ALC-PEER
Video
Transcript
15 documents
Machine transcript
May contain errors. Verify important quotations against the official video.
About transcript accuracy
- Source
- Whisper
- Model
- ggml-large-v3-turbo.bin
- Processing date
- October 6, 2026
Unknown speaker
0:00
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Chair sees a quorum, let's go ahead and get started.
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
2:30
all right members just a couple items on section g uh items 2 4 and 5 have been pulled from consideration for today so that's g 2 4 and 5 and then also at the end section h go ahead and start reviewing that as you have a chance on the reports uh we'll take any questions that you may have on
section h but go ahead and start getting those ready if you can when we get there all right
with that let's start with section b
William Parrish
Unverified
3:12
thank you mr chair we're in section b this is uh these are the various temporary appropriation requests first
item is a letter from the department of human services division of county operations this is for 35 000 in appropriations it's to return funds to the feds for overpayments made in the low-income home energy assistance program. B2 is a letter from the Department of Human Services, Division of County Operations.
This is for $73,000. Same as the last request is return federal funds from an overpayment, this time from the Emergency Solutions Grants Program. I'll note that for both items, the appropriation is requested because the programs have transferred to other agencies and DHS no longer has suspending authority for the programs. B3 is a letter from Department of Agriculture. This is for $800,000 in appropriation and to establish a construction line item. This is to complete a building generator project requiring equipment,
building modifications, and design professional services. This is supported by egg and poultry inspection fees. Mr. Chair, that's the end of the various temporary appropriation requests. Thank you. Members,
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
4:13
do we have any questions on B1? Questions on B2? Or questions on B3? All right, seeing none, a new motion to approve items 1 through B, items 1 through 3. I've got a motion. I've got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.
William Parrish
Unverified
4:35
All those opposed, motion carries, Section C. Thank you, Mr. Chair. We're in Section C. These are American Rescue Plan
Act appropriation requests. The first item is a request from the Department of Commerce, Economic Development Commission, State Broadband Office. This is a reallocation of previously awarded appropriation for broadband deployment. They're requesting to move $40,000 from grants and aid to conference and travel. The request says the transfer will accommodate training expenditures for grant sub-recipients. Training will cover federal requirements, uniform guidance, documentation, and audits.
C2 is on page 5. This is a request from Southern Arkansas University Tech. This is also a reallocation of previously awarded appropriation, this time for the hired grant program that develops career pathways within the workforce. They're requesting to move $350,000 from professional fees and capital outlay to training cost share. Mr. Chair, those are all the ARPA requests.
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
5:33
All right, members, have any questions on C1? Any questions on C2?
All right, seeing none, any motion to approve items C1 and C2? I've got a motion. I've got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. All those opposed? Motion carries Section
William Parrish
Unverified
5:54
D. Thank you, Mr. Chair. We're in Section D. This is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Appropriation Request. There's only one on the agenda. This is from the Department of Energy and Environment, Division of Environmental Quality. It's for $202,000 in spending authority. This is to analyze samples for the Water Quality Management Planning Program.
Speaker 13
6:13
All right, thank you. Members, we've got a question on D1. You're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can we get someone from the agency? if you would
Speaker 15
6:39
introduce yourself for the record lauren ballard chief of staff department
Speaker 16
6:43
of energy and environment bailey taylor chief administrator of the environment for department of energy and
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
6:46
environment can you walk me through where these samples are going to be taken what the data
Speaker 16
6:55
is going to be used for kind of walk me through the plan yes sir so this is for grant funding from the 604b section of the clean water act and so our laboratory uses this our inspectors take ambient samples water quality samples from a network around the state a lot of times they are near access points they can be upstream or downstream of wastewater treatment plans but it's an idea to monitor the water quality for our 303d list our list of
impaired water bodies throughout the state we use that data for that it's publicly available on our website so these
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
7:30
are basically ongoing sites that have always been there these aren't new sites being paid for by this grant no sir and
Speaker 16
7:36
and so this grant pays for our laboratory staff to run the samples okay thank you thank you
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
7:44
mr. chair all right thank you members we have any questions other questions on d1 all right seeing none a motion in the motion to approve I've got a motion I've got a second in discussion on the motion
seeing none all those in favor signify by saying aye all those opposed motion carries items for review e1 thank you mr.
William Parrish
Unverified
8:06
over in section e this is a cash fund appropriation request there's only one on the agenda it's from this is a letter from the department of parks heritage and tourism outdoor recreations this is for 583 000 in appropriation it's to allow for grant payments related to the great strides grant program this program provides for safe and accessible facilities
for local parks and it's supported by the department of
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
8:29
health thank you members do we have any questions on e1 all right senator hickey you recognize
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
8:34
for question right maybe staff i just this this last sentence on on this request said this request supported by a memorandum of agreement for funding passed through from the arkansas department of health i know we're calling it a grant program but is the actual funding coming from state funds through the department of health that they're just passing on to parks heritage and tourism uh yes sir i'll defer that to the
the characterized the how those funds are classified if you could just recognize yourself for
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
9:06
the committee and you're welcome to respond to the question Jamie Fisher CFO Becky Flynn deputy director
Speaker 30
9:18
of the office of outdoor recreation right and I'm up
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
9:23
here to your left my sole question here is is the last statement that y'all made and I appreciate you putting it on there said that y'all have a memorandum of understanding
or a memorandum of agreement. So does funding come from the Department of Health? And that's what you're calling it? The grant is actually coming from them? So those funds are actually state funds, though.
Speaker 32
9:47
Is that correct? The funding comes through the Master Tobacco Settlement Award, and so it comes from the Arkansas Department of Health that provides that funding for the grant to
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
9:59
tobacco settlement funds then, so it's from that. So it's not actually stuff that we appropriated to the Department of Health
just on a regular appropriation or whatever. I understand we appropriated that money to them, but okay, fully tobacco settlement funds. Okay, that makes more sense. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. Members, if we have any other
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
10:19
questions on E1. All right, seeing no questions, any motion review? I've got a motion. I've got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. All those opposed, motion carries. F1. Thank you,
William Parrish
Unverified
10:35
Mr. Chair. We're in Section F. This is a budget classification transfer request.
There's only one on the agenda. This is from the
Department of Public Safety, State Crime Lab. It's for $24,600. It's a transfer from operating expenses to professional fees. It's to support viral testing. The request notes this is a service that was once provided to the agency at no cost. All right. Thank
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
10:56
you, members. We have any questions on F1. All right. Seeing no questions, I need a motion review. I've got a motion. I've got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed, motion carries.
William Parrish
Unverified
11:11
G1 and 3. Thank you, Mr. Chair. We're in Ms. Lane's federal grant appropriation request in Section G. G1 is a request from the Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management. It's for $1.6 million in spending authority. They have a grant from FEMA to develop emergency management capabilities and support prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery mission areas. This grant requires a 50% state match. We're going to skip over G2 as it is being pulled from consideration and go to G3.
G3 is on page 3. This is a request from the Department of Military Professional Education Center. It's for $7.5 million. Again, this is a grant from the National Guard Bureau to construct
Speaker 11
11:50
a wellness center. And then, again, Mr. Chair, G4 and G5 have been pulled for consideration. All right, thank you.
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
11:57
Members, do we have any questions on G1? Any questions on G3? All right, seeing none, I need a motion to review G1 and 3. I have a motion. I've got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor, signify by saying aye.
Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. All right, Section H. Members, do we have any questions on the reports? Representative Ladyman, you're recognized for a question on? H1. H1. DFA, or
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
12:28
who would you like? Well, I'm not sure. Let me ask my question, and we'll see who needs to come to the table. But thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd just like an explanation on the first, the income portion of H1, the terminology there, where it talks about unobligated.
What does that mean? Are those funds that are not obligated at all, or are there deductions from that in that first section? I mean, and staff may be able to say it
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
13:09
better than I'm going to, but it's going to be everything that went into the fund. I mean, I understand what you mean about income, I think.
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
13:17
Let me ask it plain. So we have $384,418,967 surplus that is not obligated to anything. That is correct. Thank you, sir. All right. Representative Pilkington.
Speaker 45
13:31
Thank you. My question is on H3. Is that okay? Yes, sir. So this is
Representative Aaron Pilkington
Unverified
13:39
the tobacco settlement funds. I don't know who is in the room who can answer that question.
Not getting a whole lot of head nods. Well, maybe I'll just ask it to the room
and they can get back to me. We saw significant increases in the prevention and sensation spending, both for them and the Minority Health Commission, about $3.3 million. And then even see in 2026, we already have allocated for $1.7 million, which is over what we spent in 2024. So I'm just curious why we're seeing these increases in spending, what we're spending it on. You know, I think tobacco use has plateaued, and so I'd like to see what all that money is going towards
and if we could use it for something else. That's my question. Hopefully someone is listening and can get me an
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
14:37
answer. Appreciate it. All right. I think we've got the question. We'll make sure we get it out. thank you members do we have any other questions on the reports all right seeing no questions i think that wraps up our business thank you members for your time this morning we are adjourned
Agenda
A. Call to Order
Items for Approval
B. Various Temporary Appropriation Requests
C. American Rescue Plan Act Appropriation Requests
D. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Appropriation Request
Items for Review
E. Cash Fund Appropriation Request
F. Budget Classification Transfer Request
G. Miscellaneous Federal Grant Appropriation Requests
Reports
H. Monthly Reports
I. Other Business
J. Adjournment
Documents
Speakers
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
William Parrish
Unverified
Speaker 13
Speaker 15
Speaker 16
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
Speaker 30
Speaker 32
Speaker 34
Speaker 11
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
Speaker 45
Representative Aaron Pilkington
Unverified