City, County & Local Affairs Committee- House

Per identify yourself and present your bill. Thank you Mr I. manager Collins this is house bill eighteen seventy seven it's representative Pilkington and Dismang and I am just fill in and running the bill form it is similar to a bill we passed for police officers it covers firefighters mental health is something that is going to help them after a critical incident they experienced that's an event that's extremely stressful after which it will says at a local government that has a fire department shall adopt a policy to give them access to a debriefing with a mental health professional or certified peer support member and it will require the fire department to assist the firefighter in additional services getting additional services it's something that is supported by the Municipal League something that's supported by the firefighters basically it's one more thing we can do to help firefighters who do so much for us is that experience at incredibly intense circumstances and with that I'm happy to take any questions. Okay represent all you're recognized how much is this going to cost local. Will it cost the state anything. The municipal is here they're walking to comment on that I don't believe it's going to cost him anything this is just about connecting them but they're welcome to answer on that. Thank you everyone. Okay. My understanding is that is not going to cost anything this This is very similar in form to what the bill that we passed in the house and Senate by representative Richardson that apply to police officers I don't believe that that one was going to cost is it either but I can't say for sure on that. Follows yes the could we S. the Municipal League or someone to come up and see if they could tell us what the fiscal impact might be. Yes. With the disability income up to money representing them. Jack if you would the data by yourself the record and may proceed. Thank you Mr chairman members committee as I understand it this can be converted into the a device simply I'm sorry Jack creature Arkansas municipal League as I understand it this can be incorporated into our programs are training programs and what we have under way now so I don't think it would be there would be any costs included in and okay. Right representative Brian to recognize him most most health plans public health plans have like Magellan health services which is just a number they can reach out FOR mental health extends to their family as well with that. Opportunity in the healthcare plan cover the requirement underneath this bill. Well you may know that there are there or certified peer support networks that also exists for first responders and as we've passed legislation on that this session as well that's a little bit different I don't know about the specific reference jacket if you do you're welcome the way and if that is going to satisfy B. one here B. two would go beyond that I believe. It yes representative Collins I believe that it I mean at least our plans would cover those calls are a health benefit plan and I think probably that would be the case for most other plans as well. Okay representative Cavenaugh you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chair my question is we say that the first shall require the fire department to assist a firefighter who has been involved in a critical incident in obtaining additional services. What are those additional services and when you say the word SCS what does assist actually made. Well neither one of those are are defined obviously I think you know just It he would just take a common sense kind of reading of what those man I guess in theory that could be interpreted by a court if it ever came to that but helping them be in contact I think it's something a lot of departments are already doing and I would just say that the sort of a common definitions of both of those is what I would say in response to that unless you have anything for them. Yes I will I think maybe the most important thing about this bill is the benefit that it would be to our firefighters and here that the if there was any costs that that would be over shadowed by the benefit in its the thanks much needed not a great deal follow up Mr yes last session we passed by firefighters bill of rights which mandated a lot of extra things to fire departments. Didn't help volunteer fire departments at all. But it was for municipalities in it did cost them money and that's why we use the word to CS and in some small communities like myself they don't have the budget and so that's why I'm asking these questions when we say a CS and obtain other services is it really going to be where they're having not only to connect them and they need all the assistance they can get but are we going to the inside of those fire department you're going to have to pay for the services that's what I'm trying to find out. Our I don't read that as saying that they would have to pay for the services and and obviously musically again and that that they're not necessarily every fire department in the state but I think the majority of them that's as employment I think that is not how they read it either if I'm speaking for the for you guys also not sure we passed that bill of rights all the way through. That that didn't make it but I could be wrong. Yeah I think that that bill resident like it all the way through thank you House for. President of the capital you through okay represent I you're recognized yes Sir representative Collins you know of the say and people outside of you can see yourself better than you can see yourself times you know and I just wonder you know in a situation where let's just say you had a firefighter that was out there and and he fell off the truck or a fellow office a certain room for the house and banged his head up and he got up and said I'm okay I'm okay but Jake you could tell something was wrong that fell of could that mean what we're talking about in obtaining additional services you know someone saying you look man we're my friend but I think you need to get checked out. I think it could be any number of things but really what we're talking about here or actually critical incidents and is defined as an event that has a stressful impact sufficient to overwhelm a person's usual effective coping skills including an event that falls outside the range of the ordinary human experience so to me. Really we're getting at things that most of us can't even fathom that firefighters acting counter children violence people dying in front of you incredibly gruesome injuries You know and this is something that firefighters doing countering and leads to high issues with suicide and substance abuse a family and relationship problems I mean this is sort of the stuff we're trying to get at here it's a real issue in departments throughout the state this is a very kind of a low hanging fruit saying this is something that we can ask departments to do to connect people to resources that are already out there they already exist this is not some a a new payment we're asking to do we're just asking the departments to connect into the resources that exist so that's what I'd say about what they're trying to do not my bill sent I represent a consent as my but I do appreciate what they're trying to do here thank you. The representative McGrew you're recognized. Thank you my question is also the same as if Cavenaugh is is that with that word assessed the made could imply that they're supposed to help pay for that if that work had been referred. so they can get him referred to get him services but insist I would question whether whether the fire department would be required to help pay for those services. And then I guess more of a statement the question because you've already addressed it thank you. Yes I'm in assistant obtaining is really what we're saying here and I just thank you for saying that it's to be covered we would say it's to be covered I I just think bill are wouldn't let us out of there if if we're trying to cover something without saying cover pretty clearly and and that is not the intent. Okay any other questions. Seeing none is anyone here that like to speak against the bill. For the bill. What's the wishes of the committee excuse me would you like to close for your bill sure I I'm close and I move to pass okay okay we have a motion to pass any discussion on the motion saying none all in favor say aye. Those opposed say no resolution passed bill bill gives moment here. Okay. We're going to have a Senate concurrence amendment heard here Representative. Represented by. This is concurrent Senate Amendment number one for a house bill seventeen eighty eight. representative five you're recognized to present the amendment okay I appreciated the Mr. what we did this is our this is our amendment that we placed on at the Senate in it has to do with our broadband improvement districts realizing that the cities in the counties were going to receive money coming down for infrastructure in this alleges the government bailout that we're having and we're just putting them in position to to request to grant what it says that they may receive a federal state county or municipal funding through grants that's basically what we're saying in this. The last answer any questions any questions committed represent right. My my only question is some that I got I got caught on so maybe it be helpful to me as a as a freshman member but since were. We did the original bill but on a recent morning underneath this amendment forty one CFR it's not dated. With that create a problem is not date as far as we captured Code federations forty one statue one of five fifty as this date of today that way in the future if they any cause that include school districts but eventually they might include school districts at the federal level and we have to go back and change that is that is that was a problem with this bill the representative Brian I I actually brought my attorney would be here today so if I could Mr chairman I'd like to invite him to the for this come to the table to identify yourself. My name's bill involved in a law Clerk at the sensation Arkansas counties not an attorney is working on it trying to do my best trying to finish but so basically with code of federal regulations has for so long this particular kind of federal regulation. With this amendment list that special purpose entity government defines it and that would include a broadband improvement districts and basically bring that definition in line with what currently exists to what's currently finds a special purpose unit. As far as the date I don't see any potential issues with that to be honest I really thought of that in that aspect but I do believe that CFR I don't have a copy of it on there right now it does say that. School districts are not supposed to be included as special purpose unit so unless the federal government somehow change that are an agency or the federal government CFR that's the only time that would really create an issue. Representative calling. Thank you Mr my question is centered around the same thing we aye aye public school districts in the state of Arkansas or getting a a great deal of money and S. R. three funds and part of this can be used for broadband expansion and so wall these other entities may be receiving these funds to be able to establish this. It I mean if I'm reading this corrected excludes school districts from being a part of and using their funding from the federal government on S. or three funds to help maybe do a community project in conjunction with your county your local to expand broadband for for the community is there a reason that I guess schools were not included in this so the reason. Under the C. F. R. that that's federal so the federal government has created that definition of what is included is a special purpose unit of local government they do not include school districts I mean that's something we have no control over I'm sure school districts can fire can utilize their funding in other ways and I'm sure that there's another route that that that money can be directed to school districts but it would not be three special purpose unit of local government. But that's just the way the federal government as design that particular federal regulation. Representative Bob. I think it's real the this bill did not address school districts at at all the it was just improvement districts water restricted towards. I thank chairman fight just answered the question that wasn't this bill is just local improvement districts and it doesn't expand to school districts because we were trying to follow the federal law correct correct thank you. Any other questions from committee. And I signed up to speak for against And I speak for. You may speak against present five you close for your Amendment I am close from bill and I would make a motion to concur in Senate Amendment number one. What's the wishes of the committee all in favor. And impose. Represented by your Senate Amendment seventeen number one seventeen eighty eight S.. Are we will meet Monday. But I'm not sure after Mundy you're running the bill if you can get through in time so as a say if you've got a bill or you know on someone has a bill Monday would be a good day to run it because I don't think we can probably guarantee meeting after that point for anything