Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee - Senate

Send up the standard for how direct sellers work so advocare ray lawn is kind of companies to do that kind of distinguished him from like pyramid scheme or scam and that that so forth been very successful what this does is it's direct sellers are leaning universally considered except as unit independent contractors their micro entrepreneurs and this would debt currently classified as independent contractors just just allows them to keep that status other states have this and we need to make sure that we follow that standard I just talked to doctor charters he had stepped out but they've checked with department of labor they have got received back of this will be in compliance but she doesn't think that it would not be and I assured her that some reason that comes back negative from the fed so I wouldn't have reassess to think there's no controversy for nothing about the bill that'll take any questions all right members of the committee to have any questions. All right seeing none. Does anybody in the audience want to speak for or against. No one has signed up so. When no one speak for against are you close for your bill I'm close madam chair all right do I have a motion have a motion to have second all those in favor say aye. All those opposed congratulations you have passed your bill all right the next one is Senate bill five ninety and you're recognized measure if I may you cannot run H. B. fourteen sixty which is directly after that first then we'll come back to five nine like to get my controversial opinion can write fourteen sixty house bill fourteen sixty you're recognized thank you this is a work force freedom act is a good bill because it creates one uniform standard for occupational license in the state this bill came out of the license task force's superfans local municipalities from adding additional licensing requirements above and beyond what the state requires to our knowledge there is no current there's and is not currently being done in Arkansas this action has been threatened by cities in other states we are work they work with the municipal league on this language enter our knowledge there's no no no opposition it's basically prevents a sitter for miss Patty from quite a license so that if you know you're working at a rate you don't have to go to Fayetteville get different license go to Jones pearl and we've done a lot of work for occupational license reform in Arkansas and we wanna make sure we don't step back in a little place with that I'll take any questions any questions from the committee. Seeing none does anyone in the audience want to speak for or against this bill. All right seeing none are you close to your bill I am measure all right to have a motion to have a second. All right all those in favor say aye. All those opposed congratulations you passed your bill now going back up to Senate bill five ninety. Thank measured in last year during a pandemic we have seen under president use of power in the executive branch here in the state of Arkansas out about fear for unknown virus released on Arkansas by the communist Chinese party our government has taken dramatic steps in directions I never thought I would see in my lifetime. This is force being shut down not allow to earn a living schools close as parents had to scramble to take care of the children find the penalties being given out to some business for simply trying to operate that business while others businesses being excluded. All this was not done by law or legislative process it was done by the stroke of a pen. Without bring legislation into bringing this law into the legislator be voted on the power consolidated executive branch was nearly unlimited and decision made nearly unilaterally. If you don't if you look at last year in Arkansas and across the United States and understand the danger that has happened by this consolidation of power in one branch. Know what history has led to in other countries. This is a dangerous precedent. No we went from two weeks to flatten the curve to get past the summer to get through the winter to getting tested now you have to be vaccinated. A year later and we're still under this control he's the most controversial of these moves in Arkansas as a so called mass man. This is a border which allow penalties on individuals who do not wear masks was a very specific kind of punishment is wasn't a business which had a license this was individuals in the community I can be fined up to a five hundred dollars for failing to fall this. You know we had we could have plenty time to discuss is a legislator we could came as a special session to do this and we didn't. Here's why you should support this bill. If you agree with this bill if you disagree with the mass mandate to support this bill because it not only in the current mass mandate it prevents any future mass mandate related to COVID nineteen and two were passes crisis. If you support the mass mandate you should support this bill. What. Because you look what happened whatever the mass mandate was done by executive order how many police chiefs and fire departments police departments Rogan said they will not enforce this. I'm an attorney when this came out I sat down and read this and had to write a summary for the people to understand cool so convoluted a misunderstanding think about this. They can write you a fine of the paid five hundred dollars for the mass mandate. The police can't. That same executive order they could not detain you. How do not detain somebody an internal give a fine it was a poorly written sloppily written executive order done by a branch of government that should not be right loss. If you support the mass mandate you Sir what the legislator to come together have committee meetings discuss it on the floor have the debate experts students chair explained what that bill is about and be voted on yes or no. This bill would help that moving forward. The end of this. What changes may when COVID nineteen hit understood. There's a great amount of fear uncertainty unknown. We didn't know what the next year would hold. But now we do. We need to send a clear message today. That in the future we'll be more prepared and that we as legislators will have more to say and how this process will work and how important it is to be. I don't know about you. I'll take a dangerous freedom. Over comfortable servitude any day of the week without taking questions. All right any questions from the committee. All right seeing none we have one person that is signed up to speak against the bill and a large issue if you would come before with. When you get settled and state your name and where you're from for the record you're recognized. Thank you madam chair members of the committee senator garner we appreciate the opportunity to speak on this bill today. as you all know the public health emergency has been extended by sixty days to allow for rapid response of the Department of Health initially acted in interfere is within its authority under statutory emergency powers and under twenty dash seven dash one oh nine and one ten and the rules pertaining to reportable diseases that were approved and reviewed and approved by the public health committee and by L. L. C. and twenty eighteen this bill would take away the flexibility to react quickly and it conflicts with the new process under Act four three of twenty twenty one it provides no sunset provision if mitigation efforts were necessary in the future the governor stated that the face covering directives will end at midnight on March thirty first this is based on metrics that have been evaluated over a period of time including the seven day average of testing positivity and daily testing specimens have hospitalization rate this bill repeatedly states that is no longer necessary without any metrics or fact finding it states that it is for all mandatory face coverings requirements and it says including without limitations the ones that are opposed by the executive orders and eighty H. directives there are many private businesses including hospitals and restaurants that have announced that they are continuing best practices and will require a mask this bill would limit their choice and their freedom to do so they're also federal mandates that require face coverings including for public transit passengers and the transportation security administration doesn't plan to list that requirement until may eleventh twenty twenty one this bill sends the wrong message and we want to continue to protect each other and respect each other and take it seriously why we get everyone vaccinated thank you thank you would you take questions all right any questions from the committee for missing issue right Senator Hester. did you say this would limit a private companies right to requirements from the public when they come in like if I was going to eat it. Chili's tonight and they wanna have a mask mandate this would prevent that the way this reads on page two a line for it says including without limitations it says on the effective date of this act all mandatory face covering requirements are removed. Okay any other questions. All right anyone else in the a in the room would you like to speak for the bill. Against the bill. Thank you miss you. All right the do you want to close for your bill yes I just strongly pushed back this is all dealing with government executive action Department of Health or the exact order by no means does this preclude a private business or company from being able to actually stop people like right now you can preclude somebody for no shoes no Sir no shirt no service that same business will be able to that's for mask is there discretion as a private property owner how they wanted as long as they don't run into anti discrimination laws such as a cleaning for race gender or other things that is completely false I will strongly push back on that assessment with that I'm closed. Okay. Ladies and gentleman. All right I have a motion. Okay second. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed. All right I'm going to I'm going I'm sorry ladies and gentleman. The. I think I heard four knows. So let's do it again let's do it again just a minute all those in favor say aye. All those opposed no okay the congratulations to Bill pass all right. Next. You're going pass over years is that correct Senator Solomon. All right thing going on down to a house bill ten sixty eight who is running that for representative Pilkington. Senator Davis okay would of sent to Davis is not here so we will go to House Bill eleven thirty six who's winning that for Senate representative Boyd. All right if they come in we will of. Go back to the to these bills all right to senator Wallace Senate bill five eighty five are you ready to run your bill. I'm good. All right we do have an amendment. Thank you manager K. would you like to let's start off the by the Leding you explain your amendment and then we'll adopted and you can talk about your bill as amended the the amendment simply changes or eliminates a couple ward's environmental management system in occupational health and safety all right on affect the bill that okay do I have a motion to accept the amendment all right one okay second all those in favor say aye all those opposed to appointments has passed and you're ready to explain your bill as amended members this bill. It. This is in regards to electronic voice which is the fastest growing segment of the state's waste stream email contains hazardous material include lead and mercury it should be diverted from landfills the waste. Contributes seven percent of hazardous waste currently in state landfills. The annual E. waste grants to regional solid waste management district were by law discontinued in twenty twenty. It's grants proves that came from the landfill polls close trust fund. And with that I'm one allow my if you can I have my and my Yes Speaker. Correct Douglas I'm director of the regional recycling decision right you're recognized thank you thank you senator Wallace this bill will establish a plan for a statewide electronic waste program. Of the electronic waste program as the senator said was discontinued two years ago the last to grant to the regional solid waste management districts all nineteen of them occur this last fiscal year there is no you waste program in the state right now that is uniform and that requires a recovery plan I would just echo what the senator said about electronic waste. Although the state reported collecting six thousand tons of E. waste the last measurement period in two thousand nineteen. that is only two percent of the waste that is in landfills but is the senator said seventy percent of toxic waste. In landfills comes from the electronic. Of computers televisions and components. If we are collecting six thousand tons it represents two percent that means a hundred and twenty thousand tons of E. waste are currently going into landfill and because of the toxic waste situation we simply don't need lead and mercury in landfills. So this program would be which is primarily permissible would allow the solid waste district to participate would allow residential households to participate would allow small businesses to participate in a recovery plan that would have to be submitted to D. Q. and approved and then we could begin through private industry. which would also through this plan create private sector jobs we can create a statewide E. waste program. City or county revenue but would be market based and self sustainable. All right do you have any questions from the committee. Well I do have one of. Tell me if this is correct you are Pulaski County right yes are you making Pulaski County the center of this. Proposal. No ma'am not at all madam chair the recovery plan requires that the plan that would be approved by D. E. Q. has reasonable regional collection centers around the state this is not a Pulaski County plan this is a statewide plan so. At for these other areas so not at all not at all. And let's see I think I have another question here Okay. So would you be awarding to private companies the collection of this E. waste well the bill stipulates that the Secretary of energy and environment. Would issue after thirty days of of the start of this This act would issue an RFQ for a contract administrator. The contract administrator would be selected by D. Q. by energy and environment within issue a request for qualifications for contractors one or more. but the contract administrator selected by DQ after they send out a request for qualifications and then any contractors that meet the certification requirements would be then selected by the contract administer. Will this be more about our it would this be a part of what you're doing with the computers we purposing them and and then up refurbishing them and giving them to schools and non profits I had heard something like they have which can you expand on that yes there are several E. waste recyclers in the state the largest one is in Rogers Arkansas esco. they their business is to collect electronic waste and the components. And we're pertains to computers and computer peripherals primarily desktops laptops and tablets. Then they refurbish them they installed new hard drives and then they can resell those at a. Much reduced price to entities such as public school district they have a history of that around the country in fact in the last couple of years I know that they refurbished five thousand Chromebooks and iPads and sell them at a much reduced call us to to a school district and in California we want to make that available to Arkansas as well and encourage public school districts around the state to to look at that all right you mentioned my questions thank you any other questions. All right seeing none this anyone in the audience want to speak for or against this bill. Seeing none what is the pleasure of the Committee. Not that I am closed. That is true I forgot about you forgive me please I'm glad your clothes that makes a little bit easier all right so he the senator is closed do I have a motion all right to have a second. I have a second all right all those in favor say aye all those opposed congratulations you passed your bill all right thank you senator Davis are you ready to. Okay if you want to go to the in the table. Of are you going to do representative Pilkington to be okay that's a house bill ten sixty eight. That's that the only one you're doing. Okay all right. We have an amendment on that one. If you want to this. Start with the amendment and explain the amendment and will. Dont the. Copy of the okay. Okay it looks like this amendment is just that making sure that this bill is consistent with and CMS guidelines as far as group therapy is concerned. I'll take any questions on the committee all right any questions on the amendment. All right do I have a motion. I have a motion to adopt the amendment yes and a second right all those in favor say aye all those opposed amendment has been adopted so if you would explain house bill ten sixty eight as amended. Thank you madam chair and this just includes in the definition of originating site and includes the home of the patient so I think before they it was in an and medical facility or health guilt care facility and to receive and tele therapy and this just includes the home of the patient. In an originating site. All right any questions. All right seeing no questions does anyone in the audience want to speak for or against the bill. Seeing none what is the pleasure of the Committee thank you close for your bill. Who. It. All right you're closed okay thank you all right. Do I have a motion I have a motion to have a second all those in favor say aye all those opposed congratulations you pass the bill all right of. Then eleven thirty six house bill eleven thirty six. Thank you madam chair I have the department of health and here to speak on this bill and but it's in regards to hepatitis C. screenings for pregnant women all right who would of who's coming forward okay in. Introduce yourself for the record please. God we. We've Greenville from the Arkansas department of health September bake oven Arkansas you're recognized. So hepatitis C. in pregnancy has been recommended to be screened of pregnant women have been recommended to be screened by the CDC and preventive services task force this bill will not bring us in line with CDC recommendations will be consistent with what we do for other communicable diseases such as HIV hepatitis C. and several of the pregnancy it will be a cost saving measure in terms of this being a preventable I'm skews me a treatable disease as there is no vaccine for hepatitis C.. Do you care to say anything else there's a question of a happy all right well I I wondered about hepatitis C. and help them has this been prevalent pregnant women do you see him and it up to the numbers has been increasing and the symptoms of hepatitis C. R. that would show up for years sometimes it people don't know they have it yes there has been an uptick lately. In the state of Arkansas we have about thirty six thousand deliveries when we review the number of pregnancies that were affected it's around two hundred pregnancies per year and then we compare the cost of treatment of hepatitis C. versus the cost of lifetime treatment I'm scared excuse me the cost of vaccinations and treatment versus those who would go on with life time treatment without having been treated early on to be more cost effective. And you don't know how the the pregnant women contract is a contract that typically if a bloodborne so strictly contracted and it can be spread can be transmitted to the newborn and newborns to develop who contract hepatitis C. from the mother's it could be contracted either individual delivery order to Syrian delivery they typically are not an eligible to receive treatment for a few years typically after H. three and in that period of time that newborn who's been affected by hepatitis C. could be at risk for developing conditions such as cirrhosis and a very young age and so the mothers who are identified because quite often they maybe a symptomatic and have the ongoing effects of the disease if we can identify them at a time while they are pregnant then we would be able to initiate treatment at appropriate time and prevent transmission subsequent pregnancies I think this is a very good bill. So thank you so much for being here and for your comments and the. Do I have any questions. Is anyone want to speak for or against this bill. Have you close for your bill. All right of several years ago we did something sort of like this in the health committee in the house and The a nurse came forward and she had contracted hepatitis C. from a dirty needle in the emergency room and so she went through all the things it how it had shortened her life and all of that so out of. I was well aware of some of the things about hepatitis but didn't know about the pregnant women and the transfer of that to to the baby and all that so that was very interesting and this is certainly a good bill so with that of. What is the pleasure of the Committee. All right in a motion to pass in a second all those in favor say aye all those opposed congratulations to pass to bill. Ladies and gentleman of. I think that we have completed our agenda. Can you think of anything else there's no other business I