Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC)

Wounded from the inside out the outside in we just pray for your peace we pray for your mercy of fall above all we just pray for your wisdom and your grace and that you would give us the wisdom of Solomon to navigate through these times of which we live in knowing that you are the god who created us your god hold us accountable we pray that all things done here today father would be mindful of the fact that we should give an account for every word every deed when we stand before you one day. We pray for our military personnel we pray for all those that stand on the side of protecting and giving peace to those who yearn for we pray for the families of the military personnel that have lost their loved ones and we thank you lord for the courage we thank you lord for them answering the call and even though they are put in harm's way they did not run they stood there place and you call them into your presence we ask your blessing of peace upon their families we do pray for our leadership and whether we agree or disagree father we pray for them for that's what you work tells us to do to pray for those that have authority over you and my prayer is that wisdom would prevail and all things lord that would be set aside in order that peace may prevail would be done bless us as we debate today help us to have the spirit of kindness in our town and our actions and we ask all these things in the powerful name of Jesus Christ the savior a man. Of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you members. We you've had opportunity to look to minutes in your packet if you've done that would have a motion to accept the minutes I have a motion I have a second I have a second all in favor to accept minutes say aye. Post minutes are adopted. Next we have a general revenue report. The standard fuel. Come. Recognize yourself in. Gives good news. Thank you Mr chair at least in it Legislative economist with the pure of Legislative Research I presenting the July twenty twenty one revenue report. Gross general revenues are down twenty two percent from this time last year. And the net available for distribution is also down twenty two percent. On the second page you'll see the graph even though were down compared to last year we're still above forecast by thirty nine million because the forecast for this year is a little bit lower than it was last year. On page three you can see that gross receipts taxes were up ten point five percent from the same time last year. But total income taxes we are down forty three point four percent. I'd be happy to take your questions. Remember you have questions Senator Hammer you're recognized thank you Mr would you over here too far left would you refresh my memory what on collected checks in with the of T. reversals are pleased. Sure uncollected checks I can get you a formal definition but from my understanding those are payments that have come in I'm sorry payments have gone out I believe but haven't been yet take into the entire process and cashed in if the reversals that sort of just an other category things that have gone wrong with payments those come in as EFT reversals but I'll get you a more formal definition of those thank you. Kochhar Wardlaw you're recognized. So when you look at the net general revenues you look down to corporate income tax refunds is up a hundred forty four percent can you explain why that's so high. I do not have an answer for that but I'll get you one. Okay if may can you elaborate on the. If I have permission to use the. Right ahead and recognize yourself enter represent Wardlaw most question please. John shall not DFA. The the corporate to re funds represents a. One time events A special audit issues that unpredictable kind of pattern from those those occurrences. Can you elaborate on what that one time of the. Would have been to call such a high roof on percentage of that gets into individual taxpayer issues I believe. So it wasn't anything created by any of the federal dollars that came into the state over the last year no Sir okay thank you. J. seeing no other questions. Thank you for your report. Okay next week. However executive subcommittee report writin Wardlaw if you get that the executive subcommittee met on August twenty fifth and twenty six and heard presentations from cigna group related to the ongoing employee health benefit study at the meeting on Thursday to subcommittee also heard from representative flowers stating that she would withdraw her proposal for the casino oversight committee for LC in addition the report includes an emergency action authorizing bill or to enter into an agreement for outside legal counsel the emergency action an agreement are attached year report I move adoption is report. The. Okay any questions to report not I have a motion to adopt the report have a motion and a second. Second all in favor aye. Those thank. Mister chair with the adoption of report members I just want everyone to be aware we're we are meeting on Wednesdays and Thursdays at nine AM to discuss the employee benefits does the Division we have had little participation from the membership and we would invite that all members of council and all members legislature show up and entered our ideas into those times because legislation will be drafted from those reports and we just don't want any surprises when the legislation comes you know if somebody had an idea over here and I do over there so we would invite you to participate in those two days of meetings every week of council so and the next one will be on a calendar for September enters actually public comment meetings on the calendar for September so just just be on Watson please participate thank you. Thank you members and we've got. All of that that large program affection ever County so it's statewide and if you can participate in and offer suggestions you're welcome. Next we have the mystery rules report and representative aids fuel. Recognize yourself and give that thank you Mr chairman the administrative rule subcommittee met on Tuesday August twenty fourth the subcommittee reviewed and filed a quarterly reports that were submitted by the department of corrections and parole board the subcommittee also received an agency update on delinquent rulemaking under ACT five seventeen of twenty nineteen all rules were reviewed and approved and I move adoption of the report. Any questions on report not I have a motion is adopted second. And second on by rock. Post. Motion to adopt. Blesses We're going to claim review and litigation report Senator Hester I believe you have that if you'll give us that. Thank you senator rice can you skip over me come back to me just a second would do that thank you we will move to the higher education report Senator English you're recognized give you report. Media LC higher education subcommittee met Tuesday August twenty fourth two thousand twenty one at eleven AM in room may be back at the committee heard testimony regarding the ready for life programme the reimagined grant recipients and the workforce alliance for growth. A motion except the report with no questions have second all in favor aye. Posed. Report is adopted. Going to the medical marijuana oversight committee representative Lanny Fite you are recognized to give a report. Thank you Mr the medical marijuana oversight subcommittee met on Thursday August twenty six two thousand one subcommittee received a report from the department of health regarding medical marijuana Amendment ninety eight in her testimony and professionals within the Arkansas matter medical marijuana industry moved for adoption this report. The motion is not I have a second phone favor I. Posed thank you. next we have a your report forms valuation expenditure read you Senator Dismang you're recognized for. For you Mr chairman one second please are the peer subcommittee met on Monday August twenty third as noted in the report subcommittee approved request for various temporary appropriation cares Act appropriation a fund transfer and A. R. P. request item C. eleven through report was a request from ATC for eighty one point six million dollars projects not yet shovel ready in those can be found in Tashkent one of the report a motion was made that all these projects complete review process and they'll see cheers could approve the projects nineteen through forty six on the attached list at the subcommittee reviewed a number of the request and receive reports item he won a restricted reserve fund transfer requests for northwest technical institute four hundred fifty seven thousand dollars was hailed a request was made to DFA to submit a replacement request that transfers funds from majority vote set aside within the restricted reserve and the replacement matter letter is attached to the board and at so I do believe that's there in your packet I do have one quick question for department health and one of the items before I moved for adoption. Okay Barton health. This is on and and I'm not sure exactly it's going pertain to bits related to the ninety million dollars to the K. through twelve attesting. Mallory apartment Marvin Health. Your heart health I thank you in that so in the proposal it references vendors in places and then it represents references been door in a different place do we plan on I mean is that a sole source type deal are we going to put that out for bid we plan on breaking the state out and and having different territories what what we think that's going to look like we are going to going to put that out for be it that's our intention is going to have one vendor multiple vendors I think it what we would prefer are as one vendor on that's our goal. Senate is mine I think the plan is to have one vendor across state to come to a turnkey operation going to the school provide everything for that school take some of the workload off the school staff and there's also money in that proposal to work with the the point of contact in the schools provide some support and funding for them do you all have you already had some conversations with a vendor then because like I said when I read it we were going through it read indoors indoors yeah I thank our intent is to have a vendor or for this to the whole stay in any of our he had contact with that there are many that have reached out but we haven't had any kind of formal discussions with the county of thank you. At with that I'll be happy to take any questions okay we do have questions Senator Hammer you're recognized thank you first question would be for Department health for your table is just for the testing for COVID in schools. Yes Sir okay one of the concerns it's been expressed me by superintendent is that they they get to test the got away for fifteen minutes and actually the volume of which they can get the test done in the school during the school day that it's not a practical application to the setting because the turn around if you had any body express that to you or can you address those concerns so keep in mind this is totally voluntary on school they don't have to opt in to do this in this voluntary for the parents and child that's my understanding with that as far as the turn around time we're gonna try to find you know the the most accurate and and best as possible but that will be fleshed out in that proposal in the look and we'll we'll take into consideration we do that okay so so the amount of tests that they can administer the turn around time because part of it is is tying up their school nurses and other staff that whenever they're getting these test and that creates a burden to the school and that's part of the reason they only want to participate in this program they'd rather send them somewhere to get tested then do it in the school is all that being thrown into discussion my understanding is the school can choose to do this or not it's so if if you know and I think that will look and see who can do the testing the facets that make it is easy in the schools possible okay any unused money just goes back into the pot yes Sir it'll be of yeah we don't get to be a with the ability for services yes all right and Mister chairman I've got a question is this your programs have to ask a question about this rain sheet was that covered in peer or. Can I ask questions about that when it comes up. That you had senator Hammer. I guess maybe I'd like to ask questions Secretary Hearst of she's in the room if this deal with broadband. Is in one of the health partners here DeMaio said health department. Senator Dismang go ahead it in thank you for that it in back on so the ninety million dollars had had we come to the idea that we needed ninety million dollars from it's not been put out for bid at this point and what does that do to the bid process when others say a ceiling and it means so what what is where did that come from. And I'm a literature Mallory China doll start the ninety million was a grant from the CDC to do this in a statewide platform so this state just said we are going to cost ninety million there's in ninety million now we're going to find out how much it's actually going to cost we put out for bid actually I didn't hear the first thing is that I'm sorry so they just that they said it was they they assumed it was going to be ninety million but we're gonna put it out for bid it may or may not be that amounts that yeah we're I mean we're gonna look at all and you know do as economical as possible yes Sir I thank. Okay saying the. Representative speaks with yours for health. Okay thank you thank you. representative or senator Hammer had asked for Director Hearst but I'm having the jim Hudson if you will come up you make an answer that the she's not here really you have information on that you compartment Senator Hammer view last question I believe they'll be able to answer thank you Mr. Jim Dotson ATC. David bell Barbara commerce. More German just a couple quick questions for you deal with this okay just give me a brief explanations everybody in green on this list the ones that are the shovel ready projects had been cleared and ready to go. So the same as the we email to bill our yesterday's yes if it's shaded green that means it has completed a two part review process is complete the review as the agency to ensure it meets all the eligibility requirements and it is also completed a review at UAMS to ensure all the engineering and technical specifications are correct as well so it is ready to be funded in go okay and and none of these are line of sight type of delivery of services are all these are all types all fiber all fibre of five and then there's the R. F. P. that is out there that is at the request of some of the legislators to get a consultant involved in this thing and try to put a pause button on this and if we if we allow these to get out of here today can you are you familiar with that are of PM where we are in the process and when the intent to award is scheduled. One of that misfits can become the table with the Department parks here gingers and she's been working on that process with secretary her so she can give you a more up to date our thank you that. In center we do have somebody here that you see good recognize yourself you will. Good morning I'm Leslie Fisk in Chief of legislative affairs affairs for parks here to to enter some can you just repeat your question that's. Yes this. Yes ma'am the question is at the request of some there was an R. F. P. that has been developed to you all have put out I understand that there been some that responded to that I understand that the interview process is maybe going on or complete and that I want to know when the intent to award is going to come through for that consulting because it is the opinion of some that we need to have a consultant that is developing the overall approach movie Ford and just to be point blank if we let these things out here is going to be with the understanding that that are of P. is going to be completed and then a consultant will be hired to review of going forward what are passed plan is for implementation of the rest of the broadband projects that have come before us is that an accurate statement can you tell when that will come yes our that is an accurate statement I'm our plan is to be at a LC next month without RF peas our time line right now we're moving forward with the procurement process and our plan is mid to late September to have been able to award a bit on that part on the RFP process so we're moving forward as really as quickly as possible on that process you know when you'll announce you tend to award. Set up to September seventeenth that is our target date we've you know maybe a few days how to vote or a few days after that but that's our target date without Armstrong and his team okay or thank you thank you. Review speaks well who's your question for. I just want to ask a question about some thing that's on our what we're voting on. Okay go ahead and ask questions it's on the schools Arkansas state university. And maybe I was wondering what what this we're increasing them what is this. The is. Mr Broadway here. Through the. Thank you I thank for now Richardson and race we got our answer thank you. All okay yeah. I have a question for you Mister Broadway you're recognized thank you shame roadway issue system yes ma'am. I was just curious we're increasing. Their budget that much what what is this going for. Which reporter you are I'm sorry represent speaks. For its on the report here two of the Arkansas state university it may be. It's a rescue plan that is the funds that the institution directly received from the federal government. These are the funds they have to expand on students and other items at the university and only can be spent by issue B. B.. Okay thank you Mountain Home we'll have more coming as well when neighbors when they're ready to draw down their funds so there this is their plan for improvements on campus and spending their money on their students to be done thank you you're welcome and I may I ask another question go ahead that's the department of commerce. Great thank you. I was just questioning this money that's going over and above your budget the eighty one thousand. Million a main. So what we did is we have a hundred and eighty five million from the steering committee. And then what we've got right now with shovel ready near shovel ready and then with the Project assistance that we're gonna get we're seeing it One hundred and eighty point four million roughly if everything is approved everything gets executed a hundred percent. So that I mean we're right we're pretty close to being on target for the budget. As of right now. So you're sending it where. It was a speech if if I if I may just collaborate on the answer this is all outside general revenue this is not part of the budget okay this is this is American rescue plan funds okay and so this is to fund projects for the broadband program okay so we will be sending money to internet service providers for them to be able to do projects throughout Arkansas okay thank you thank you. Okay members if we can hold our chatter down a little bit hard to hear some. going next to Senator Irvin. Thank you and members just personally I'm just going to take a one quick moment of personal at to tell you thank you. For praying for my mother. so thank you I want to say that god is amazing and good and miracles happen every day and I've been first hand witness to them and it's thanks to the prayers of so many people in here and all the people that have reached out to me and consoled me and comforted me and I am so incredibly eternally grateful for all of you who have reached out to me and for all your prayers they have worked in a my mother is a living miracle and with that we continue to pray for the nurses and the doctors that are in these hospitals working so hard so thank you M. on the Probyn I want to just give some background here and there have been many legislator wars and this legislative branch of government has worked incredibly hard on broadband and I could go through the list of so many people that have done extraordinary things to make sure we're here today and and and I can go through a whole list of people that I'm just the ones that you know Senator Chesterfield representative Stephen Meeks senator Brianne Davis Senator Flippo senator Hammer senator samples center Caldwell Senator Ingram Senator English representative DN Vaught there's just been a tremendous amount of people that have really worked in this space and if it hadn't been for the legislature to pass bills in twenty nineteen to under represent the von Senator Davis we really wouldn't be here today so I just want to make sure that we're real clear that this is such a important partnership for our state in broadband's I'm going forward and making sure that we're working in concert with the department of education as a commerce and ADC on this so I do have a substitute motion to Senator Dismang the motion and a little bit of background and we we haven't gotten our motion I'm sorry okay the questions you had. I know my and I will be ready to make a motion at after all the questions have been answered on this but the background that I just want to provide quickly on this is that. If people don't know UAMS Office of digital health is really the brain trust about broadband in the state of Arkansas and the reason why it was because they received a federal grant many many many years ago to create the angels program and back in nineteen ninety seven when my husband started to roll residency program in Mountain View Arkansas he was doing that through video conferencing so like face time okay so the State UAMS has been in this business since nineteen ninety seven running T. one lines all across the state having video conferencing back in nineteen ninety seven before you any of us use facetime they know what they're doing there the office of digital health innovation and they were started because of these advances in health care to begin a rule residency which my husband was the beneficiary of the beginning so and the angels program and what was happening with the OB gin and Dr Kerr doctor At. Curtis and so I want all to know that it's really important that they are the technical review folks and they also are the ones that are administering the rule ID broadband program so with Arkansas rule connects grant program and with rule ID propping program it is a two fold approach to get broadband out there as quickly as possible so the projects that we see on the new list that you have have gone through that process at UAMS and and we want to make sure that those projects are reviewed appropriately and then that we are able to approve them as quickly as possible but I just wanted everybody in here to know you've got to work with folks in your communities to apply for both Arkansas rule connect and rule broadband ID program if you don't know about them contact me and I can tell you about that and then further more in my and my substitute motion I will be talking about the statewide survey in our of P. and how we need to speed that up so Mister chair when it's appropriate I'll make that substitute motion. Thank you I have a question Senator Hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr one of the things I had a question is I'm looking at one of the vendors is going to get a significant amount of money on the sheet and I've already gotten several complaints that their service that they're delivering his lesson quality and that people are looking for other options I'm just curious what did you do in screening the awards with regards to these companies to determine that the quality of what they are already offering that maybe has been provided by other grants that we have provided is actually up to standards for is that totally left in the hands of UAMS to determine that and if it passes their test then it's okay. Sam thank you question it it's actually it's an ongoing process of evaluating that vendor now I don't know what particulars are this situation be happy to have an offline conversation about the complaints but the complaints may very well be because adequate technology that they're looking upgrade sniffed at number Vice peas are using old technology like DSL that just cannot carry the band with that today's usage demands and so when they send their application and they have to you know a test that they're going to put in place the the technical a quick minute necessary deliver that broadband service UAMS vets that that's one part what you M. S. does once the network is built out service is ready to go they come around the back into audit make sure that what was promised was actually delivered and then the broadband office will continue to monitor the performance for several years covenants in the grant agreement which requires them to provide the service to anybody in that area is willing to sign up for and if they don't get the service you don't get broadband service. We'll have a concern about that what an issue that will be talked about at the start of the auditing process. Of the of the awards have already been made in the services that are being delayed yes Sir ask those projects are completed they do a close out process and they audit and if they have not fulfilled the obligation providing quality service that we expected as legislators for them yes then do we have the ability to recoup the money that we gave them in the grants because they failed to deliver yes Sir thank valid comes the grant agreement which has performance expectations in it we will call the money back hopefully we have a conversation about fixing the problem before we have to do that well I'll have an offline conversation is one of the details of not so good reputation area there delivered services now so yes or NO share I'd like one question department health pollution I'll be done thank you. Senator Beckham you're recognized. Thank you chair the the follow up on Senator hammers question. for clarification you said that you allow your your providing grants for companies to replace our existing infrastructure and not expand to unserved areas is that accurate. They can be a possibility there's can be you know areas where there is currently under served or un served where a a providers contiguous to that and they can expand into that area or their current technology is antiquated and the need to upgrade we can help them with that as well follow Jr. So we're. Generally funding improvements to their existing infrastructure there were paying for the companies. Routine maintenance routine upgrades but not expanding into the rule or is that do not have any access. I wouldn't agree with the characterization that it is you know routine maintenance a routine maintenance is is there are there are calls for operating their business the purpose of the program is to take broadband to areas of the state that are underserved or unserved. And if that's a territory that's under served or un served the otherwise meet the requirements of the program you'll be a grant that we consider which would you agree that we should look at the answer. And fund expansion and unserved areas prior to the moving bar of underserved is banned with the requirements increase for streaming video services telehealth things like that. Our bar keeps moving up what's considered to be on the server. It in terms of what constitutes unserved and under served we have guidelines we have rules from the US department of treasury that tells us who is eligible for that how they get the money so we have to play by the rules on that. Okay representative back you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair I want to. I did a little bit deeper that. In my particular district we had a situation where we have provider that was claiming service And we have individuals their procedures that service doesn't exist or it's it's yes it's very sporadic you know it's not what it what it was set up to be and and we have another provider wanting to move into that area needs some grant money to do that they were not given that because the other provider the previous provider had said we've already got that area covered so my question is this how. How do we address that question to make sure that we don't have a of a player out there who saying Hey I've got this area covered in in actually didn't get a covered represent kind of a technicality yeah no I I understand your question in it. It is an ongoing issue across the whole country and I think we've we've had conversations here in this meeting I think and with different members less. About mass in our maps accurate or not accurate in a lot of those maps or FCC maps where different carriers have said yeah we cover that area but they really have never built out the area and so one of the steps that we follow the application process we can application in you know we will look and see if another provider is claiming that territory and if they are then we'll need to have a conversation a provider see if indeed they actually are and so there is a process for you know validating that ensuring that services actually getting to. This actually will be one of the things that we hope the consultant addresses that centerman and that Senator Hammer we're talking about this this can was talking about is actually get more accurate data as to what areas are unserved and under served so we're not just relying on somebody's claim that you either serving that area. Follow. A so. The me just a second so you're saying there is a process serious existing is right now that if if I would have to say I'm a provider of. And I want to challenge another area right I would come to you first and say Hey that company is not providing that's right I will I want to grant or whatever to provide that area and then you would go in and actually do a survey yourself not presently no we will have a conversation with that provider to see if they really are in serving that area would want to know that we have customers that they're actually building to usually that provider that's willing to enter the territory they've got a pretty good idea that particular provider is not doing the work and they'll release that claim pretty quickly it's just something that's been sitting on a map for a long time that really they haven't haven't taken advantage of it so the process we currently have in place in the application process the tax where there's a claim of an overlap we work through that and we're able to fund that new provider coming into the territory. Thank you. Senator Dismang back to you. I thank you Mr chairman Hannah again I just want to say how much I appreciate your appointment to the your committee at I move for adoption of the report including the role of the replacement restricted reserve release from northwest technical institute from the majority vote set aside. I have a motion and a second. Any discussion she's. The M. Senator Irvin you're recognized. I have a substitute motion. What is your substitute motion some a substitute motion as for ALC to approve funding today for the thirty four broadband projects that are totaling a hundred and twenty. The N. forty eight thousand eight hundred ten dollars and sixty one cents that are identified as ready on the spreadsheet that's been provided to the members and for a LC to authorize the chairs to approve funding of the remaining twelve projects totalling twenty seven million one hundred sixty three thousand eight hundred seventy seven dollars and seventy seven seven six six sense as each project completes technical review by UAMS and becomes ready I also would at. Put in there that as part of the motion that all of that information comes every member of the A. L. C. as those projects are reviewed by the chairs of a LC and approved that that information also come to the members of a LC also too we need to include the approval of the replacement of the restricted reserve release for northwest technical institute from the majority vote set aside and then the final part of the motion is to bring the statewide survey R. F. P. to executive subcommittee and that the decision made Vice executive subcommittee would be the final decision versus waiting till Review Committee and meets we want that process expedited and we want it done as soon as possible the statewide survey is going to address these questions I have been asked by Senator back in represented back senator Hammer in many in this room and that is why it is very important that we have this as a consultant statewide survey begin as soon as possible and so that that would be a four part motion I'll be happy to take any questions into the the option of the report and move it option of the report. Thank you five parks. Okay members that is a proper substitute motion we do have a question. Representative Meeks was a second okay I've got a. Okay I've got a substitute motion second any questions. All in favor aye aye opposed. Thank you in that includes the adoption of the report. Senator Dismang thank you Mr chairman of the council received a request from DFA for supplemental agenda items for for A. R. P. request from the health department I move to suspend the rules take up a supplemental agenda. Okay members you have a copy of that supplemental agenda one page in your report I have a motion to suspend the rules. All a second all in favor aye. Posed okay rules are suspended that I have a motion to adopt. The supplemental agenda. Yes Sir and the Department health is here to explain the the requested answer any questions and I move to approve the three A. R. P. request from the health department. Okay I have a motion second we have questions Senator Irvin. No question thank you for. K. Singh no question for the department all in favor of the motion say aye. Opposed. Thank you members that is approved. We are now going to go back to Senator Hester in the report for claims review in addition. Thank you senator asked the claims review litigation reports oversight secure subcommittee met on Wednesday August twenty fifth two thousand twenty one concerning the litigation reports oversight the subcommittee review for litigation cases president by the department of labor licensing the subcommittee also reviewed report presented by the Legislative Joint audit committee concerning claims a subcommittee affirm the ruling of claims commission as to to unpaid bills three awarded claims to negotiated settlements in nineteen denied and dismissed claims I move adoption of the report. I have a motion to adopt have second and second all in favor aye aye aye opposed thank you that the Senator Hester nextone to review representative Ken Bragg. Thank you Mr the review subcommittee met on Monday and reviewed methods of financing alternative delivery construction project discretionary grants and services contract there was one item held for DFA on page six of the report the hold is been released and I move adoption of the report including review of the held items. Okay any questions or written bride if not I have a motion and a second second all in favor the reports say aye opposed report is adopted. Going on to personnel a committee Senator Wallace if that report. Thank you Mr chairman the person or committee mid August twenty fourth at one thirty roommate of mac the mac building the committee review the items listed. AS one through fifteen on the port I'm sixteen was held until today for further information and I would be happy to entertain any questions and moved to adopt the port including approval of item sixteen. Any questions or personal record. I have a motion and a second. That second all right I. Post it is adopted. In our regular reports communication port we have one that will require a motion is the Arkansas teacher retirement system if you had a chance to look at that. Are there any questions. If not I would take a motion the. The motion center area of the second. Second. All in favor of the filing this report is reviewed say aye. and opposed. Motion is filed. Okay members. What we're going to have some reports that shouldn't be late the mandatory report from our farm sector let me move referred to the ISPs we have to if you have any questions on those if not I would accept a motion that we A former does ISPs. I have a motion the second thank you all in favor of of I fees to the committees shall say aye. Opposed. Those are approved. Now we have a. Our reports Act for thirteen from. Department of Human Services director glassfish you Mr secretary Gillespie if you come forward. We welcome you and thank you for being here today you're recognized yourself. For your report. Thank you syndicalists be secretary to be of the Department of Human Services and I've asked my deputies to be here today as well for questions you will pull your microphone close to you if you will that they got the corner one all here. Good morning dawn Staley deputy director for health and Medicaid director for DHS. And good morning Lisa Smith deputy director of youth and families. Mark white chief of staff for DHS. Mr chairman thank you for the opportunity give this report I will I will as you said be. A quick I just want to highlight a few things Outside the report really this is just to talk for a moment. We were asked to say sort of what is the state of DHS and I I wanted this very quickly address three things outside of the report. When I think about the department I think about it in terms of the people that work there are employees I think about the programs and I think about the infrastructure to just very quickly at a high level let me tell you how as the Secretary I see the state of the department today. Coming off of a very difficult year that we've all experienced and we worked I have to say thank you as I start this part of the legislatures work with us so closely over the last year and a half is that we will be going through the pandemic and all the changes the implications but as we come off of this last year and a half. When I look at the people. We tend to a DHS categorize everything as it's a green meaning it may not be perfect but we're we're moving along we're in progress we're handling the problems as we go yellow things are getting very critical for us and it takes real focused attention to keep it from going bad and red is where we basically the bottoms falling out we've got a real problem it's all hands on deck. When I talk about the people at DHS we are in yellow. And I what you know that is where we are all focused we are bringing a lot to you right now for your personnel subcommittee in other areas but it's because for us this is an area where we have to have serious attention. Our agency over the last few years prior to The start of the pandemic our agency was are down to about seventy four hundred people which was a comfortable place to be we had come down several hundred with efficiencies and other efforts. We are now down a thousand from there. We are down over a thousand people from last July. Right and that has hit hard this is particularly in the human development centers. State Hospital. The nursing home. Child welfare and our county offices. So I want you to understand for us we see people right now As yellow. It is our area of deep concern I really appreciate the actions last week we brought several things to personnel are to do we are working on quite a few others but I want you know our attention is focused there. When I moved from there to our infrastructure our infrastructure we see is green in spite of the pandemic and everything that went on our folks have really continue to move forward on infrastructure. We are doing a lot you see a lot of it in the report in terms of building out our IT infrastructure improving our operations through use of technology we're doing a lot in the actual facilities to improve infrastructure we broke ground. A new dorms the first new construction since Booneville opened in the history of bone full last year so lots of progress in that area again green never means perfect we have programs we have infrastructure projects in areas where where we're dealing with problems but there but it's green overall and we're moving along and then programs in general we also I look at him is green lots of work we have some complications we have some things aren't perfect we're still working on but. In spite of the fact that last year we had in addition to normal programs and operations. Huge huge new programs we had to implement because of COVID and massive changes to our programs from the shift to telemedicine to essential worker vouchers to child care support programs I mean you name it across everything veterans programs even that we we did there. In spite of all that those programs kept all moving forward and the programs are continuing to involve both operationally quality wise and programmatic Lee so I like I said I didn't want to spend a lot of time because I know you have questions but I did want to let you know with the Secretary how I see things and say thank you for all of the support and the work that you've done with us over the last year around this and we look forward to taking questions. Thank you Sir secretary Glaspie of representative Ladyman you're recognized. Thank you Mr secretary les beyond I know it's been a very tough situation and there's a lot going on you know you health the first our homes. Group meeting the other day I was able to attend that and I think that's a great step forward not I'm looking forward to working with you on that you talked about the infrastructure and I understand. the advances that you made last year in the plans I sit in on some of those architectural meetings and yet good plans in place and I know we're still all right now you know the pandemic of. Had a manager worked me once and he said well I think we're coming out of the woods instead of going into the woods and I think that's where we're at but we're still in the woods so I know that plan stalled but is it just stopped now the infrastructure. The construction and is that going to start under what what your forward looking on that but the construction boom bill will other all the projects that you've got going on we have a long term plan of our long term plan to know they are all of our long term plans are continuing to move forward and They are moving moving very well we think of infrastructure both as the facilities and what's done there in terms of construction but IT infrastructure and our IT infrastructure projects are continuing to move along one of our biggest as you are very familiar with is an Aries the implementation of the integrated eligibility benefit management system we completed actually moving all of Medicaid into it and the first six months of this calendar year and we've now started the snap pilot and so that project will is continuing and we'll continue you may see us in some of our projects slow down slightly because with less staff the staff has to the staff that remains has to take on additional work and they have to learn how to do something differently but we are not we don't have anything that we're saying we are going to still get it done we make slip deadlines a little bit just to make sure we implement smoothly but we are not looking at any major slowdowns or changes thank you. Senator Hammer you're recognized. Thank you a talk for many if you will regarding loss of personnel you said you're down personnel are you experiencing losing nursing nurses that are leaving going to the private sector and how short are you on nurses in order to be able to make passi say like the health service center down in past roll or some of the others central components. Sure I'll be happy to At the facilities we are downers is at we have had to do some movement around of nurses from non Nonclinical areas elsewhere in DHS to come in and temporarily take clinical roles which we appreciated them doing but with some of the personnel change changes approved last week from personnel we should now be able to hire more and to be able to to compete against what's going on so that that one we have a plan for and that is hopefully going to work and we're starting to move move around those very down at the facilities on CNA's that is a lot more problematic in some ways because our facilities operate with a lot of C. N. ace and that. That means that the people who are there are working lots of overtime and and that's really what starts to happen around personnel the same thing is going on in child welfare and in the county offices is that as you start to lose personnel those that remain have to take on a larger workload. And as they take on a larger workload and then right now with the surge going again we see this pretty steadily through the year but if they take on a larger workload and you have to quarantine. Those who remain in the office have to now do even more work as you're trying to hire and then they finally just get tired and they move on which increases the workload to get into a cycle and we're we're trying to break that cycle right now in several areas with some of the things we're doing to encourage people to stay on and also to be able to attract more people into positions open but it's everything from You know. Clerical positions in the county offices to program eligibility workers to a clerical positions in the child welfare office to family service workers nurses CNA's I mean it's it's through our through our spectrum that we are experiencing these issues do you know if you've lost any nurses to travel agencies have been hired and have been moved to hospitals in the state. I'm looking to see if. Anyone knows of an incident like that if so it hasn't been raised to me as this is how we lost this particular nurse okay thank you. Thank you Representative vote you're recognized thank you Mister chair I kind of want to piggyback off of what you're talking about just for a second and I have a follow up a separate question also so I do here all the time about the externalities that they're having to work and that they're not getting paid overtime but to a certain amount or supervisor doesn't get paid any overtime period which they're working with no lunch breaks and they're giving it all they have which is more than what we can expect of them in reality for them and to be away from their homes from seven AM thirty in the morning to eight o'clock at night which is one of the phone calls that I had last night with no type of overtime pay is there anything that we can do for the supervisors I mean I know we can't give them overtime I understand it's not like illegality issue that we can't give them overtime but I know in my area I don't wanna lose my supervisor and I think that's about to start happening across the state and then my second part to this question I do have a separate question but the second part to this one was she tried to get twenty hour extra help. and but it was a police officer who had gotten permission but he couldn't do it because he's not in your training so what is your training that you do for these investigations for child services that go in and is it that big of a deal that somebody it's a police officer we couldn't train them quickly so they could take up some of that slack or some of that extra it's being in the road on the supervisors or investigators in which they could help. So let me start with the first part of that and One of the things that a dollar just approved in a moment ago from the personnel committee was it will hopefully start to address a little bit of that we can't issue said pay overtime around supervisors but what we can do is pay on call so what we have done is we you just approved letting us pay or on call for both the workers and for the Supervisors that will have to work which should help it one of the hardest things about that child welfare job and one of things we see in all of the exit interviews is exactly and this was even pre pandemic is exactly what you said on code means that they can't go out of town they can't do anything they just have to be ready to get called in and it messes up messes up your home life right you work hard and that it messes up your your home life so by when you are officially on call just like when a doctor is on call we will be now able to pay them for being on call and that should help around that and supervisors were included in that because we the supervisors are also on call and we can we can do that The extra help question is a technical question and I'm actually going to defer to either quiso or Misha I think mission may be here whoever would prefer of okay so keys would you like to take that one. So represented by thank you so we I think we're it would be understating it to say that we're looking at every single possibility that we can do to support our child welfare workers so one of the things that director Martin I have discusses different plans in different areas of the state and so I will say this if there is a police officer that is willing to come in and and do and help us in certain areas then we will absolutely look at that and I would love to talk to you further about what that individual would like to do typically with police officers that that type of level of investigation is often reserved for ours you see a CD that workers that are out from state police but if he wants to start investigations help us in respective areas then we are we are open to that and so if I could talk to you after this I would love to so we can get some more information about that that would be great and I have one more question Mr if that's okay group and this is kind of a little bit off the subject but I have you at the table and we ask about nursing homes and how far behind we were on paying our nursing home so they could actually pay their vendors pay their staff things such as this nature can you give me an update as to where we're at on getting our nursing homes caught up on the pay that they're owed for their. And they're in a dire situation I mean I have explained this to Mr Clark I'm seriously seriously worried about our nursing homes at this point and if they'll be able to continue to function in state of Arkansas due to the lack of people that they have in their actual nursing homes due to either desk pandemic people taken our family out which is put in a real hurt on our nursing home so if you can give me a little update I would appreciate it thank you Mr chair. To address both the. Certainly and represent Vaught I just give an update on the issue of the payments that the insurer faced in is released on eligible applications and we're we've got applications they've been pending for long they should have and that ties back to the staffing issues that secretary Gless be addressed and also some drainage or working for both of our staff but also with the folks the nursing home we're adjusting to changes in how we process those up with all set let me just give example of from the end of last week where we were last week we had received for her twenty nine cases the nursing homes identified to us that were potentially problematic repenting of those hundred seventeen cases we were able to take final action on during the week we have another hundred eighty six weathers in the first initial information from the applicant and so we set about so the case is moving as back to the progress and then as of Friday last Friday we had thirty one cases we still needed to review to see where they were at and then fifty seven that needs additional work on our part as we continue to work through those on a we're getting regular updates on these numbers and we engaged in the some updated numbers on Monday I would appreciate that thank you Mr. Thank you a representative back you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman of. My question to you you've kind of got close that confronts me that there was a little bit more detail you said that you're doing exit interviews you said that you obviously identified that fatigue this is is an issue you also get a five that apparently pay is an issue of on call pay or like that so so my question was exactly. With the sexes interviews. Are you saying anything that is different than what president you had somewhere number thirteen fourteen percent. The people left laughter this year so are you saying the same type of bills I guess maybe not with the fatigue thing about the same type of reasons it in your exit interviews ours or something different going on right now yeah I'll Senator Hammer indicating on maybe it's competition now the nurses are are travelling now that's that thank you but throughout the spectrum what is it that you could do that would make that fourteen percent. Five percent. Or less it's it's a variety of issues and it obviously depends on. On the job area but some of the differences that we are we are seeing The the fatigue issue is bigger people are. Tired and they. They feel The jobs that the jobs that many of these workers have. I think I would say this way it is not just exhaustion from hell from the hours in the workload. It is exhaustion from the fact that these are these are jobs where someone's life is in your hands in many cases. And there becomes an extra level of exhaustion when you feel like you just can't. The that you can't do enough do you see what I mean it's like if you have are working with twenty cases and then suddenly you have thirty cases and then you have forty cases there becomes an extra level of mental and emotional fatigue knowing you probably can't get to everything you need to and want to get to and that builds on it so we are seeing that extra level of fatigue around around the jobs There's a little bit on a completely different level there is a little bit of we are losing people because they get offered jobs now where they can just work remote. We're getting an awful lot of that it doesn't necessarily show up in the way the interview our exit interview questions are asked but when people tell us they're leaving one of the things we often here is I've taken a job where I can just work from home and that we get a lot particularly around many of our role our jobs in the county offices are computer based jobs and so it's they don't have to come into an office so I would say probably that one would be the biggest difference and another that is just the general workload safety comes up as more of a concern now than it used to and a different type of safety more worry about being exposed to the public or in an office where they're exposed to others so I would say those would be the biggest differences but a lot of this are these are issues that we have had and have been working and it just became very compounded in the last year that quick follow up sure we're OK brothers in the queue. The. A. So obviously remote is is it Jana and a lot of people are saying that led different industries so I have you made any adjustments to maybe South look at some of your position to see if they can be remote and and so have you shift any positions you know. that we're we're we're looking at everything would be the way to say that to answer that but one of things I I will tell you is we have had to shift. To doing a lot of a partially remote work already over the last year when much of DHS most of DHS we now have operating where if someone has to stay home and quarantine. they can work remotely and so we it is unfortunately more common place we would want it for example even here at central office that we will have to clear out of Florence central office for day and everyone just goes home and works remotely they continue work but they go home and do it remote county offices and things so we have been developing and getting that capacity much stronger over the last year because we've had to our workers are getting in a job that can be done remotely are workers are getting much more comfortable with it. And for Nick you Senator just for you you're recognized thank you Mr chair I've already visited with you about my concerns about the environment because if there's a toxic environment people now have an opportunity to go somewhere else I hope that that is being addressed But my main question is on the rental assistance rollout. What percentage of that money has been spent on rental assistance and utility. Would you like to. Provide those. Okay in whether looking for what was the starting salary of the individuals about whom we speak what is their starting salary they still on the twenty three thousand dollars or something. Which may be the major reason that many of them leaving because this employees market now by the very first time people have choices it now it totally as an employees market right now we agree with you do you know what a family service worker starting is. Hi thirty thirty five thirty eight for family service worker and then they also do earn overtime that is another change that has been made so as a originally known it's better they actually get paid for it and now they'll get on call on top of that. What about the rental assistance and the utility assistance because it was at one percent when I visited about it before let's hope that it's better because we met with. The utility companies they're willing to I think that has helped some of the tell me where we are my you senator of the last part I have we have distributed six million ninety one thousand eight hundred ninety five dollars as of August twenty fifth it would percentages at a budget. That is going to be about five percent of the total amount was one hundred seventy three million six or eight four thousand thank you understand what the problem is is I will say number you time is six percent of money the money's been there since when it's been there since May since may since may and we've only been able to dispense six percent of the money is better we've we've been putting the word out we are receiving applications from throughout the state so would you think the word is getting out there the the two issues I think or face more than anything or number one we continue to encounter landlords who are for whatever reason are not willing to participate and number two just not getting applications and for folks and so we're working to continue to get the word out there and spread that so we get the medications in so can people go to local offices that's one thing to to get the assistance. There are a outside organizations that are willing to work with folks to help them of course we have website we have eight hundred number of a number of ways that folks can access that to get there a service a utility bill is relatively smoothly handled more so than the landlord business the U. TS utils been very cooperative and I think the and they've. I think we will see more active role by utilities we've seen from landlords are thank you thank you Mr. Thank you and these are important questions a I have four back in the queue I'll remind you where it to the reports under this one read to new large you're recognized. Thank you I was Listening to Representative box of questions and I'm asking in that vein because I just got a question a couple calls last night regarding foster parents and one who was actually on a group chat or group page and there were several people who had taken breaks for whatever reason one example that I was given to someone who had just adopted a teen about four in April. And wanted to take some time to orient that team and let them transition into the home of that new adoptive family but is now available to go back into the system and foster children which we obviously now we have a great need for and that adoptive I mean that foster parents said that they had to start everything over and was directed to go online and complete an enquiry so I just wanted to know is that the policy and if not how should we direct people who are interested because I as I mentioned there were about four people online who said that they have that experience. So I can definitely address that with the Division of Children and Family Services if an individual is a licensed foster home and they elect to take a break we are notified of that and we just advise them to advise us when they're going to come back I do believe if you have been if your home has been closed for an extended period of time where the policies have changed in that period of time there is some recertification that has to be done but it does not sound like that's happened in this case it sounds like it's been a couple of months and so know that person should not have to start from the beginning and what is that extended period of time just right so I can know I will get that to you unfortunately I don't know that off the top of my head but it would be like over a year okay okay so but I'll get that exact amount of time to you okay thank you very much. Thank you representative Crawford you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair thank you guys for being here and answering our questions as you know. We touch many people. They're all hurting. And so the questions we get from your very helpful thank you for that I have two questions one is. I have some medical service providers that say they're going to go out of business because the CNA rate has increased to be able to staff the hourly rate to be able to staff but the bill rate for Medicaid is so low that they cannot recoup their money. So they're wondering is there an increase coming anytime soon so that they don't have to close our doors. So I can speak to in general and certainly if there's specific provider issues happy to to take that off line as well or if there's specifics we can answer here but we have a number of areas where we have been working with different groups like hospitals nursing homes and others both to look at how we can work with the legislatures we did recently to get some are profundity co out help support that both in the case of the nursing facilities and the hospitals we've also been working throughout the pandemic in even par to the pandemic as part of our rate review process to continue look at rates and where we may need to increase those and more often than not that process has resulted in increases for rates we have also used some of the federal disaster authority during the pandemic to to temporarily offer additional payments to help offset some of the the challenges that we're facing in fact we're actually waiting on approval now from our federal Medicaid partner with regard to some funding that would help support our home QB services providers and so we've got a number of efforts under way and mean we know that we're always trying to find ways to do more but would definitely love to talk with your others about if there's other specific ideas that we can explore okay why we love your contact information. And I'll be following up on that and one more question Mr Graham This is kind of the elephant in the room to me so. Are you losing staff members employees because a mandated vaccines. No. You know that for sure. We haven't we haven't mandated vaccines so we couldn't be so the Department of Health or the the government is not mandating vaccines but the hospitals are. I providers are so we'll reserve Crawford you'll pass the bill back in the session that bars us from mandated vaccines so we at this point we do not have the authority under the law to mandate of axing okay but my total question is. Do you know the numbers from the providers that the money goes to from department held whether hospitals. or any other medical setting that would cause people to leave. You don't have those numbers are down on them we yeah we we don't have a way of tracking which providers may or may not be requiring vaccinations for their employees that's that's is for those individual businesses and that's that's something that we are able to track okay thank you. Thank you I have a representative relating the next man Senator Hammer. Thank you Mr chairman of market had a question about the rental assistance that you talked about in the. I understand the the low percentage six percent and I I'm getting a lot of calls and emails from landlords who say that they don't. They don't apply because the length of time it takes them to get process and they're not sure they're going to be successful so then they delayed their business so. A lot of these landlords are saying we're just not getting the response quick enough and that's the reason they're not doing that so is there anything in the works that you all can do to to help those landlords and shorten the process make it more user friendly to them. Yes we have we have been working with both our vendor as well as looking at ways that we can help streamline that process and so it has been increasing like for example we have we have situations where a respective landlord may have multiple properties and so looking at instead of saying you know you have to enter that for each one of saying can we go ahead and just utilize some that information's been entered and apply it to this person and that person so there is definitely we're always looking for ways that we can help streamline that but it is increasing that would be a great improvement really what one more question Mr please. So I'm trying to be stored the that's the nations that that question was brought up I pass the they've got a sign at the Jones were Human development center percent of vaccinated poison and and that's been stuck on seventy percent for a long time is that improving or do you have an idea of what percentage of people are being vaccinated. Yes it is it is slowly improving course I think we wish it would improve up more quickly but we are we are seeing those numbers continue to slowly creep up across the Department and we're always trying to think about different ways that we can help educate folks that's a lot of where we spend a significant amount of kind of our out reach and education efforts is really trying to make sure people have opportunities to ask questions hear from some of the latest guidance and expertise is coming out the health department's been excellent partner in being able to help get out information certainly the the town halls and forms of the governor's been doing has made a big impact as well and so like they would love for it to be even higher but we are seeing slow but steady progress. Thank you. Senator Hammer you're the last one I show for the ages thank you Mr I got a message from somebody is watching this and the comment on the rental assistance and assistance is that they had a family who tried to get in but the Roman was only open for four days and then it was closed and they couldn't take anymore applications do you know anything about that. That that would not be us and if it's worth keeping in mind there are three counties in the state who received individual allocations under the program and says Pulaski been in Washington so those counties there administering the program within their counties we don't do applications in those counties so I'm wondering maybe if if if that's one of those county entities that they're talking about but it's for us no we we have not closed it is it is all has been open or mates open for applications they're in the room shall get you with them afterwards that's okay second thing is you know what your turnover rate was in employment at DHS prior to code and what it is now. Yes yes we do of. And I'm going to get you the figure so that I'm completely accurate up because I didn't bring them with me today but we were running a DHS in general somewhere in the forties forty percent turnover normally and we are up from that but we are following turnover. We are following turnover now in terms of in detail around every area. Both turnover in terms of people who leave the agency turnover in terms of people who leave one job in the agency and take another because we also see that people who leave a tougher you know I'd I'd more stressful job for less stressful job and then just turn over in terms of people who get promoted so we have several views of turnover and we'll pull that together and give it to you I actually have here today I don't want to keep but I get a report every week that shows our our reduction in the number of people and where it comes out of and I can certainly give you a copy of that if you would like it is it's for you say we might hire thirty one but the next week we lease sixty six okay I would like to get that the reason I'm asking questions is are you doing the liens program I think it's called cleans. Two years ago I passed a law requiring that agencies would do a three sixty evaluation to incorporate employees involvement in decision making process that bill got vetoed I was under the impression that you know you all would pick it up over there and I'm wondering what are you doing internally in order to incorporate ideas from the employees up to the management so as to help resolve some of the written reduction or get a reduction in the turnover rate right we do get it in terms of lane that is something we have been implementing particularly in these areas where we've got the problem we've been doing that for several years and even outside of lean we have been doing a lot of work around what we generally refer to as doing process improvement and process mapping and that is where all the employees themselves come in and work with us on how to change a process and what goes on with their jobs so we have been we have been doing that and working that we're getting ready to launch monthly employee surveys as well to be able to put out certain questions and issues and get reactions back from everybody but the But but with that's all that said. One of the most valuable things for us unfortunately in this case has been those exit interviews and beginning to look and see what was happening with the people who actually just left the agency completely okay and record let's say thank you Mr represent Vaught hit on the nursing home reimbursement rate we've been having conversations about assisted living reimbursement rate and one of the things that was said I think it is that the MM I ES systems that would occur the new one that you're going to. So what is called. Aries Aries and that was one of the reasons was because that was used is because of Aries and getting converted over and the delay where are we on that and are there any of punitive damages that can be assessed against whoever's put the airy systems in if it's on the fault of them that it's taken so long as it just training of staff for or what is it. It's impossible so no it is theirs is not an issue with airy System the issues we run into related areas relate mortar round training for our staff and for and for training for the nursing home and other facility employees who have elves of the applications that we need to do more work to get them acclimated to the new system to understand it because it's a very different process now from what they're used to in the past I in terms of the system itself we've not encountered any major problems with it in glitches here and there as you have with any large out the system but those of often minor and have been quickly addressed okay all right thank you Mr I have a couple more representative garner then representative right. Thank you Mr chair. I've got a I've got just a quick question if you guys would just kind of give me an update on child care especially with COVID and then kind of the that re opening and now code again and the next search where are we on especially zero to three and and then three to five where are we on childcare. So I will say this our child care providers have been extremely resilient during the pandemic and with all that they had to deal with so when COVID first began and we saw you know the first waves we actually we did see some providers close but they were it was less than twenty that permanently close their doors we actually during that same period of time added fifty new providers so we actually ended up at the end of the first wave of the pandemic having more child care providers than we initially did when we started the pandemics we were very happy to see that right now presently and I wrote this down before we we started we have we have one thousand nine hundred thirty fifth facilities across the state childcare facilities across state we have thirty eight that are presently closed due to a COVID outbreak so but they have not permanently so far we have not had anyone announced that they are that they have closed in the last a couple of weeks but we do have temporary closures because of because of the pandemic in every iteration of federal funds that we have received we have received funding for child care facilities and so we are right now wrapping up the distribution of funds from the cares act in the consolidated act and we're about to start distributing the funding from our a and if you've been to a health you know heard our presentations we have almost five hundred million dollars in funding that will be distributed out to support the child care in the state so we we're doing all we can we our division director tiny Williams has a weekly call with our child care providers to provide them support so we are we are doing everything we can to undergird that community but also with these are funds we believe that we will see additional growth because of the way some of these funds are structured. All right Mr. Just one and that is for the home care and for those those kids that are at home and not and and take care OR in Invacare. What about that have you. So. We we have limited knowledge about home care because unless you are a home facility meaning that you you care for more than five children we really don't have a touch I mean we have resources available to individuals that are taking care of children in their home that are that are not licensed I'm but we don't we don't track that but you're not hearing you're not hearing about problems with no ma'am not finding. Thank you. Representative ro you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman the the forty percent turn over number that you'd reference during what time period is that. We usually look at turnover over and like I said I'm gonna get you all the accurate numbers so don't I would hate to give out a number without having insurance but we look at turnover in terms of annual turnover so will usually do a rolling look at the month we also look at turnover in terms of what was your turnover rate for that month but at the end of the day turnover rate for a month can vary wildly right it's looking at what what you're rolling annual turnover and how is that changing looking back we look back I think three years right now just to keep seeing what did you look like three years ago what you look like two years ago what he looked like in the last year okay yeah when when that's compiled for Senator Hammer I'd like to see as well thank you very much Mr. C. twenty nine is it you represent Springer. Yes Sir thank you Mr chair good morning I'm interested in that of the response that you gave regarding the distribution of funds to the child care centers can you share with us so we'll know how that money is going to the respective centers so we'll know how that money is we we have a we have a one page document that that will make sure to get with marked and have that distributed but we haven't district we haven't given up the money yet but we will make sure okay thank you can you to keep track of that thank you. Thank you DHS for being here answering our questions it's took a long time but need big agency lauded important questions and we appreciate you taking them thank you next up. Members we have a department of finance administration and I believe we have Mr Allen by it's going. To give that. Senator just for you you're recognized yes thank you so much before they take their seats ladies and gentleman a member of the ten coats of the Senate as passed away his name was Larry low Larry was in nineteen seventy one graduate of Hendrix College we was a star basketball player and he was a dear friend yesterday morning he just did not wake up and I would like a moment of silence for Larry those even knowing he was the child at that work in the Senate and a great person I appreciate a moment's silence which please thank you. Please join us more missile. Thank you. Please recognize yourself and. Ready to present. Thank you Senator Rice reserve Wardlaw members of the committee on Allen McVeigh and chief of staff for the department finance administration. It has been a very productive year for and a busy year for DFA and we appreciate the opportunity to work closely with this body throughout the legislative session as you know we recently closed out our fiscal year twenty one with a record surplus of approximately one billion dollars and is result of cooperation with and working with the members of the legislature our balance in the long term reserve fund is now more than one point two billion dollars which is a significant achievement for the state of Arkansas throughout the pandemic revenue collection consistently outperformed our expectations primarily due to strong retail sales tax collections and income tax collection another factor that provided a boost to the state's economy was the federal stimulus dollars that were received and this includes the direct payments to our Kansans along with the the care spending that was allocated to the state the state received one point two five billion dollars from cares for discretionary grants our accounting team worked extremely hard and and and worked well together and distributed over a hundred and fifty million dollars of that cares money to Arkansas cities and counties which made a significant impact on those cities and counties as a member of the cares Committee we continue to make recommendations for the one point two five billion and our partnership with Arkansas based C. T. H. has been extremely valuable as the company determined if proposals met all the formal wrecked requirements of an eligible project and they'll follow us through the comply the documentation the compliance the audit a portion of that as well. Working closely the remaining unobligated balance for that one point two five billion dollars is approximately a hundred and fifty eight thousand we'll continue to work closely with secretary Smith and the IG's office as they and the steering committee as we look at the the the obligated but unused portion of that and we'll be making decisions and that recommendations in that respect how the state receives one point five seven billion dollars in American rescue plan discretionary funding half of that amount has recently been received from the treasury and the second half of those dollars will be distributed to the states in the following year we continue to work closely with C. T. H. to ensure that we're funding the projects that clearly made the thorough list of requirements from treasury. We currently are working and to distribute Money to cities and counties the entitlement communities receive their money directly are counting teams continue to work with those multiple municipalities and counties are. Cross the state to facilitate the disbursement those funds a few points that I would like to recognize with respect to our revenue division we continue to work focus on making revenue services online available between thirty and thirty five percent of our Kansans now renew their annual vehicle registration online additionally services are available online now range from ordering replacement driver's license or an ID to placing an order for personalized license plate we encourage all our Kansans to visit the my DM the the Arkansas dot gov before going to a revenue office and will continue to work to put as many of those services online as we possibly can. For years the FAA has contracted with an Arkansas based company to scan and digitize certain aspects of tax returns paper returns the Revenue Division recently and cooperation and support of the legislature determine this work is hi can be moved back in house with existing positions and the purchase of some new technology and this was significantly less and the impact in the cost of reviewing and processing those returns and we are we've implemented that will continue work through that process we've launched a new contract beginning July first for a specific type of paper on which the court motor vehicle titles or printed The New contractors providing the paper to significant savings to the state versus the previous contract in over a seven year contract we anticipate total savings of approximately six hundred twenty seven thousand dollars the lottery scholarship Division can just completed the fiscal year with a hundred and six million in proceeds for scholarships and that's a record for lottery since it was launched in two thousand nine. we have also implemented some new equipment that fully automated to draw system so each draw secure and random allowing us to draw the draw to take place even in a scenario which employees may or may not be able to to be on site due to weather or other factors R. O. I. S. group has provided critical support to all DFA divisions this year and found ways to streamline operations and continue to look for ways to save money our office of child support enforcement has created through our portal the mechanism which two as opposed to just having access from a desktop we've implemented technology that allows the person to be used conveniently and properly from individuals vices such as iPhones android phones iPads laptops and desktop computers this and and this will ensure a better and less time consuming experience of for customer. We're also working with our budget team to develop a new budget and planning solution for the state of the new system will streamline our budget related processes and communication between agencies and DFA it also allow real time updates from asus and that state's accounting system. An effort is under way within our regulatory division to streamline the process is to reach permit holders renew annually we believe the process can be improved and simplified and this will include renewal for alcohol tobacco medical marijuana permits throughout the pandemic our DFA staff have worked through some some challenges are coordination and conditions as did everyone and I'm proud of DFA's work and the dedication and commitment of our employees and Mister chairman that concludes our report thank you. Thank you for the. We have a question representative Cavenaugh you're recognized thank you Mr chair of I have two questions so the first question deals with the A. R. P. money that we've requested where is that investment income going. At the end. The investment income A. as did care so it remains within treasury remains within the IRP program so the interest that was earned on the carrier's finds that the treasury held remained in cares and and continues to be distributed as as those funds are available so we'll be able to disk that's extra money that will be able to use yes okay thank you the other question is dealing with farm equipment sales tax I've had from cattle farmers chicken farmers to row crop farmers have contacted me lately because they're being told that they have to pay sales tax on equipment that they've never had to pay sales tax on it can be from a boom sprayer it can be from a composter it can be from a quick meet used to herd cattle. is there been some change in your procedure or rules that says a farmer has to pay sales tax on those I mean it's been up a big bunch of it's not just been one. Our reserve Cavenaugh I don't know of any specific changes in our sales tax The law but however the application of the the audit related to the items that you're looking out I'll certainly review that with our Revenue Division and our general counsel for revenue to look into that yes what may continue Mister chair. go ahead thank you. Here's what what they're being told is they're being told say what this boom sprayer that they might use it for personal use at their home and these things are not used at all for personal use and if you know the equipment so what they're being told for the reason that they have to pay sales tax is that it could possibly be used for personal use and that seems to be the thing that I keep hearing okay I'll I'll certainly follow up with our revenue division and and revenue legal thank you for that thank you. Thank you the. Representative when you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman first of all I will commend you all for just twenty fifteen organizations stampings goal from twenty six forty eight to twenty to fifty one that's a reduction of four hundred people my question is the appreciate that my question is you mentioned the new budget process how how close is the proximate to a product relates to maybe is zero based budgeting what can you can you tell us about the new budget process in short detail that reserve wouldn't I'm not sure I can answer your question specifically but I I can see we're looking at a new budgeting system that. Bester better coordinates without the S. or S. A. P. all the systems that we currently use across the state to be have better communication between the agencies currently the P. bass system that's been in place for a number of years that decades perhaps is extremely cumbersome and it's becoming problematic for us to use so I don't know that I'll have to follow up and asked a specific question with respect to zero based budgeting and I'll get you an answer for that. Follow the. I'm just a. Encourages against relevant question as chairman to comment I would just encourage you all to to look at some of products somewhere somewhere near zero based budgeting in the future at least once every five years or we bring everything back to zero and we and we evaluate all the programs all the positions and everything I know the. Agencies are doing some of that now but we need to give them a more clear picture rather than just role in the budget for with thank you thank you. Thank you Mr a representative Lanny Fite. Thank you Mr. your online a tak renewal has a program working. I'm sorry how does it how does the program work is it running smoothly I guess my question is it It. From all indications are on our side is it's a very simple easy process all right to work three AM and we we're having increased participation in our online services an online renewal and it it seems to be working well I'd be interested in hearing anything that contradicts that. All up please. Go ahead. I had a constituent that did online with three vehicles and did everything right. Had a great problem ended up paying late fees no fault of his own is our process in which you can go through to fill that. Eight the I would if you would be I'll be happy to to work with that individual or have our Revenue Division work that individual if I'll get with you afterwards to get their name and we can certainly contact them follow up and we start we want to understand what the challenge was or what the problem was and then what's fines or fees associated with that okay thanks very much thank you Mr thank you Senator Hammer. Thank you Mr morale a quick question for you somebody has to pay their taxes in several years and after awhile and I may have I'm I'm saying this you correctly were wrong if I'm wrong so percent paid your taxes and several years DFA makes an assessment. Determining what they estimate those taxes to be and then they would apply a lien against that person either to them as a person or any property that they own until such time that is resolved is that the way it works. Yes Sir. Okay so when it comes to estimating the taxes that they should have a load. And then say a person buys a piece of property that's in that person's name and there's a lien against it and they have to negotiate a settlement with DFA in order to get that piece of property removed. That that amount that you've assessed against that person who's not paid their taxes how is that accounted for and today how much does that total in dollars that DFA by their estimates have estimated to be. I'll have Senator Hammer I'll have to do ought to research that. Issue to our to determine what the amount is that you're that you're asking for what that picture looks like okay I'll be happy to follow up with you. And is that dollar amount counted as an asset to the state or is it just like of of a cloud hanging out there that we don't really know if we're ever going to get all that money or not. I don't know that I can specifically answer your query I don't know if. As to whether it's counted as an asset to this state it's not it's not. Directly influence in our budget or in our in our accounting okay respect to our our our budgeting and appropriations okay I'd like if you in mind like you that information for you all right thank you thank Mr thank you going to a representative Springer and we're gonna move to the next agency. Thank you Mr chair my question is similar to the one that as well from the other department I'm interested in knowing the break down by cities and counties of the carriers funding and grant funding. All of appropriate you know how you distributed to the cities and counties and then the criteria that was utilized in order to make their preparation to each city and county so if you could share a list of bills disbursements. What we can certainly do that we have a a spreadsheet that includes the all of the distribution or the exact distribution that was made from cares of the hundred fifty million that went to the cities and counties across the state and we can also we're doing similar tracking on the distribution of the American rescue plan finds that are going to the non entitlement communities across the state as well so and so is that is that the grant funding this list of the two is that what you're speaking of as well the one point two. One point two five billion for discretionary grants what about that does that is that is that that's also important yes and the criteria for your approach different appropriation and we can provide that thank you. Thank you for your report thank you for taking questions to. X. will have a secretary Keogh of bison with the Department energy and environment. Thank you secretary ko for being patient and waiting. we're ready for you report. All right at can you hear me clearly we can go ahead. Thank you for the invitation to report the Committee thank you for allowing me to stay here today of we do have I have the. April Goldman chief of staff in the US and worry are to counsel also it present and in the event you have discussions after the committee or if you have specific she would like to follow up on but I wanted to just briefly touch on the report we submit a report as all the departments that I believe are report is up. Three showing the progress we've made as an online department of energy environment there's a number of areas it covers not only some of the updates on some of the entities there in the department but also some key program areas that we've been working on most recently occur or state continue to see new programs coming but also then you know just a status report on on other accomplishments that a legislative acts and and or or staffing reductions so just mentioned that briefly wanted to also let you know that X. exceptional cooperation of the entity leadership in the department and I as a result we seeing synergies that our energy our group as well as our environmental programs productively develop results and we're beginning to reap the benefits not only in the Department with our stakeholders we had examples where we've identified ways to reduce the where we had duplicate regulatory programs attending one side or something like that we've been able to optimize those that those resources internally but also a better regulatory oversight for proposals that both entities so reducing duplication seeing. And also you know looking at work but not a surprise some of us that is the ability to do tech transfer across these entities and and will not talk about technology for putting that sharing technology which makes us more efficient makes as it reduces burden but also then a sharing the experience in the technical knowledge that these entities have a host of excellent professionals with great knowledge and they've been able to come together and and gender the combination of these entities are resulting in great benefits that just mentioned that the only program I thought I would highlight since I want to keep my comments brief today was the program that came Act yes the size of the rescue act funding that went directly to the state and as a result of our department was designated to cancel that the low income of home water assistance program this is a new program that's been created a federal level Arkansas's receiving over thirteen million dollars to do what law in families deal with are really backlogged in water or wastewater utility bills it Prattsville during but also going forward it's not directly related to a time period of okay but we have submitted a program. The Exorcist S. at the federal level for approval that came before your committee or appear in late this month that plan is waiting on approval we expect to implement that as soon as we get a green light from them so that's all I really wanted on today but I'm happy to address other questions you might have for the R. or report so thank you so much for your time this morning and then. I just encourage everyone to reach out to our folks as you need us thank you secretary kilo members to any questions for. With this. I have representative Ladyman you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman of the sector that is adequate maybe you can go into more detail detail about our greeted you know what happened down in Texas with the winter storm and all that are we confident that we have adequate resources to provide the energy during those kind of events I mean can you expand a little bit. Thank you for that question question as you know the governor in response to the February storm again this a formula to direct and executive order established energy resources planning task force of that task force was person centred Commerce myself as well as the Director being all of the oil and gas commission and also director at founder of the propane industry we testimony from a wide variety of entities involved in energy production energy delivery across state as well as many consumers businesses and industry who were affected during specific to your questions their testimony provided some recommendations this is looking at lessons learned is you know Arkansas really did better than Texas or Louisiana but we get why don't I gaps or perhaps improvements that we can become more resilient through yes let that we cannot predict or that we can plan for it per S.. So that a report is now available at the draft form that's been shared now what are those that provide testimony to is to make sure that we understand their recommendations properly and the the that report once finalized the I think we expect to deliver that to the governor and and also share that with you. In September so it's been a host of great work by a lot of tricks you know contributions for not just government that across our communities and our industries and I look forward to seeing other recommendations that we've gotten comments from other states to even participated at the Arkansas was unique to conduct this up after absence element though it was an excellent and at what look at this and also showing leadership in this area so thank you for that comment. Thank you. Saying no to the question thank you secretary carryover Jonas day. We appreciate you. Waiting to the last and and appreciate your information members not seeing any other business for this committee we are Jr.