repairs temporary appropriation request the first item is a letter from the administrative office of courts it's request to increase the preparation by fifteen thousand it's been three allow the agency to spend funds collected from sales of court appointed special advocates license plates the letter explains a special revenue from the sales happens collections over what is their traditional preparation. The next item B. two is for the Division of higher education this is there any questions please profession by seven hundred four thousand. The speed or to allow the division to complete the development an overhaul of their universal scholarship portal this appropriation supported by proceeds from the Arkansas scholarship lottery. For the committee's information. Appear and they'll see approved four hundred twenty five thousand priests to this line item again the fiscal year we reach out to the agency learned that they have expedited timeline to complete the prop to complete this project within a year which require repricing project and requires more preparation. An excise the three for the division of workforce services it's requesting whose preparation by eleven million new spent or allow the division to move for unemployment insurance modernization project is supported by proceeds from the unemployment stabilization tax as directed by ACT six sixty seven this last section last session. Next item be force for the Department of Parks heritage tourism it's requesting Peace corporation by six hundred forty three thousand to the shared services section. S. the letter the signatories needed to pay for various recurring maintenance and operation costs and to provide for unanticipated expenses and that the funding is derived from existing agency sources and channels rather requests all right thank you will go through these one at a time does anyone have any questions on B. one for ministry of Office of the Courts. All right B. two department of ed. The three B. three department commerce. And before Department of Parks Eridge and tourism. All right saying none I would entertain a motion got a motion and a second all in favor aye All opposed nay Motian carries. Moving on to item C. please. Thank you ma'am chairman section CD is the American rescue plan appropriation quest. What into the cover letter by the CFO the first twelve request pull appropriation from the line item set up for those agencies institutions and local governments they were awarded a R. P. funds directly from the federal government the last request pulls beneath forty from the line item set up for the state to work funds to the A. R. P. steering committee your question require prior from Wales. The first I see one this is on page three the packet this is for Arkansas state university Mountain Home. It's request to spend one point one million in a R. P. funds. On the next page letter explains funds be used for student relief grants and technology purchases that consulting personal course instruction. This item is on page seven. This is C. two for Arkansas state university Newport it's request for nine hundred thousand according to their letter on the next page funds will be used to provide direct grants to students for emergency relief. The next items on page ten. This is C. three for Arkansas tech university it's request to spend nineteen thirty two thousand in the Arkansans on page eleven university shows forty one thousand of funds will go toward COVID testing on page twelve actions vaccination clinic supplies will cost five thousand forty fifteen. Page fourteen shells three thousand ninety will go towards software support the mental health of students Page fifteen shows ten thousand be used to expand financially communication and a hundred seven three thousand that's in section II will be used to purchase medical software medical records software in on page sixteen explains where the majority of funds will section in that on that page just because of seven hundred thousand we dedicated to H. back replacement renovation on those are campus. The next item is on page seventeen. This is I am C. for for the for you CA it's request to spend seven point seven million their letter explains funds be used to make improvements to air quality filtration and ventilation systems and several campus facilities next items page nineteen. C. five national park college it's requests for five point eight million and to establish two positions the funds will be used to provide direct grants to students reimburse the costs for lost revenues for technology expenses for sellers and friends and to reimburse the cost for indirect costs. The two positions register of both of the registered nurses will be reviewed and personal for title and great. Next item is on page twenty five. This is I don't see six four south Arkansas community college it's request for two hundred thirty four thousand according to that later on the next page funds will be used to purchase computers to help remote working for one line course content. Page twenty seven. Is C. seven Department of Education Division of elementary and secondary education it's request to spend twenty six point five million fund to be used for school districts to help safely re opened sustained safe operation of schools and are allocated based on the idea formula this is for special education this item from his twenty ninth. Is also the Division elementary and secondary education this request for two point seven million and similar to the last request these funds would also be used to help you save a health safety real pendency and safe operation schools and are also allocate the allocated based idea formula this request is for special education and preschools. Nicks I page thirty one. This is for the school for the blind it's request to establish one position an education specialist school already received a preparation to a previous request agency that was back in July for two is that thousand I'm sorry second June requesting today's agenda is used previously awarded a preparation on a new position the position will be reviewed personnel for titling great. Next item is on page thirty seven. This is for the department of health room seats in its request for nine million in the RP funds these funds be used for the small rule hospital improvement plan by making sub grants to thirty five eligible small rule hospitals for coexisting in mitigation activities this item is on page forty. This is for the Department health I'm sorry department Human Services county operations it's request to spend one point nine million a Arkansans. This money will be used for snap administrative expenses with a majority of the expenses dedicated to laptops and other technology that would allow the divisions have its remote work. Next item is on page forty two. This is for the Department of Parks heritage and for some Arkansas arts council this is C. twelve it's request is being seven hundred eighty four thousand eight A. R. P. funds the funds to be used to make sub grants Arkansas nonprofit arts organizations experiencing financial hardship or loss of programs that city Nicks items page forty eight. This is C. thirteen for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission is requesting four million American funds this is an award made by the A. R. P. steering committee the funds will be used to obtain of robin consulting firm to formulate a comprehensive master plan for broadband imposition Manchuria to request those on the supplemental agenda last you go to their stuff millage in the package. This was a one for the ages division of child care and She scholarships healthcare portal for families to search for care and administrative costs the next item eighty two. And also for the division of child care early childhood education it's request to spend two hundred eighty six million in the Arkansans. The fund to be used to provide grants to child care and early childhood programs for both of these requests warranted more information can be found in the packet that was submitted with requests I'm sure those are all they are P. requests thank you M. well these wanted time again does anyone have any questions on C. one for a issue Mountain Home. C. two ASU Newport. See three Arkansas tech. See for you see a. C. five national park. C. six South Park. C. seven department of ed. So. I do. We twenty four you're recognized for of the Department of all elementary it all right I could have someone come up to the table please. Do I have anyone here from department of education. Please state your name for the record. Thank god Rogers department station. Thank you madam chair I just wanted to ask the question about the appropriation is for special education as the apartment not previously appropriated money for special education under this act. Is this the first time you appropriated money for specially at four under the A. R. P. I. yes yes ma'am yes this is yes ma'am this is the first allocation of funds that we've had under the R. P. act for specialist right so why is that why is this so delay or why was it not done previously. The allocations were just released from the federal government to us for the twenty sixth man for specialized so we just not be able to allow the district to start getting reimbursement for that which is why we're here for the procreation all right thank you that's very much needed to as well as the others thank you. Thank you. Share forty four thank you managers actually does the and eight when we get there and if an individual had a question on the seventh but if we're ready I can go ahead now okay any other questions on C. seven. All right senator Chesterfield U. R. no you're going okay. You're recognized thank you so much what I'm trying to ascertain is is any of this money going toward facilitating travel for those young people who don't have access to it. So the A. R. P. funds for special at that can be used for anything that is previously allowed under the IDA schools so if it was travelling needed for services provided to the child that it could be allowed so it could be used for the non emergency transportation it's or yes ma'am if it was made under IDA all right that's what I need to know thank you. Representative Springer you're recognized again thank you madam chair she just made me ask another question what about. Homebound services. For any services allowed under IDA these funds can be used as. All right are there any other questions on C. seven. All right see none representative got for you're recognized to ask questions on C. eight thank you madam chair and represent has or may have just answered my question but just in regards to this pre can't find are we able to use any of them to expand or open up new pre K. classrooms are that will this be spent an existing classrooms. That would be an expense an existing classrooms anything that can be used for pre K. right now for these in classrooms as related to covid okay and so there won't be any new additional not pre K. right okay wonderful thank you. All right of center Chesterfield you're recognized you I guess I should have waited for this because having been involved in pre K. one of the things I found is that if the pre K. provider does not have a mechanism for transportation parents can't get their kids to school. And there was nothing in the previous pre K. budgeting process that would allow that to happen they wouldn't allow the pre K. providers unless they were schools of course but private pre cable providers does this money go to them as well. Or is it just state. It's the school districts for case just a school district a program yes to all of the pre K. programs don't come and you guys man I'm a remove them and not all of them to a there's there so yes under the ABC funds but that's a different funds and but these these pre K. funds here are these are three to five the been identified for the school district okay so this is ABC funding no ma'am that's that stealing DHS no that's still us it's with us now but this is that's separate from this program he so what am I gonna get to ask you questions about that. I guess anytime you want to. One of the things that I found I'm gonna stop making appointments year is that some pre K. providers are going out of business because they don't have the ability to use any of the pre K. money the transportation and they're a bunch of poor kids who need to be able to get to pre K. but if you can't get there you can't take advantage of the program so I'm just asking that is we look at pre K. programs we think about that especially for private providers. Yes ma'am all right thank you manager. Thank you are there any other questions on C. eight for department. All right C. nine. Partminer read. All right you're good thank you. All right anything on C. ten for department of health. C. eleven Department of Human Services. C. twelve of. Representive Dotson you're recognized. Thank you madam chair this probably more for staff or or maybe DFA I'm not sure and it's more of a general questions with regards to this A. R. P. funds like under C. five it talked about lost revenue at two million dollars for lost revenue and and then I see several instances throughout where. Positions are being filled with these funds are are those actual Lau bills expenses that are different than what the cares Act funds were. Yes Sir according to the R. P. this is the lead education stabilization those records of a long list of things are allowable and that is one of the best somebody make cheese anything that's paid through these funds once these funds go away I have to be re appropriated by the. Okay so that they're not necessarily permanent positions they are temporary as long as he's on the last when these funds go away the decisions in the funding goes away like to re appropriated for some other means by the legislature thank you. All right Senator Irvin you're recognized I have a question on C. ten Department of Health. You need someone to come to the table yes please I could have someone from department of health please come to the table. Please state your name for the record of incident or you're recognized as your question. Don Adams Arkansas department help. Ninety Thomas Arkansas department of health. Thank you I'm in looking at this I and what I read is it's for covert testing and mitigation can you be specific in that are these is this money going to support just personnel in salaries or is it actually going to help offset the costs for people that contest for their antibodies and then also receiving at the monoclonal antibody treatment few in fusion Act these role hospitals. These funds will primarily go to the testing of covid and there to be very minimal for any F. T. E. or personal time as a matter of fact I believe it's two point two five FD time that it'll cover as far as monoclonal transfusion that will have to and I can get back to you on that answer but it'll fall under the guidelines that her son has set. So if her says allowable those small rural hospitals will be able to do that. How much money has the Department of Health put towards small rural hospitals ability to test for antibodies as for natural immunity and also how much money has the parts department of health put it towards providing for this infusion treatments how much money tied to date have you actually cut out there for the ability for these rural hospitals to a test for antibodies and be to treat people with the infusion treatment and roll Arkansas. Senator Teague I'm not aware of any funds that we spent on antibody testing to this point we have spent substantial amount of money on the monoclonal antibody efforts I don't have those exact figures but we can definitely get those to you well I need you to come prepared to this meeting to answer these questions because if you are if you are coming before us asking for this money to spend on quotes COVID testing and mitigation then that is an answer you need to be able to provide for me today right here in this meeting while people are watching so that they have the information. Because being able to receive that in fusion treatments is saving people's lives and keeping them out of the hospital yes ma'am and so I want to know what the plan is I want to know how much money you have spent and why that is not a focus like a laser for people in rural Arkansas. Yes ma'am I agree these funds specifically are protesting not monoclonal antibodies but we have spent money and efforts on those and we recognize how important that is I want to list of where he has received money how many treatment they have received have been able to be given. And where those are located I want a full complete accounting of that because I don't see the effort being put forward to keeping people out of the hospital and getting them treated as quickly as possible and also want people to be tested for the antibodies as well and that's an expensive task but people need to be able to test their blood for that as well so that they have full knowledge thank you. Senator Irvin what I will do is I will hold this one out until the end of the meeting we'll see if we can get you the information and then we'll just we'll just at address it at the end of the meeting so if you guys can see what we can get a person under a written here in the next little bit are there any other. Are there any other questions on item C. ten for department of health. All right seeing none thank you. Any questions on C. eleven four department DHS. C. twelve Department parks heritage and tourism. C. thirteen. For department of commerce. All right seeing none I'll entertain a motion to approve. Supplementing I was gonna do one time at what about table which the supplemental agenda any questions on a one for DHS. All right representative Dotson you're recognized. Sir let me get back over to. Thank you jump packets on me. This this is. We'll I think. On both of these just in in general this is a lot of money and I'd just like to hear from DHS on what their plan is and how this is and we're talking about spending here. If you could come on up to the table please. Go ahead and state your name for the record. Thank manager Marc white part of your services. Tony Williams division of child care and early childhood education at DHS. For Tom Shepherd division of child care and early childhood education DHS representative also you're recognized mark over here I mean what we're looking at. Well this is close to half a billion dollars worth of of it between these two items here and I just would like a little bit more detail on on what your plans are how you came up with this number why it's this large I mean I know we have over thing is one point six billion I believe that this money is coming out of this is almost a third of that so if you could give us a little bit more detail on that Sir representantes if I give you an overview and then I'm sure missiles have some additional detail at that first be regular this is not coming from the one point six billion of non no Sir this is not a discretionary funds in Arkansas it includes funds there does a specifically for child care the flow directly to DHS and that's where these funds are from how much is that it is close to half a billion so this is all of that or close to all of that it is most of that amount yes Sir okay. And so it just a quick overview of of our proposal want to do when carisoprodol as a significant not childcare funding as well and one of the key initiatives we advanced for the carers act last year was we we've started providing childcare for essential workers and so first responders healthcare workers teachers others who had to be at work in person during the pandemic we made childcare available for them regardless of income and so when we've been funny that for the last year I had great success with that we want to continue that that program is so that's what part of this funding for is for is to continue providing childcare benefits for those essential frontline workers I we also are proposing use of this funding to help childcare providers for some of their expenses and help them with the affects the pandemic I would that all deferred as we used to give Smith additional details on that. There is a one page document in the folder that is really a good outline but there's also a comprehensive plan that we put together as well so I would referred to those I think those could be helpful but I'm just gonna talk about this the way we have proposed this is really how the federal government send it to the state it's in two parts one part is cost able is ation funds and that money is to be used with childcare providers an early childhood educators ninety percent of it has to be used for providers that were licensed on or before March eleventh of this year so our existing providers and that's almost two thousand a little over nineteen hundred providers that we will be working with that I will submit a template grant that is three pages we try to keep it very very simple for the providers and but that is a requirement of the federal government that they submit a proposal to three page proposal there are three areas a representative Dotson that they can apply for one is for operational costs so that could be for staffing substitutes things that maybe would help them during the pandemic when I have a staff person out and need to have a teacher in to take care of children and it could be other operational costs within the building and the other area is quality improvement the feds have really pushed for programs to be able to improve their programs so that could be for material things and costs that are and related to having an F. suppository and and maybe playground enhancements maybe things that could improve the quality of air inside the building and things like that and the third thing and I'm glad someone asked this earlier about expansion would be expansion for existing providers so if I have a classroom in their building that they're not utilizing and wanted to serve additional children I would be able to do expansion it cannot pay for major construction but it can pay for start up cost which by the way we have never been able to pay for. Work in childcare and early childhood education through the child care bought green there is a ten percent part of this stabilization that can be support brand new programs so there's maps in the packet that we put in there if you look you will start to see that infant toddler care in our state and school age care are two areas where there are gaps where there are literally counties that have nothing because we have a lot of pre K. funding through the department of ad pre K. is covered in every county but we do have in the tolerance School Age here that isn't available in some areas so we're really targeting or prioritizing for by the expansion of existing providers and for a new start ups and you know infant toddler care in school age here that's the first part the second part is called supplemental discretionary and it is the hundred and seventy four million that I think that was referenced. We would be continuing the essential worker program that we've had and we're serving almost thirteen thousand families today and we are at a cap with the curse of finding the December finding that were received for covid so we're not putting any new families on right now two day if this is approved then we will continue to process those applications for essential worker families and then the other portion is really about stabilization of our field we have a lot of programs that are unable to get staffing they're not IT staffing they're having difficulty so we wanted to put something in that's a little more long term and over the next couple years but it's our teach scholarship and it really is to improve the quality of our educators to give them some incentives to go back to school and it will pay our two and four year colleges and most of the education of the workforce in childcare and early childhood education and that sort of a long term goal we currently fund about half a million out of our federal talk your block grant and this would really help bill that field and supply of workers for childcare and early childhood education and I'll stop there Sir so if I'm understanding what you're saying correctly most of this is going toward. Largely one time expense. Whether it's scholarship to help train for the future or its building air purification systems and and things like that. The the concern I guess I have is how much of this is going to go into creating a a legacy costs that will extend past these funds that will have to come back and supplement in the future so do you have an idea of about how much of these funds are creating a new ongoing program and what that long term expenses actually going to be. So everything we put in here is really about one times are I mean we really specifically tried to address and we don't want to build out anything that's going to have a cost be on the next this funding can be used through twenty three and twenty four one part of it has to be spent by September thirtieth of twenty three the other which is essential worker can go through twenty four I don't really expect it to go that long I think we put in the applications for essential workers this is only what funding is available we will continue to message that we will start notifying those families as we get into that last twelve months and six months of their authorizations that we are nearing the end and you know we've message providers we have a monthly call with providers to remind them this is one time money it is one company we will be coming back in October with just a very small personnel request and we have been doing we've spent to date over a hundred and twenty six million dollars with our existing staff and added more families on essential workers and we serve on low income and it's not very customer service friendly and I think we have to take care of the constituents of the state it's very small it's the total amount is eleven million so out of four hundred sixty four million it's a very small that's not all for personnel very forty million is the only portion we're asking our personnel dire temporary we will only hire them through this period thank you. Senator Chesterfield you're recognized yes thank you madam chair and good morning. Miss Williams we've had an ongoing conversation about transportation. Can any of this money be used to upgrade the transportation so the parents can get their kids to school. So childcare money can be use our programs when I get reimbursements for childcare they can use it for transportation and we do have providers that to transport children and many parents do not want to have their children riding transportation so it's a mix we have some providers that provide it and some who do not but but it can be used for that and that could be part of the operational call centre Chesterfield I request that's helpful could you tell me what the three million and the for the four million on under the supplemental. For professional fees and I'm seeing another three million four professional fees what. Is that for so we are actually looking at some I. T. upgrades the systems that we use today for both licensing our child care assistance program or built on pretty old outdated platforms and so we're trying to bring those up into a more current and technology platform one of the things if you've ever use our search engine for child here it's wonderful you can go out and look back handy by zip code by city you can look by age but what it doesn't do for parents is let them know what's available and this would allow we're building into the system hope to build into the system a process where the provider can actually put what they have open an advertisement like I have ten openings for school age children so that would be more real time than just the parent having take the list and start making phone calls that is very helpful because just to see the term professional fees does not speak to. What you're trying to do and I think will be helpful going forward if you say and what professional fees meant gonna what do we need seven million dollars in professional fees thank you thank you madam chair. President of god for you're recognized. Thank you madam chair of a question is kind of as a follow up to representative Dotson and I I think that the teacher colors of is a great use of funds I think it's a great incentive but I'm wondering if after these educators acquire additional training and education if there's a pay increase and therefore if these funds can be used to increase the pay of child care providers I think that's an you know limitation that a lot of and a lot of educators themselves have and also that that the providers haven't in providing a competitive wage for such important work and so I'm wondering first of all can the size be used to to supplement income and to to to represent dass point is that something that may be I'm problematic after the plans run out in order to sustain those higher wages which I think are necessary that's a great question actually in our regular federal childcare block grant we get about eighty million dollars and we are required every three years or with the period of an annual grant annual plan to submit rate changes we're to do a market right and so we actually have that is going simultaneous that separates our low income but we have great changes in place to raise those rates to in fact help offset costs have increased I don't want to encourage providers to absorb that here because it's one time and I'd be really concerned about that but I think the teach scholarship does have some incentives for some stipends but we would really look over on the market right side to try to increase that. Thank you imagine. Representative Springer you're recognized. Okay. Yep. If you're but making. It one more time. There you go thank you madam chair hi how are you doing this Williams well thank you could see you I'm just curious to know I noticed that in your plan you say this you have a budget getting date of July first twenty twenty one through. June thirtieth twenty twenty two so you intend to implement all of these things within this plan over that period of time of that is that the so these funds come with pretty strict requirements in terms of time frame as I said the plans have to be put into place and we have to actually notify them by December this year that we have obligated half of the stabilization and we you know we have to have spent by twenty three twenty four so yes our plan and we've been working with our providers in planning you know because this is a proposal until we get approved so we didn't want to give any false hope that okay that's what that's what I want to hear so you happen to twenty three twenty four to Iraq thank you Senator Dismang you're recognized. Thank you in just wanna I wanna circle to think it's Pitsch eight in the packet and it's where it references what's called table five says that we've received over fourteen thousand since worker applications we've approved nearly ten thousand of those are ten thousand five hundred of those and then when I look at the break out in actual cat or table it says amount received I'm assuming that's the number of individuals or families that are received okay and then so got that clarification so the one thing that I'm curious about is you said that were capped at this point that you know that we've got X. number of families that applied and received we're taking new no new applications and a concern of mine from the beginning on this one I've talked to some of my health care providers my district they were not aware of this program and so now my understanding is you know the programs essentially shut down with the exception of those families that are currently receiving is there some rotation or something that can occur so that more families can actually act you know have the benefit from this program so you know if someone's being in the state we have a DHS employee that's been in since day one minute do they eventually rotate also someone that's not been able to participate in a program can participate or or how does that work and that's a great question we certainly could look at some sort of rotation as we if this is approved we would begin to add additional family Senator Dismang but for the finding that we're currently spending now we got that December so the twelve thousand families we have on our utilizing that funding and we couldn't add anymore but we certainly could look at a rotational throughout the rest of essential workers if this is approved as we add to sort of rotate families and I think that could be challenging because we could take the first and like the the ones who'd been on the longest and then rotate those out to add more in we just need to figure out the logistics of that and letting families know but absolutely we and I'm. Not sure I can remember the exact time line on when we had this conversation before but how close were we have the cap then not we just capped about three weeks ago with the next day yeah. Okay this would just extends not expand this correct it would it would extend and expand representative gray we would continue to add some families but as we this is the last covered really funding that we're aware of and as we get into that it you know managing that because you have babies who cost more school later to cause less so it's hard to predict who's going to come on and what age group they're gonna have if I need full time or part time here but we have a pretty good system in place for projecting out we're at our cat and we're gonna have to stop and any additional families if we do this date the anticipate being able to add just on average I know that you talk about projecting it may be difficult yeah and you know and I ran those numbers all the time but I don't have that we can get that to you based on the one hundred thirty million how many more we could add but I would say several hundred you know maybe a thousand families the more we add the shorter the time period that's just what we have to keep in mind if we added a thousand then we might get them three six months or twelve months at a greater number of people that correct in a fit even though it's a shorter amount of time so in in me and in my opinion committee again if you've got a family that has been on this since the beginning and hasn't paid for childcare because again they're part of the state agency that new to apply or to you know move through the process in their first standing gonna be last out to. I mean I just think it's something to consider at I guess in the end I would like to know and so you know I appreciate the break down of birds respond or self care manufacturing sanitation public health child or child care education food supply but how many of those families are actually state employees versus you know I'm not yeah I will say that I think that's pretty low low and that most of them have come on in the past six months we did not have that many state employees at the beginning we did not advertise it frankly in a big way thanks to some concerning the express Sir but I do believe maybe in the spring late spring early summer we started sending it out to transformation shared services office and the governor's office and getting that across state agencies so I've seen more of those come in but we can we could probably check that I don't know for collecting that specifically but I think we could probably but you know we certainly have who's been on in the period of time of the authorization so we can definitely look at it again and it just just close it out of my concern is that we've got a limited number of families that are going to benefit continue to benefit we might add another thousand at the most you had folks that have benefited from beginning and some folks that mail benefit or the end and now folks are gonna benefit at all because the cap so yeah that that that's my concern thank you for your time. Thank that's right suggestions if you could could you get this if you have that available the number of state employees that received it assistants are Senator Irvin each other questions questions for staff are all of these request direct funding from the American rescue plan or they steering committee. They're all the right to direct billing all direct but one which. It's one of C. thirteen. Sorry. Howard how are those indicated is there a way we could just know that our health and we can get those indicated a little bit more clearly perhaps in the future if not try to specify that the future is on the cover letter of request for the CFO you'll see that the first I believe twelve request medical one that is the line item dedicated to those agencies and institutions that have money from directly from the federal government and then on the second page of that cover letter C. one request for commerce economic development for four million that's come out of line item to that's the preparation for the A. R. P. steering committee. Right I understand so I just wanted to We have trying to clarify it for the future so it's more obvious on the agenda yeah just on the agenda that would be nice if we can note that so that we can understand that a little bit better all right. Are there any other questions for the supplemental agenda. All right C. nine thank you all very much thank you okay thank you senator would you still want us to hold out CTN yes okay all right so I'd entertain a motion to approve item C. one three thirteen with the exception of CTN and also the supplemental items some emotion second second all in favor say aye opposed nay Motian carries. I move on. Two item D. please. Thank you measure section D. is the respective are restricted reserve fund transfer recommendations. At ten fifty eight this past session sellers with monies would be available in district reserve fund for the biennium to request on today's agenda will make that would make transfers from the unallocated reserve majority vote set aside account within the fund the first item is a letter from the Department agriculture this is requests received two point two five million that the transfer from the state reserve fund the department would use the transfer to make grants to district fairs for maintenance personal services operating expenses renovation equipment construction and more. The next item is a letter from you have a system. It's request received one point five million in a transfer from the fund university we utilize the transfer and start up funds for the acquisition and integration of Grantham university into the year basis. Until later this university is a fully online institution that primarily serves members of the military first responders the letter explained there is a delay in obtaining approval to receive student federal financial aid and there are immediate cost upon closing the purchase of the University. However the transfer is only for the startup costs and a new one one university will not request you know revenue fourteen operation. Thank you was drive any questions on the one representative Fortner you're recognized. Thank you madam chair I have the questions for the department of agriculture department bag Secretary ward few could please come to the table. Please state your name for the record of the representative for Mary be recognized for your question. Yes ma'am west for from the Arkansas department report. A secretary war I have two questions is this the thirty thousand each fair that we have that. Allocator promised previous. Yes Sir that is that is the intent of this request and so I know representative Cozart and center call will may one also touch on it but back in legislative session there was an appropriation that was passed through ACT eight ninety two to provide each county district fair thirty thousand dollars our our interpretation of that was for that to come out of the American rescue plan and so we we worked with department Vice Administration as well as the consultants to try to find a way to make that work to the American rescue plan funding it was difficult and challenging and so this this is an effort to try to get that same same amount of funding to those County district fairs but just using a different method to do so. Follows you're recognized and then my second question Will this money the condition conditional on them qualifying or will they just get the money. So we would be direct funding strips which county district fair would receive the funding there wouldn't wouldn't necessarily be any qualifiers attached to that so it wouldn't be you know there wouldn't be a demonstration of loss you're with I thank the appropriation was requested because of the corona virus infected that's had really across the state for county district fairs to be able to hold older fair Vance's bills other grants that they normally would throughout the year so there would be a a documentation requirement that they you'll prove losses or show exactly what they would spend it on but this would be the intent would be for it to to help them recover from the impact of the coronavirus thank you I appreciate your effort in this. Harry Senator Irvin you're recognized for a question for the seconds number two all right we'll come back to you okay. Representative Cozart you're recognized thank you madam chair. Mr ward up I thank Preciado what you've done and help us on this I know it's been a long round about here we've discussed a lot of things and and so on the representative for her questions kinda answered some of mine so I just wanna make sure they're not going to apply for a grant on this and my biggest question is I guess my only question is how long will it take for this money to fund out of them. To the it should be very quick service so we we distributed to the usual fare funding back at the end of July so we we during the process of that per county district fairs ask for their direct deposit information did that back at the end of July was fairly quick and seamless process so we've we've got that information on hand so pending approval today and and approval by a L. C. on Friday we would turned around very quickly so hopefully I don't obsess specific date but we would at once we got the approval we will move forward to get that directly deposited to them. As quickly as we could thank you Sir there some fares out there still suffering pretty hard so thank you thank you measure. Are there any other questions for department of ag. All right C. nine thank you all right Senator when you have a question if you go ahead hit your Mike again. All right this is for the University of Arkansas yes ma'am all right thank you. Please state your name for the record of this interview be recognized for your question. Good morning my name is Donald Bobbitt president of the university of Arkansas system. Michael Moore vice president for academic affairs university of Arkansas system. One analyst arrest vice president for university relations you a system. Thank you madam chair thank you for being here this morning and I apologize I wasn't able to reach with you and connect with you but in your letter you're stating that your we are acquiring a respected accredited university for the purchase price of one dollar is that correct that is correct could you elaborate as to why it's one calendar but while we're requesting one point five million absolutely. This conversation began in October of twenty nineteen pre pandemic. Hello closer to the Mike I'm sorry the second this conversation began and I apologize for my voice today I spent a lot of time on Saturday yelling and I have. To do that yeah go logs. So this conversation began in October of twenty nineteen. We saw the need to expand the system's online offerings produced Kaplan had recently closed and we had actually. Taking the time to speak and perhaps entering deals with a number of different institutions they did not fit our philosophy. We're all about student success helping students finish not about making money and he's other institutions did not fit those criteria grants and did. Initially we were considering this as a split arrangement in which they would have a long term arrangement has produced Kaplan does they will control the back office operations weed control the academic side that is not ideal it's best to control the entire final of the student experience in that way you can ensure that students finish to get their money's worth and so we actually walked away at one point in time and the owners of this institution got together they consider legacy the legacy has been one of serving the military first responders and they decided that the best way for them to move forward and to honor that legacy would be to basically collaborate for sale to an online I two eight to an existing institution which had the same class fees if there's and so we went from the split arrangement maybe a twenty five year agreement to that basically buying all the assets of this institution and hi I want to just mention Senator Irvin if the assets are really considerable they have sixty degree programs accredited some of those in health care and in engineering and business have secondary accreditations which are very expensive to obtain and so we acquire the we acquire all the electoral property which includes our catalog as well as the technology state develop to motivate their students to finish so they have been willing to take a loss of probably eight to ten million dollars on their books two in order to ensure the legacy of this the one thing that we we can't forget is that when you acquire university was four thousand students there is a time lag between when the students a wrong class and when they actually get paid in that time lag varies the federal government with Pell grants and other financial aid to the veterans administration which has about a ninety day also on day one we will then be responsible for several contracts for the student information system the online program managing system other types of systems that we need to be able to manage an online environment so all. Of those that we have added up actually come to over three million dollars or asking for less than that to help us and we will try internally reallocate monies to be able to cover the rest. Okay so so so they're they're they will be accounting for all an eight to nine million dollar loss. That's that is correct actually we had the business independently appraised okay their appraisal was about twenty seven million ours was twenty two to twenty three million that's the value of the catalog any electoral property since we acquired that all it will be owned basically by university of Arkansas system's board of trustees I E. the state of Arkansas okay. Well I just I thought it needed a further explanation as to why you know we were able to purchase all of that for one dollar some time making who is the principal stockholder of it is a true American patriot he is the one who purchased the assets originally Mr Grantham he blew the University up took it online is now serving four thousand students care as as what you saw sixty seven percent of first responders military. He really our conversations and and wonderful he is a wonderful gentleman and he is concerned about the legacies are promises to him or not financial our promises to him would be to continue the brand continue to honor Mr Grantham and service to military all right thank you for the explanation thank you are there any other questions for you of a what we have them at the table. All right C. nine thank you very much. I read that entertain a motion for approval of items the one entity. Motion the second all in favor aye opposed nay motion carries on. All right we'll move on to Adam eve. Thank you ma'am care section begins the items review the first section is our cash appropriation has appropriation increase class your first item you want is a letter from the department of labor licensing this is requesting Peace appropriation by five thousand the Senator is needed to scan permit files and records retention compliance for the barber examiners board of barbers were supported by any licensees. The next item need to the letter from the department of corrections this is a request to increase corporation by two point eight million the speed forty will allow the department to purchase an ionization air purification system and let us as a purchase is supported by carers act funds. Thank you those are all the cash your questions answered in the all right thank you. You. Are there any questions on item E. one. Any questions on item eighty four department of corrections. All right seeing none and without objection these items are reviewed. M. J. section begins a budget classification transfer questions only one the agenda for the ABSTRACTERS' for. This is a request to transfer fifteen thousand from professional fees to operating expenses the transfer is requested to help on the boards operations. The agency learn Ford ministration purposes they have combined some boards and commissions and Emma you lined that how the Arkansas real estate commission performs ABSTRACTERS' certification and licensing program and then bills the department of labor licensing for payment from the after support. All right are there any questions on item if one for department of labor all right. Representative Dotson you are recognized. Thank you manager did I just hear you say that who combine the real estate without tractors. Yes Sir and internally there combined with the Arkansas realestate Commission we spoke the agency we learned that the department has tried to combine like boards and commissions to get some administrative efficiencies I have to defer to the department to get a more detailed after the but as a part of that rules the Commission has been running their operations and they require a this classification transfer to give more money into their operations line item because they for more than what they had at the ABSTRACTERS' appropriation of. Do they have the statutory authority to do that. They have an emoji you internally I I have to defer to the department. The answer would be made the date the Department available yes or someone from department of labor licensing they can come up to the table please. If you could state your name for the record the representative Dotson you'll be recognized. Tyler king Arkansas department licensing labor. thank you calendar up. I guess questions I and it's been a couple years since I read through the transformation bill but did did we actually give you the statutory authority to internally combined agencies or. Or a commissions how does that work. My understanding Sir is there the M. O. U. was the. Device the. We were planning on using to facilitate. The administrative. Concerns above the real estate and ABSTRACTERS' board. I've been with the agency about five months my understanding that that imho you will we're gonna be allowed to make those administrative calls and charge him back to the department of labor and licensing for those expenditures okay and and I understand it it kind of makes sense to a certain extent but I just didn't understand that we had given that sort of authority to an agency or to a department to combine things like that and that is kind of like to get absolutely crystal clear that you have the statutory authority to do that before we move forward with this Allen of the MO you has that statutory authority but if we get some further clarification on that before Friday I'm sure I'd like to kind of set this aside if we can for for further discussion on Friday all right if possible yeah would it be possible for you to get us a copy of that MO you know new German I can do that I have copies of the email you but in regards to the actual imho you itself ACT of nineteen and it gave some of the authority to the secretary to make certain decisions ministry helped make the department operate more efficiently and more effective and again these boys had some relational identity they'll so small in nature that that brought about the email you and the transactions are so small. That we felt like by utilizing the services of the real estate commission we could perhaps you know save money and staffing and time they can actually operate to prevent it so some of these agency only have one person. And so we felt like with the email you that we can acts facilitate the same's of calls administrative wise but I can have you information in regards to what the thank you could send it to our staff and I certainly will Senator Hickey you're recognized. Just just the same way with the a's representative Dotson what I was going to do just requested we hold hold this until Friday and I assume that was his request also okay just for the mechanics the appropriation and then if if so I'd like for you know staff to kind of look at that to make sure all the statutory authority is there in that to the appropriations are all set up correctly and then I'd like for us to. Possibly talk to the real estate commission because. If I may with this gentleman Sir yes I'm over here to your left so are we actually come by I wanna make sure I understand this or we actually combining the ABSTRACTERS' board in the real estate commission and to one is ensuring that no Sir I think that's the misnomer here is that there's still a each one of these boards have a separate identity I thank you it with this MOU was developmentally for administrative purposes to help provide a in terms of you we used to work to combine at think it's Norman clincher I think we should use the word to try to help this boy facilitate is administrative operations and that's what these monies we're going to do we're trying to develop that imho you so we can actually utilize the service of the real estate commission since they had similar. The functionality and without perhaps that we could do that we can help them help us run this board since there's only maybe one person is actually on the whole bowl me that handles administrative affairs of this one vote okay so what what we're doing with this with this sheet the way I see it your transfer your transparent fifteen thousand out your professional fees into your operating expenses on the ABSTRACTERS' board yes in the in your real estate committee but this for your real estate. The for the rate real estate commission are they going to request these funds from the ABSTRACTERS' board yet correct yes that's right and it is that's correct okay but I would like to hold as want to make sure that everything structure okay right to do that is to transfer thank you thank you Senator Hickey we just put the copy of the MO you there right beside you I mean I think based on I just got a glance at it real quick but it looks like they they're not combined but just the administrative aspects are combined the employee exact such as that okay we will go ahead at the request of the members and hold this till Friday are there any other questions. We'll let them over all right. Let me see what. All right thank you very much. All right we'll move on to item G.. Thank you madam chair Ron section G. these are the miscellaneous federal grant preparation requests. The first item is a G. one this is for the Arkansas Geological Survey it's request for twenty six thousand appropriation to spend federal funds the US Geological Survey provided a six month no cost extension of their grand this items hundreds in fairly fund. Next item number two is for again Arkansas Geological Survey it's a request for a hundred twenty six thousand the US Geological Survey awarded additional funding to the agency and they would use the funds to support the digital completion of the Mountain View one to one hundred thousand scale geological map design requires a fifty one percent state match. Item number three is for the department of health it's requests for six hundred thousand appropriation and to establish two positions we have a grant from the department of health and Human Services to the Department stroke registry program to integrate data collection systems community outreach to identified gaps in increase standards of care this items hundreds and fairly funded the two positions as section chief and a registered nurse will be reviewed and personnel for the titling grade. Next item is number four it's Arkansas crime information center its request for a hundred thousand an appropriation they have a grant for the US department of justice to purchase updated servers and storage to improve chain criminal history information with the FBI this item is requires a team since they match. Next item number five is for the department of public safety it's a request for eighty one thousand appropriation to spend federal funds they have a grant from the bureau of justice assistance for web conferencing system updates We have a grant from the national endowment for the humanities to select digitized and make available to library of Congress hundred thousand pages of newspapers published between eighteen nineteen and nineteen twenty five as I requires a twenty three percent the match. Thanks items number seven it's for the department inspector general Arkansas fair housing this is a request for ninety thousand in preparation and to establish one position. Into this request HUD requires the agency to isolate positions in the fair housing commission from positions within the department the preparation will allow the Department comply with its direction this items hundred hundred percent fairly funded and the position an attorney will be reviewed and personal for title in grade. Ballinger those are all the images in today's. All right thank you all right because these wanted time other any questions on item G. one. Adamjee to. G. three. Adamjee four. G. five. Adamjee six. Or item G. seven. All right see no questions without objection will mark this item is are these items as reviewed all right we'll move on to the reports Adam H. please thank you madam chair the first report is the code in nineteen related rental mortgage and you utility assistance program support last month the subcommittee request report on the on these programs and the chords of report by the navy's programs administered by the Department Human Services department commerce department energy department I believe that Mister Brecht from the they will provide us a brief summary of this report. All right if you will please. Come to the table and state your name for the record thank you. Thank you manager Robert Breck with the Department finance administration we did put together a report based on a request by Senator Chesterfield on the various programs dealing with rent assistance mortgage assistance and utility assistance of there there is a one upgrade that I'm aware of one update on the Arkansas River relief program the Department services this is dated somewhat this report indicated six million ninety one thousand and expended there is now nine point eight million and that's still the because for three point five percent to five point six percent but they have added staff and they're trying to explain as much money as as possible as far as the Arkansas fresh start housing stabilization program. Mcommerce has to actually utilize one hundred percent of the cares Act phones and then the seventy eight percent of an additional a five point seven six million that they've received. Arkansas homeowners systems program Department commerce's Senate pilot program and expended ninety thousand dollars they currently have six point three three million but they expect another fifty six point nine million in the in the next thirty to ninety days of the inner emergency solutions grant. This has to do with the preventing homelessness and and those that may be homeless I have they've expanded twelve point seven percent of their phones three million out of the twenty three point eight million. A low income household water assistance program that was just approved in August and they have not just dispersed any of those funds at this time there a planning the launch in the third quarter of FY twenty two then last of a low income household energy since the assistance program of the cares explains of been expended a hundred percent of those of the RP funding they have not expending any of those funds yet but they're in the process of executing agreements to to try to disperse those funds I'm more than happy to take any questions I would I would add The Washington County Benton County in plaster county were large enough where they receive their funds directly and so we did not include those that are not being dispensed by state agencies representative love with the plastic County did let me know that they've expanded four point four million dollars in Pulaski County and they are dispersing five. Five hundred seven fifty thousand per week the that the concludes my report all right thank you a representative Springer you're recognized. Thank you madam chair up thank you Sir for being here senator Chesterfield didn't make the request for this report I would and I would I will yield to her if she wants to ask you okay thank thank you so I'm trying to understand why is it that the the moneys are slowly being distributed to. Yes. What I'm and I think I have an idea but I want to hear from you as to what's been told to me. Well I'm unsure of which program I assume your daughter is with rental assistance It does appear that that's the been rolled out fairly slowly they did add positions I think in the last week or did the H. us as to try to ramp that up some of the I think the governor mentioned in his news conference that we probably wouldn't be able to expend all the money that was granted Arkansas but I think they are trying to do that as quickly as possible and if they did raise it to around three million dollars or close to four million dollars last week so I think they are trying to get that out why it's not any quicker you probably have passed department Human Services. I think it's just difficult to ramp up these new programs and get or. All of them to your you're recognized is this the DHS here to answer that question for regarding staffing to do this can they tell us what's going on yeah Mister white you're welcome to come to the table. The state your name for the record. The manager more quite warm Human Services. Mary Franklin department of Human Services division of county operation. The respirator gives the some brief information and certainly happy to answer any other questions that you only have we've been working since made to get these funds out the biggest obstacle to us so far for in funds out as been getting landlords to participate in agree to accept payment because the way we step procurement initially was that both the tenant and landlord reply would match those together and once they were matched and we would issue payment to the landlord the purpose this is a number one the federal law requires that the tenant spend expend these funds with the landlord that the where they have those those back to rents and number two we know that tennis for only we know that landlords are struggling as well and so we want to make sure that the landlord had a fair shot at getting those funds what we seen that their landlords for a number of reasons have been has been to participate and we've been working to try to overcome that we've done some webinars we've done other out reach we work directly with some large landlords trying to dress their concerns but none the less the governor had take testing of look of this and so when he announced last week is that we're going to start issuing payment even if the landlord does not respond will still do the landlords ten days to respond to that initial request if they don't respond then we'll move on forward with my issuing payment. One last follow up. What you're recognized okay so you say hesitant what is the Hanson since the from when laws what do you mean by that they just they have not been willing to come into the system and anticipate and except that I think there's a slotting officially several reasons the one I've heard most often is the bluntly that there are some tennis these landlords want to of it they would rather of big that tenant thing if the money because the tense been problematic for some other reasons and they're concerned that if they accept payment for one tenant that means they're going to have to accept it for all the tennis you know there's some in there they want to it. Thank you Sir thank you for representative Dotson you're recognized. Thank you madam chair got a couple questions on the overall program do we know how much estimated background is out there that would qualify for this. Or how much applications have been applied for I guess the total. We I can tell you all together if we were to pay out all of the applications that have been submitted as to us no with doctor center complete exceeding in the mid submitted to us if the total of just under forty million dollars altogether I know there are some figures out there they've been thrown around from based on census bureau data of what the total amount is I'll tell you the lot of that is it's extrapolations based on extrapolations loss I just don't know how reliable those numbers also about forty million out of a hundred and seventy three so what's the deadline to expend these funds by a three in the year there is a point at the end of September the federal grants to take a look and see how much space expended depending on how much we've spent they may reallocate among the states but altogether the states have the funds have to be disbursed by the end of December. And then finally because it doesn't sound as if we're going to be anywhere close to expending all of these funds based on applications we have right now who what when you approve these things who are the checks made out to the landlord or the tenant sure L. first and authorized it back up this reckless thousand correct is it's the next September what we have to expended originally the funds had to be ex suspended by the end of September but that was extended an additional legislation until September of twenty two also we have another year twenty. Yes got got that additional year now What questions for two checks made payable to up to this point checks been made payable to the landlords and we're looking at that now of argument those checks payable directly the tennis for both tenants and landlords and that's I know that some members have asked us to take a look at that and that's one that we're looking at right now why would they not be made solely to the tenant to the landlord. It back rent due to the landlord it is back returned to the landlord I think our concern has been some logistical challenges that may arise from that as well some challenges on the auditing of the program after the fact and so we're working through those questions as well as we've been consulting our federal partners to make sure that that is something that could be done but as of that's which working through his issues make sure we don't create a bigger problem for ourselves down the line do you have to have authorization from us in order to do that to make a change in the program no Sir I don't believe so I believe we can make that change one for. Thank you. Senator Ingram you're recognized. Yes thank you mark of or maybe have Robert of the utility assistance of. Where do they apply for that and of can the well let's say the municipal utilities can can they apply that like the landlords or does it have to be the individuals. It looks like some of these have been going out to baby NO Nessa pallipes or a directly but you'd have to ask that question to the Department energy and environmental I would have hazard to guess how that actually works who's responsible for that again energy and environment energy environment what is that used to be that I live in the past anyway the Q. that's all I can I have a hard time saying anything different ADQ I still all right up I'll ask them thank you what is that I'm I might also add that our program we are paying toward utilities as well and but it's the same process tennis come to us the utilities come to we match those up we've gotten a good participation from Utah state so we are making payments are in but there is that additional programs that add energy environment okay thank you very much. All right center Chesterfield you're recognized before you're recognized I'd like to say Happy Birthday today is your birthday. Thank you so much that much I'd be happy as I discussed this on it each way thank you madam chair I appreciate you so much and thank thanks to my fellow colleagues here I ask for a meeting with you guys what three weeks ago. And I ask you what the hold ups were not only here at the state level but at the the county level federal seems to have gotten it right that they've gotten their money's out. But I'd Pulaski County and Benton county have not done the same nor has the state in my view. Why did we decide that we needed three different agencies to do this you get of the eighty Q. is doing a part of it you get the doing a part of it you've got DHS being a part of it and I'm are ya coordinating it all. We hello Sir will be in touch with the other agencies but you not because there's a different marketing being coordinating and being in touch with each other is there any coordination. Not that much but I say that because these three programs really don't have much overlap there so that they affect a whole bunch of folks. We know that people are losing their homes they need a mortgage assistance we know they're being kicked out because they need the rental assistance and we know that their water lighting gas being cut off because they need the utility assistance. We asked when we were talking about unemployment insurance we said bring more people on there was a sense of urgency. Now we find ourselves I still don't think we have a sense of urgency about this matter and yet it's our same people in this state who are suffering at that we're suffering with unemployment. How many more people have you brought on board. Also for our program of the Bendre added an additional seventy individuals in the last week so there continue to an army are getting licensed to the counties. The counties that have nothing independently to they are entirely independent we have no authority over how they administer that program that's strictly between them in the federal government we met with the utility companies we we got everybody and have a conversation any utility companies at that time. Will know that they were going to get their money so that was a moratorium they sent stake in the moratorium off or is it back on now. I am not certain about that we will Arkansas what it was supposed to have gotten away with them done away with moratorium but it was my understanding in the meeting that they knew they were gonna get the money. So we were trying to streamline the process between you and the utility companies so that people would have in the middle of the sweltering heat wouldn't have their utilities cut off what happened with that. Senator Chesterfield we do we do make those of payments to the utility providers if we're helping ever how many applicants were approving the week we're sending those in in a payment to the utility providers and although our policy in this program has Even those applications that didn't get a landlord matches their utility requests we've been able to approve those so those have been moving outside of the applications where we still need to the landlord to apply so we have we have been paying the utility requests as we go what percentage of the money has been spent. as of last week nine point eight million had gone out in assistance payments and that's what percent of the money is just under six percent of the money just under six percent of mine how long we've been doing this since may since may. And here it is September we only have six percent of money at. It's bad and I mean since we as to this may we've been continually tanker the program making changes to help ensure that we're number one we're processing those as quickly as we can and getting those out number two they were getting more participation landlords and the rules have changed if the landlord won't accept a check to check and go directly to the individual is that right that is correct are we doing that now that should that should be true of the next round payments we send out we should be letter yes we are thank you thank you for your indulgence manager thank you so much and thank you are you taking my questions thank you representative Crawford you're recognized thank you madam chair a couple of questions. When the do the landlords have a lot of paperwork that they have to fill out at the end of this process is that you know. The House look at the application that the information we request just this weekend it's if you put a paper application it's it's several pages but it's that way because basically we ask for information about the tenant we ask for the landlord who does that supplying that so we can verify that it's this real person in this a legitimate request what type of entity that landlord is because corporation or state or a certain information we have to collect because the R. S. and so on an individual there's a little different information we have to collect and then we collect information about what those back rents are and so it's we've we've narrowed that down over the weeks to get that as streamlined as possible for the landlord so that we're not asking for much of extraneous information I just wonder if that's a reason they're turning their backs on this because you're asking them to do an additional job that if they were to a big ten get other people in who could pay that would have to do that I was just wondering and I have another question please yep you're recognized okay in my community a Sebastian County there is one place pulling down money can you help me because I have other entities who people are coming to them for help. And their hands are tied because I can't get through on the program there's a lot of trouble evidently can you help me understand. House someone an entity I may not have this right so you may have to correct me. Can entities pull down money to be able to help people in the community or do they help individuals just fill out the application themselves for rental assistance. So that the individual entities don't pull down the funds the for the funds for this the state program which is for Arkansas rate relief which would include Sebastian County the state has those funds and we make the payments from those funds there are community based partners that are helping us with that and Many of the upcoming committee are helping just without region information and we do have partners who are helping assist individuals through the application process we also make. Two of I mean the application is online it can be reached at A. R. dot governments last rate relief are we also have a call center and then for those who who cannot do it online or can't can't work with a community based organization we we do even take paper applications through the mail so if you have some specific instance there were I mean we can talk about offline I can make sure they get connected with the Arkansas rent relief program okay I would like to talk to more please offline thank you. I read I believe chair eighty seven Senator Hammer you're recognized thank you madam chair over here to the left I'm just curious mark or anyone at the table when it comes to determining who gets rental assistance do you have the systems in place to cross reference to take into account the additional federal funding they're receiving maybe through other per child allocation or I know up to recently the three hundred dollars a month or to determine what their unemployment benefits are against what they were Ernie previously to being laid off there's a systems cross reference any of that they don't because the federal rules do not allow us to offset any of that in what they can receive under this program no words even if they're receiving those no enhanced on on benefits as well as the no child tax credit advances they still are entitled under the rules to whatever the they're ordering title would be under the relief program so how do you know if somebody may be financially better off with all the federal subsidies that they're receiving an unemployment that they're receiving to where it's maybe not issue that they don't have the money to pay the rent they've just chosen not to pay the rent how do you determine that. I don't know that we have a way to determine that and that's up I mean for better for worse that's we the the rules that the federal government place for this program are very broad and very open and we just we don't have much authority there to to close that down to exercise more control there. So could it be that people are actually financially with the subsidies able to pay their rent and that's why they're not applying for this program that that combined with the fact that we've kept our economy pretty strong in Arkansas with spending like that's what we suspect is the underlying issue and the last question or any of the landlord's open to future audits if they get involved and rolled in this program are they gonna be subject to future audits by the federal government once maybe accountability for this money begins to happen or is that even of concern that landlords are to be worried about. Hi so it I mean it's possible that we could be audited meaning the state for operation of the program which might involve you know reviewing case files and data and things like that I I I could I could not say whether or not. Any auditors would make attempts to contact landlords or tenants individually to verify the documents that that we're going to maintain for this program or thank you thank you. Seat number eighty is that Senator English you're recognized thank you I I guess I've just been been wondering here so how would you know how much back rent somebody upload when you got ready send the the check to the tenant. Well the ups there's too much money out there okay right to. They have to produce documentation to show what they owe in terms of background they need to provide a copy of their lease and so we are asking for that documentation to help establish that amount yes and and the program was designed for the both the tenant and the landlord to fly in and have corresponding information that that matched our and treasury has hasn't allowed for those payments to go directly to tenants when the landlord doesn't match but we do ask for that information and we ask for documentation D. you know copy of the lease or proof that rare rent receipts or late notices I mean what we do ask for those things but we also offer an opportunity for self attestation if for whatever reason that documentation is not available and those those are reviewed as they are received so they could collect three thousand dollars for back because they owed it doesn't mean that the landlord would have to accept it. They're still they basically are still behind on three thousand dollars worth of payments so we don't have a way to resolve that other side of it if if the landlord factors once I'm out. I believe that's that's correct the then that goes back to that issue of of we're looking at now of DO make check payable to both landlord tenant or just tenant we have the only run it would be if we make the checks payable solely the tenant and in that case it would be the responsibility on them my. Hello my thank you. All right other any other questions on Adam age. All right say nine thank you all very much thank you members going to Adam I'd. Thank you madam chair section I is an annual for for the agency carry forward of unexpended balances special languages including select agencies appropriation bills that allows agencies to carry forward unexpended general revenue fund balances into the next fiscal year the lady requires reporting you'll see the amount to be paid for fiscal year twenty one into fiscal year twenty two I thank not every agency has been asking for I'm sure I believe in the interest of time if any members have a question on on any one of the reports this packet I will try to address of the question or get the Department comported financer. All right thank you are there any questions on item I. All right seeing none with one item J.. Thank you manager section J. begins the monthly reports the first report as a surplus income distribution report and it shows the sources of unobligated funds and then the distributions from the rainy day restrict reserve and long term reserve funds as of the end of August your rainy day fund shows two point four three million distributions in the balance of fourteen point one four million there should reserve shows ninety seven point seven nine million and distributions and an overall balance of seventy three point six two million the total long term reserve balances one point two billion the next item G. to the budget stabilization trust fund report and this report shows cash flow loans throughout the fiscal year as of the end of August there are eighteen point two million housing loans in the cash balances a hundred seventy six point eight million. The next item G. three is the back of the tobacco settlement report and this gives a summary of income fund balances investments actual payments to the state and on the second page are all expenses by fiscal year. J. for the next report is a state central services and Fund report and this shows the fund balance and disbursements as well as expenditures of each agency support by the fun. J. five begins our new report the American recovery plan report and the first two pages report shows requests that were approved by the A. R. P. steering committee that the state has discretion in awarding according to the report the steering committee has approved five hundred twenty one point nine million requests of the seven hundred eighty six point five six million that was received in the initial deposit of A. R. P. funds. On page three begin to report the R. P. funds that were sent directly to state agencies from various federal entities. What is this report seven hundred eighty six point four three million an appropriation has been awarded for these for these Iraqi funds. And the Those are all the reports. All right thank you are there any questions on item J. one. J. two. J. three. J. for. Or J. five. All right C. nine the last item on the agenda is back to Adam CTN that has been requested to be held until Friday. So seeing no other questions no other business we are adjourned.