Insurance & Commerce - Senate

Representative Ladyman will be here shortly to present his bill so the agenda schedule is here the other things you need to know is we have some handouts that are in your packet on the bills on the right behind the handouts that were sent given to you last time we'll get those if you have questions staff can help you find those that handouts Senator Solomon we need to do some paperwork with you first and what I need you to do is expunged the vote on the amendment and so. Hi eighty you probably need to committee member to do that I'm assuming. Could I add Senator Elliot to ask for an expungement on the amendment that was passed last meeting because we got to pull it out as part of this amendment that we're going to deal with today so. So move note second rooms. Do I have a second from Senator Hickey thank you all in favor of expunging the vote at the last meeting police say aye. Same sign oppose so we've expunge that vote we now need to present the amendment and is that in their committee or do we have to hand out. Okay we're handing out the amendment that now is the latest and greatest amendment which also included parts of what was done last meeting so staff feel free. And I think I will recognize you Senator Solomon to begin that because of the time of day all you explain what's in the amendment this time thank you Mr thank you for committee far helping move this forward if you look at we changed on the amendment the governor is subject to confirmation by the Senate in a manner under the previous addition I think it's change much Yeah I think we had someone ask about in which they serve I think that was on the last amendment to make sure that if I if during the senses the line is drawn are moved and someone is no longer in a district that that addresses that on page two. When assessing potential appointees that are talked to a few my colleagues and we're trying to make this easy for the people appointing so it it just says that they will give consideration to persons having all those different individual slots And the list a B. and C. there what they're going to give consideration to it's hard to find people to serve on these boards sometimes and just giving consideration seems to be more of a better way. On page four line eight we deleted equally and substituted in a manner that is substantially equal Page four on use tax credits may be immediately allocated to the use of one or more applications Senator Elliott I'm looking for the part down there where they have to go there it is Page four line three they'll educate potential applicants about the tax credit so they have an obligation now to try to reach out and do that I think the rest of those are just self explanatory I don't want to read them to you and let anybody has any questions. I'm on page three. again it talks about educating for this this is the third grant of sorts. The fair to educate those. And the last part their talks about re constituting the board and what those conditions are. Again there that says they're gonna they're gonna draw initially for those positions and I'm sorry after their appointed they'll draw and six will drop two year term and six all draw a four year term there's nothing in this state precludes those that drop to your term from being reappointed. There's nothing that precludes him from Having different are the same circumstance. I believe that as open as possible but that's it lessened by hasn't questions okay Committee are there any questions with regard to the mod amendment proposed. Seeing none what is the will of the committee with regard to the amendment. I have a motion from Senator Teague do I have a second. All in favor of accepting or passing amendment police say aye aye. Same sign opposed. Your amendment has passed we're not going to hear your bill and I would rural mind that we've already done lots of testimony I think we have one new person to speak. And but we will debate your bill with regard to use so presenter bill understand you've already presented your bill the chair will take a little bit a latitude but we don't want to have another complete passion I'm not disabled or other other than to say you know the I think you have may have a document that shows going back to two thousand eight yeah they're been multiple times if change the appeal process so when they say that this was happening here in this happen there. This bill just says it's time for another process in and I distributing those funds and I again just to remind you this will be my last point I reached out to the board ten months ago asking for this and now we are having this debate before you so I think it's time for a change this bill is a thought out considerable change that guarantees about money are not tax credit but it guarantees each district an opportunity to have that and with that Mister chair I will close a lesser questions. So members of the audience those who may be new to this we allow the members to ask any questions of the sponsor I believe that'll be a short process are there any questions of the members of centers all Senator Hammer you're recognized thank you Mr just quick one the reconstituting of the board from what it currently is not rejection by nation of the amendment what is it intended to do that's not being done car under the current board you're recognized currently the governor has all the appointments and this reconstituted the board giving the the governor. Four I'm trying to divide twelve by three the governor for the Senate for in the House for that's what that's essentially what it does initiative to make the. Board be more a respondent to the legislature and for the ones appointing and then they're going to be more likely to hear this not I think I mentioned this before but it's worth saying again when I initially contacted them the response was this is not political we want you to stay out that was pretty clear it is political taxpayer money in tax credits and it is covets government appointed positions so and again I'm disappointed that they didn't come up on their own with some of these things and I think when that happens it's time for the new board. Our thank you. Any other questions members. Seeing none. Is we'll start with the audience is there anyone in the audience would like to speak for this bill. Seeing nobody and no one signed up is there anybody would like to speak against this bill. I have several names Eric please present yourself at the end of the table. If you're going to speak against the bill. My name is John Chadwell go ahead and take a seat there Mr Chad will and please identify yourself and the reason you're here and any credentials you might wanna have the committee understand my name is John Chad well I'm a member of the actual board representing the first congressional district first let me say I apologize for my tire I would typically come dressed as you are but I was in my vehicle on the way out of town on vacation with my wife. And who has been sitting I might add in the car since two o'clock waiting on me to finalize this process so that we can continue vacation at. She may be I may be walking to Tennessee that might be the the case I I come before you the honorable senator Sullivan did call me and talk to me I have a different recollection of a conversation than he does and I sincerely regret that he is disappointed with me as his first congressional district representative according to his comments at the last session because I've been living in the first congressional district for sixteen years doing economic development in the town of Newport and has several of you know we're Newport is and Newport knows what it means sometimes did not get its fair share of everything and so does the first congressional district and I work hard to represent the folks of the district in which I live. Thank you A. P. process is something that when I came on the board I began to familiarize myself very quickly in the Q. A. P. is simply the application process there were some changes that need to be made and I agreed with the senator on that and told him that I would be working to do that on the board the several changes were made to the Q. A. P. in this last round some of the things that the senator objected to or actually reduced in point value my agreement with the remainder of the board members was will go this year with this change let's see how it works if it doesn't work that will make further changes to make sure that it is equitable throughout the state my concern with the bill as it is written now. There are twenty nine counties. More or less in the first congressional district there are thirty two counties in the fourth congressional district. There are seven in both the second and the third so if we divide this by twenty five percent. Any nine counties are going to be competing for a quarter of the money seven counties are gonna be competing for record of money seven more counties competing for a quarter of the money and thirty two counties competing for another quarter I anticipate at the next redistricting redistricting that will even get worse if I had my choice when I was competing for something I would like to get the rules fixed or I could compete for one hundred percent not only twenty five percent and if you look back historically there been times when different parts of the this state have gotten forty percent or thirty percent sometimes that was the first sometimes that was a second sometimes it was the third the only reason they were able to get that much at any given time is because they were competing for one hundred percent of the funding if this changes that I see twenty nine counties. All of the city's in all the towns and have wonderful projects in them being limited not being increased because the commitment of the ad for board is to ensure that there is equity one of the problems that happened in the previous time wise there was an inequity towards impoverished communities the pendulum may have swung too far in fact I would submit that in case it did and now it's being pushed by the board to swing back and as the Board works on this I have seen a very committed honest group of individuals and they are without ability they certainly aren't without intelligence and they aren't without understanding of the issues I have served in economic development now for twenty four years I have served as a member of an advisory board for the Housing Authority in one of the communities in which I worked I have served on the equalization board I understand housing and property issues and I understand how vital those are in a community I've worked hard in my community to try to help recruit new housing in our community not just low income housing but also our market rate housing that we need currently in my community we have three thousand people a day who commute into town to work that live somewhere else housing is an issue that's always in the forefront of our minds and it's in the forefront of Adler's mind it is in the forefront of trying to keep in making this equitable for the entire state I believe that you have a good qualified board a sincere Board anonymous Board and an intelligent Board that's working on that and I believe to take any of those decisions out the boards hand in mandate twenty five percent each congressional district is going to be inversely hurt congressional district number one and congressional district number two when all of those towns and all of those counties no longer can apply for a hundred percent but can only apply for twenty five percent of the funding available thank you for your time and for your attention. There may be a questioner to for you if you're willing I am members to have any questions for Mr Chadwell. Senator Hammer you're recognized thank you I just wanna make sure and maybe this is to the sponsor between to you because I was thinking I read in the bill that if the money is not used within. The original originating congressional district that the next year it rolls over or becomes at some point available to the other congressional districts to I'm. Is that right or did I misunderstand that that was one of the changes that no longer rolls over it moves immediately they were rolled over more may have money sitting out there on used in the the goal is to get the money in the hands quickly so that was one of the amended changes okay it it moves immediately where to the other districts and it rolls back into the pot for the districts to Two years that would be up to the board to determine whether or okay and that's after. That's after the initial years so it's it's got a year but if it's not done by the year then it would yeah you haven't you apply and then if you are no one applies then immediately that money were rolled over. Okay and to you Sir our apologies to your wife and to you for the rest of the trip but what. Having heard that explanation and based on what you said is there not a balance between which trying to achieve or what what's wrong with that actually I actually think that might excavate the problem even more because you're still going to have to have a point structure by which these projects qualify you can't just say we're going to fund projects in the first congressional district even if they're bad projects so if if we have applications what those applications are not good applications the first congressional district doesn't get that money and that money shipped somewhere else and so the first congressional district could lose even it's twenty five percent I I don't see that as going is being the thing this is the solution to the to the issue in fact I think it could I think you could very well see that this would make it even worse and more inequitable than what you see now because it's going to be at the end is not a whole year now it's at the end of the application process in the award process if there's money that doesn't go well once you do the point system which you don't know to the end of the application process and you find out that some of your applications don't have points in almost immediately your money gets shifted somewhere else and so it's I think you can make it worse and not better in my perspective. Thank you. Any other questions committee members I have a quick quote question follow up Mr Chadwell how long have you been on the board representing district one since a year ago March okay how long have you been associated with the board and known that results. I've been familiar with the board for twenty one years I work economic development projects I'm very familiar with a lot of let's say I might be asking that Konami developer and you have you had a year or your district was sixty percent of their wards I mean what you're best year ever being awarded in this type of process in the first congressional district yeah I would have to look back but I'm gonna say it's probably forty eight percent somewhere around fifty percent so you did have a year where you received half of the and it would be it would be years several years back but I think that would be yes I think that would be accurate I look at those numbers but I off the top of my head I do not have them and unfortunately I came not as prepared as I would like to be with notes okay. Any other questions committee members Senator Elliot you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair up for those those years that were referenced two thousand eight a coming forward or as many as you want to consider Or what's the competition structure of different from year to year it's not static is it it is not static impact the application changes every year every year the board thoroughly reviews the application to see where in equity might be December issues are and they try to change it now you're you're where I know is that rental seen a lot of your work that when you tweak one thing and think you've got to fix and there's four more dominoes in a row sometimes there's unintended consequences of the next year the group sits down again with the Q. eight A. ends as okay what are unintended consequences how did that do and how can we fix that so it is a living breathing documents that changes every single year. And I was I was looking at the I think I was one of the members of the board and and I don't know we in years past because sometimes decisions are made about but the point structure is going to be and so forth has to do with that very thing you're talking about the equity and so forth and people who have lived the different kind of life and. I I would like to thank with the new board structure with the board structure we have now we can get A little more diversity in the backgrounds on on that board. Would you would you agree that that could be important to how we address any kind of equity that we're talking about I think diversity is always a good thing on any board I think a variety of backgrounds is very very beneficial there are a number of backgrounds on the ad so bored now a nonprofit housing advocate sits on the board and she assists a lot with understanding programs that can help with people being able to sustain themselves in affordable housing we have a professor who is a lot of research in this area that sits on the board I'm an economic development we have some developers that sit on the board as well we have an attorney that sits on the board so there there is a diversity of background now that comes in and I won't betray to you that we all always agree in fact if you come to the committee meetings it's very spirited sometimes. Well I'll be able to Mike my last point is I mean I was I I saw that night so the backgrounds but I'm thinking in terms of raising the ethnicity for the board and and one of my hopes is that but the new structure and I was hoping I've been hoping for a long time with the president structure that that could be addressed that is not in this bill but I just think there are more opportunities to do that and and I just even when you go back I think that's a discussion your hat with that with the board itself and I will be happy to have that discussion with the board I will tell you as far as this bill is concerned I'm not. It doesn't matter to me who appoints whom on the board I serve at the pleasure of whoever appoints me and am happy to serve the citizens of Arkansas when they tell me they're not ready for me that's fine I can promise you that pay that we received is not equal to the hours we put in I figured it up one month and I think it may thirteen cents an hour for the time that I that I served on this board but my my concern with the bill is not so much changing the structure of how you appoint people and there's arguments pro and con that I think it's worked okay I can see some benefits to the others I think either way you can accomplish what you want to accomplish I do have a significant opposition to dividing the money by the congressional districts and that would more impact the first congressional district in my opinion and are a recognized and others can disagree but in my opinion that would more adversely impact us than anything else. Okay seeing no other questions thank you for your testimony Mr Chadwell we appreciate that is there anybody you you may relinquish several say there's anybody else would like to speak to thank you and I may step outside of my life okay is there anybody in the audience would like to speak for the bill. Seeing none do we have anybody else you'd like to speak against the bill. I just information that I want to okay well let's what bring you here but be be on alert is there anybody else we have at least one more signed up to speak against are you still interested in the opposition point of view yes please come to the end of the table then we'll go to the data Mr Scroggins. Please identify yourself for the record and then you may begin. Good afternoon Mister chair committee members. My name is men's hang on a second let's make sure we get our might go on down there. Sorry. There we go thank you senator. Hello good afternoon thanks for letting us share some thoughts with you my name is Seth mills I serve on the board of directors for the development authority and I have for the last six years I have a background in affordable housing that's my DNA nineteen ninety four I launched into the specific category in mission of helping working class families obtain suitable housing it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that there is disparity and I made it my life's work to help the working class person get a fair shake in real estate rather it was a great rental property for the purchase of a home was specifically my goal when I hope to help every family do what wound up happening is because I I speak fluent Spanish I want up helping an awful lot of Spanish speakers purchase homes who were particularly in need of guidance and help. Not speak the language usually not having established credit not understanding how the system works believe me explaining amortization in Spanish the those those were challenges early on in my career that I embraced and just made it my work to help people in affordable housing so fast forward from nineteen ninety four to now the as we still have the same company usually called me casa real estate but we changes name to specialize because we specialize in certain areas and now what we specialize in is what we call healthy homes you guys probably aware of the fact that you spend most people spend about two thirds of their life and the built environment your house the office it would between sleeping and working there goes two thirds of most people's day in a building we're all products of our environment buildings do affect our health and so now I want you know what we do for a living every day our entire team we will focus on how can we create healthy homes with higher quality we're in the air quality long time ago. It was everything we've done I want to make sure and give you the benefit because we need their X. strictly to the bill and you got a bunch legislators that you're all the radio and get home at ten o'clock tonight email go you might wanna go right to the bill there may get I appreciate the advice so that from someone who's coming from that perspective I want you know that we've been using the Q. A. P. the qualified allocation plan to try and do a couple of things we want to stop the fraud there's a awful lot of fraud and an income tax in low income housing tax credits and so we made many changes over the years and many many have had the great results we wanted we make sure that we try to encourage better locations we want people not have to drive so far out and we saw that time in the car on gasoline we we we help support the rental rates by this rental rate impact where developers are scored higher by the lower rate they charge and that was a program that we felt like was the only way to put the money right back into the pocket of the occupant of the project so. We've done many great things we had unintended consequence that there were about five deals awarded a one year and one district that would wasn't meant to happen but it did but what happens sometimes when you change one variable that can affect another and so we immediately have recognized that enter making changes last year we couldn't make too many changes because it was late in the process but boy do we spend a lot of time on this year we plan for much bigger changes so my appeal to you about this bill. Seizing. This bill I believe is bad because I don't feel like it is being crafted in the spirit or presented and a spirit that really tells both sides of the story I would ask that This bill not be passed on to the house I would like to the indispensable time was Senator Solomon this is my first time meeting I watch the video from y'all's last meeting and I noticed that Senator Solomon it the lease or five times admission no he'd talk to the board met with the board it is my first privilege to get to talk to so I would ask that we slow this down I feel like it's trying to be rushed through I didn't find out about until yesterday. so I and I would encourage you guys to not pass this bill on. Because for the the reasons that John said but also because if you go back just ten years I'm wrapping up right here Mr if you go back just ten years and look at who is gone thank you you knew I needed. I like that guy. I'm trying to talk too fast no you're fine. Okay here I am wrapping up the police here would have to say now of the last ten years the first congressional district has received thirty six percent of the ward's. The second congressional district sixteen percent. The third congressional district twenty six and the fourth twenty. So the there is not a major disparity I say first referred to certainly higher than the others but it has twenty nine counties and covers a very large area I can understand how they would wind up with more but the other three sixty percent twenty six percent twenty percent that's not the disparity does not the picture that was painted for you at the last meeting if you want to just size it down only three years and you know how you can you can present data in different ways and and I think that the presentation that this board does not know what they're doing has lost touch with their mission of providing affordable housing to the citizens of Arkansas is a complete mis characterization and I also believe that to attempt to say that one corner of the State the third district is getting favored over the others when it's not even getting more awards than the first so I would again ask you guys if you don't let can you send us back to see if we can work something out because as it is right now I really really I'm telling you I've been living this for six years really thinking about it really trying this is not a good bill hi I take my service to add very seriously and and then we'll get paid much I've just had a principal never let anyone time and they're really reimburse you for a hotel room it's been real time thinking about this talking to people trying on our board we now have rod Coleman who is an extremely experienced low income housing tax credit develop and as John mentioned we have so many other talented people that are here because they want to serve not because they have political aspirations this is the best board I hear the best they've ever had because the people are thinkers they're trying they're not afraid to try and make changes so that we can do better and minimize fraud so I I would request that the bill be killed entirely but I believe the minister serve them better if if you want to send this back in a room somewhere that hash it out thank you for your time I believe we have a question senator Hammer you're recognized two I may miss on the front in your introduction you're on the board now right yes Sir and the missed call when you references just join the board is he the one that I think is a rather large developer in the State Farm I think the wrong one well as a developer he's developer yes yes if it from Fort Smith and he's been on the board I guess this is his is this thirty year Bryant okay that's fine okay okay and the reasons you disagree with the bill our state it because I asked the previous chairman what is she disapproves bill you think that the method of distribution and if rolling off into the pot is not the proper way to handle the distribution center at main argument yes Sir and I yes Sir that's the main argument thank you. K. Singh no other questions thank you for your testimony Mister spends we appreciate that thank you thank you I guess are there any other for or against. And I think we had some information from Mr call Scoggins who signed up you can take your chair appeared introduce yourself that be great. But the record reflect I think he's already introduced himself on this bill is primed Skagen from ad for so Brian correct Brian Scoggins president ADFA wanted to to step up here and make sure that that that we mentioned we provided some of the data that we talked about on Tuesday in core in Hendren relevant data and I quite honestly just want to kind of explain to you what it says what is looking at and then one of the questions was the first district the the most awards I think it was in two thousand sixteen where there were eight applications and then eight awards so a hundred percent in two thousand sixteen but the the the the data that you have in front of you it does look back ten years it's it goes through all the applications it's within lines it up as far as congressional districts and it walks through how many awards there were each one of those congressional districts and then an overall success rate in the success rate per congressional district and then trying to also identify is as a matter of versus the the applications that were made how many awards were made for each congressional district for each year the the thing I want is is to reemphasize what the the to add to board members we're saying is that if you look those applications and awards in the early part of the decade it was it was on on two different congressional districts in the the fourth in the first and then it swung back to the other two congressional districts got more applications and more wards and that was a little bit of those changes that were made so it I just wanted to to the last thing I want to make sure you understand too is is that we also put down at the very bottom of this front pages to show the over subscription or the but the more applications than there are a. Wards meaning that every year someone gets mad about this because they didn't get their nine percent award is is each of them feel like they they deserve because they put in a lot of time a lot of different a lot of money in putting together these applications the last thing I want to do and and is is the second document is just that we talked a little bit the other day about the four percent non competitive applications and and I wanted to let you know that reason it doesn't go back ten years is it was pretty dormant until two thousand seventeen and then so we've it from two thousand seventeen Ford we've listed how many of those seats a little bit different information than you did on the nine percent just because there's a little bit different variables that go into it but essentially it talks about that were those projects were located and and the amounts that were made so I'm happy to answer any questions if you have any. What's the committee members who have any questions Mr Scoggins. I don't think so full thank you for your testimony and for your facts as presented. Is there anybody else who would like to speak on the on the bill for or against or to provide anymore information. Seeing none. Members do we have any last questions for the bill sponsor. Seeing none would you like to close for your bill thank you has run through a few things first of all the Mr Chad will talk about counties focus in about counties about population so they're distributed by population not by county the fact that there are three or thirty or fifty counties makes no difference in the distribution the thing that they mention that you heard that changed your life if this bill passes will have two years and in two years if it's not working I promise you I'll be the first one back here to repeal it and turn it back to the this board to let that happen because that I think I'll make that commitment to you next remember that there's no prohibition for the current members to be reappointed the most important part of this bill is that it lets the Senate and the house and the governor have equal participation in appointing people to the board yeah we've talked about having coequal branches of government this is one of the ways we have lost it because we don't get to appoint people to these boards that distribute millions and millions of dollars and lasts about this I know you've all been through this you tried you tried Dr secretary president hi. Friday eight months ago I talked to Mr Scroggins I talked to a high ranking member in DFA who actually was texting questions of the board back and forth because I wasn't allowed to talk at the board meeting what I did text a high ranking member DFA was asking those questions so these issues have been coming up far eight to ten months and now we're going to we'll go sit behind a room and rehash this I'd ask the committee to let's give this a try for two years if it doesn't work we'll come back and we'll fix it in two years and if I'm not here I'm sure somebody will be here to fix it and change it back because absolutely the best decision the best place for this to be administered is with the board and not with I'm not codified in law will change if we need to but I would ask for a good vote let's try this for a couple years thank you thank you Committee. What are the wishes of the committee. We have a motion do pass Senator Hickey as amended do we have a second. So I have Senator Elliot on the second we have a motion do pass as amended. All in favor please say aye all right same sign opposed. Your bill has passed thank you all of them Committee and and folks if they come to me with with some better information we need to amend it quickly I promise I'll come back and try to do that thank you thank you. We will move on Senator representative Ladyman. We're going to deal with house bill eleven fifty six. Thank on just a second as we're getting ready. So members as we present this bill there's been a previous amendment that has been adopted and attached to this bill so make sure you have the amended copy in front of you I believe that's what's in your packet but it for use on electronic she wanna make sure and find the amendment as well. Representative Ladyman you are recognized to present your bill. Thank you Mr chairman of. If I could I'd like to have Mr AJ Gary with Adam come up and help me answer questions if you have some that be great if he'll identify himself for the record you can join you. Thank you good afternoon I'm a J. Gary on the Director of the Arkansas division of emergency management. Please proceed the Committee what I wanna do is read like a summary here what the bill does And then I'll I'll just try to. break that down a little bit. When the nine eleven rule enhancement fund was created there was not a single point of focus for nine eleven in Arkansas therefore the rule enhancement fund was created placed under the Arkansas division of emergency management known as Adam the recent creation of the Arkansas nine eleven board which is currently working on the new generation nine eleven. And the overall enhancement of the nine eleven system here in Arkansas provides for the single point of focus. it is more efficient to place this nine eleven in a rule enhancement fund under the Arkansas nine eleven board to ensure there are no gaps sword our duplications to the mission of the nine eleven system enhancement. So what that really means and what the bill does there's a rule enhancement fund. That is currently under Adam. And of this is funded at three million a year with this bill passes or not that's the amount of funding this bill has nothing to do with the funding. The nine eleven board was created by legislation in twenty nineteen so new board. that board is currently working on the new generation of nine eleven the system nine eleven to upgraded to the new generation and the overall enhancement of the nine eleven system which it provides for a single point of focus to improve the nine eleven system. It would be more efficient to move this fund under the board to ensure that there's one point of focus to the best utilization of this funding and I'll just say that's pretty much all the bill does in there was an amendment and basically what the amendment did was it was an emergency clause and section three of the bill which was part of the amendment allows that fund to be totally closed in the money moves to the nine eleven board to clear that fund out that's basically all the amendment done but I just had one thing before questions when I ran this on the House floor I immediately got a call from my TV station back in northeast Arkansas and and they want to know about this because nine eleven is such an important part of rule Arkansas and they want to know if this would help the ambulance service the fire the police out in rule Arkansas and in my opinion it definitely would help that so Mr chairman with that that's the bill not be happy to try to answer any questions okay US representative Sullivan has presented is building committee members I know we have some questions all I'm gonna say yeah you almost similar promotion one Senator so that all represented Ladyman as president is bill I know we have commit questions Senator Teague you're recognized for it so is this amendment that we already adopted amendment in this committee yes. When Jonathan president of the bill the other day he got the bill amended on the March ninth and it got added to the bill but that's to make sure thank you. Let me clarify that it. It's an amendment on the bill the amendment was voted and was passed as adopted yes. Okay do we have other questions Senator Hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr our. Correct me if I'm wrong just just move the money from where it is over to where it's going to be. Yes Sir it just moves all nothing changes on the fund house distributed it just moves it from Adam to the nine one one board so that they can all look at nine one one is one big thing throughout the state right and that is going object if I remember right what we did last as we're trying to get to that unified system because I think if I'm not mistaken we just paid out a big claim over a situation that happened because of nine one one call got misdirected and all that kind of stuff. So this this is just moving the money shall we get toward that synchronized system right there there's a lot of work being done on nine one one statewide with this board including the yes as I met so this is put in all that so they can look at all nine one one throughout the state so you're absolutely right Sir so that where we're at in the State of Arkansas you make a nine one one call we want everybody to get that same level of nine one one service great thanks thank you Mister senator Elliots you're recognized for a question. Representative Ladyman this seems so logical that I have to ask is it is there any controversy that you know about this. Not that I know of we had no one at in the House Committee to speak against that or talk again so that when I talk to the local news up there I got no negative comments well I I have lots of relatives who live out in rule rule Arkansas. And I know a bit about what you're talking about it and as I think I related one ton the once before deliver discuss an issue this issue of something like this what about caucus is done a lot of looking at this and and the scene just how desperate the services around the state and in many cases I was this person that was in charge of this this somebody else into and it was just everywhere and so I I is that that is my question because I I don't I don't see a and thank you for answering that there is not any controversy if there is I can't find it so thank you for bringing it. Thank you Senator Teague you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chairman of region Ladyman there's no new money in here you're just moving the money to the new fund is that that's all it is no new money okay thank you Mr chairman I got a motion when you're a motion at the proper time Senator Ingram you're recognized for a lot of questions about this update please Johnson did yeah I think some of that and maybe Missy had some questions about the structure of the board and and how it was of how it was done but I wanna make sure I understand of the difference between the state what's the statewide Smart nine one one in this Barker system do both of these which one do they sign up they signed up for. Yeah go ahead please I thank you so the so the the the smart prepare part Smart nine one one part of that is what individuals can sign up for and and they to put information so they have a child it's autistic and and I ran into this as a police chief that you know that dispatch could know that information if if somebody has a elderly person that's that's confined to a bed and individuals can put their information in there and then that will display when they call nine one one so the those respondents know that so that if that is part of it yes and and I just checked with my sheriff at home in an in and out quickly County they had a a couple hundred to get signed up for this aw roughly you know AJ have many across our state how many that we have that or in the system so so yes Sir select question did come up I think it was last week so so we got with raven just got some numbers the number of safety profiles registered in Smart nine one one is eighty two thousand one hundred one and that that would be two point seven percent of the population so that's the individuals that that sign in there is a number nine one one calls process by Smart nine one one is a little is a little over six hundred seventy six thousand. nine one one calls with precise caller location via Smart nine one one is a little over five hundred eighty six thousand little over five thousand text from nine one one sessions three thousand nine hundred facility profiles. merges the calls from schools process as it was to. and it again were you know this. What I want to do is move this over to that board while they're looking at nine one and they can evaluate all of this to see if any of this maybe needs to be changed in the next session but that puts it right there where they could they could look at all of the nine one one issues and see what if anything needs to be added to this are licensed that's a great I mean you know just like you talked about autistic child let me to have that information before an officer goes out they know that is because sometimes our our duty children no fault so follow instructions you know in and out so thank you for those provide those numbers yes Senator Hickey you're recognized for a question just one thing I think you were this whenever you're given those numbers that that signified Mr I apologize that's annually is that your early. I believe that is the following metrics are from the last twelve months in Arkansas okay so we're going to say those are the annual numbers. That's what. The safest answer I give you the following metrics for for the last twelve months in Arkansas this is this came from and I apologize I got I got this submitted to me so I understand. Maybe this sponsor. Senator Hammer you're recognized for a question and I'll come back to you Senator Hickey if you need to follow up. Share this a request to ensure we get this out here today. Could we have that information. Verified and emailed to all the Senate members specifically so we can see not that I don't trust you addition I'd like to see those numbers In a verified form please and before I answer that are you located here in Little Rock. I know the representative Ladyman is chair of a very important committee on the other end of the same time but I do know the two members not here were full of distraught the number of years we've had the smart Care I believe it's what's the right title smart smart number one Smart nine on one by thank you yes mark prepare nine one one and they are full of consternation or lease voice to me the chair and several other members that the number of folks who are utilizing that I don't think anybody has an issue with the nine one one I think it's that program or other programs that are being utilized or and we probably do need that number and whether we. Take centre hammers recommendation to hear it or we say please could you be back Tuesday we wouldn't do complete new every sign because we've heard the bill but I think we might be better served there Senator Hammer Michelle's representative Ladyman is a chair rather busy demanded of the committee right now I'll make the commitment to him if he feels comfortable I'll run the bill form here in committee I maybe Senator Dismang picked up I'm not sure Senator design is presented already but he ran into the okay a memory and set ups I got a problem there okay all right thank you representative Ladyman it is your bill so. Well I this this was not brought up over in the house so I don't have any numbers didn't have a chance to look at anything but I will say. The smart one nine one one is a good program I don't know anything about the percent of usage but I myself have a handicapped son from birth and I'm on that and it's something that's really needed and I know a lot of his friends who live it with their parents. You know involved in that so it's a really good program weather's been fully utilized or I would works well let me well I think at least I as the chair was I ask are we okay to pass something without all the knowledge base and I get real nervous in doing that we we get to hurry into fast and we have issues you have at least two quality centers willing to present that if we get that number I think it might service well but it sure your call you can ask the chair for a vote now but I'm not so sure people are are are well as the will of the committee well this is Senator Hickey Right you're recognized and I'm almost thank you a little here but with those numbers if those numbers are correct on an annual basis. I'm going to go out on a limb and say we're all okay with it because that's one of the main things was just because we actually have legislation that actually has calendar numbers and and that was why we were wanting to compare and this is all started coming back we were that's what we want to compare that you for and I understand that you don't know what those are annually but if it would if this body wanted to just pass it out so we can go ahead and give it to the floor. Any of us Senator hammer was going to repeat run it on the floor if we found out that those numbers were not annually before then we would just re referred back to this committee at that time and so what Mister chair I passed I think that's a more than it's one of the two options in front of us and if I had people speak on the bill coming from techs are kana or Bentonville or somewhere might be one thing but. Thank you know. What will it yes any other comments to this. For comment go ahead Senator Elliot. You're recognized you Mister chair I it I don't know if the smart technology is being advertised as and that may be a factor as well because I you know like I said we. We saw this demonstrated we've seen it twice I think it's about caucus first time in Fort Smith and if it's not being advertised it is a shame is not being advertised so people can know about it and do it and and that's that's one of the reasons and then be a good reason I have that number because I think if we if we don't have the money to advertise it and that maybe some of the board could take a look at we are really missing a really good opportunity for people safety because I saw it when it came into it and the monitor where it said everything there was to know about Jimmy Hickey that would inform what those officers needed to know what what and the service needed to know so I is there money for advertising there is an part of that and and there's been a lot of advertising that that has been done we've had people are your pride site when I this came into place when I was a police chief and we actually went to that are fair county fair and and actually sign people up for two things that I want to clarify it in yeah and Senator Hickey aye aye I'm I'm looking over this hi I don't think that's a that when I said profiles registered I don't believe that's eighty two thousand for just this year and we had eighty two thousand last allocates beds to date that's how many profiles right in there so maybe that these numbers are kind of you know are are not these are only numbers in the last twelve months I think that that's kind of an ongoing aggregate of of everything but to be clear I'm I'm not advocate uses on the the bill that this is good or not I want to get into that nine one one board that are evaluating all of nine one one in Arkansas and let them make that determination if this is therefore getting the biggest bang for our Buck out of this or as they're getting in the next year and nine one one are there other options rather thing I want that board. We were working on it to be able to make that determination so thank Senator Hammer you're recognized for a question will come back to center if you have to the okay I know part of the heartburn last time was about the board in the bill to make decisions and whether this was a good investment so my question is this when how how long we had this contract. Okay I should I was police chief in Conway from two thousand seven two thousand fifteen. So so where it was before I left and a fifteen that it's it's it's been there I don't know the exact date up I don't have that. Okay so if if eighty two thousand is the accumulated number since the beginning of the contract which goes back well over twelve fourteen years I guess I guess it would be a debate of the board whether the board felt like it was worse continuing the problem is if we terminate contract all those people are signed up and based on the number of calls that I think you wrote said six hundred seventy six thousand whatever all those things are just can be dumped off into nowhere lander and and there's there's different pieces of this mark nine one one SmartPrepare of the sum of it is the text to nine one one so the dispatcher somebody sends a text it goes through that Smart nine one one type program there's my understanding is a bunch of different pieces to that how CJ but that's OK representative got it right but it's but let me ask you to try to get through quick so let me ask you though this this contract is up that's what's the emergency clauses on it is because it's a contract as of June thirtieth of this year. Are you put it back out for procurement or you put it out for bid it is a a sole source because they're the the only type of company that can do that so we do this also or it's it's a per year that we go through that contract in yes that's why the emergency clause because we moved to the nine one board they're gonna have to you don't be able to do that contract for for at least for the for this next year anyway okay let it comes up every year last question how much has it gone up that we are you know how much is going up every year they got up to six hundred thousand it's it's it's the same price as it was from the beginning it okay at that price has it has not changed could you thank you this Senator Hickey of your microphone that may still have question or comment okay. The chair it's up to you representative Ladyman and you say it's up to the committee but the chair knows at least two of its prominent members had real concerns with if it is eighty two thousand and it's been multiple years are one of the members mention to me that the number was so low we really needed that Clause. And I understand you're talking about letting the board deal with that but he had grave concerns with that being put in statute a dollar number referencing what the outcome of those dollars war and I think I would like to have that number completely identified if possible so the chair's gonna **** representative Ladyman consider someone presenting it again to see if your pork Committee allows you to be here will give you first on the agenda. But I think that's the smart move and Mister chair I'd be okay with that is if Senator Hammer is willing to present it for me at the next meeting we can get better data we can do that and let's we we need the answer on the smart care so I would be okay with that Mister chair but this let me make a closing comment in the before you go there because I will let you have the luxury of that we have a declaration disclosure reports Senator Teague has filled out the form and pursuant to Senate rule twenty four point oh six are committee on Insurance and Commerce hereby report the tax disclosure from senator Larry Teague Senator Teague I'll let you describe the bill but the paperwork is complete thank you Mr chairman my daughter works for A. J. and so just wanna be sure that there was no get that as a matter of record before comes back all right if you would like to all I'm sorry Senator Hickey just just a comment I assume whatever we we come back. Are we going to I would I'd like to do on annual basis like calls and all that that's what that's what I'm interested for your okay Sir I even I might even add that we need what's happened each year as a growing shrinking to the to not to change your request under it you know that part right on track yes Sir. Okay represent Ladyman your open I'm gonna get a little attitudes on a closing remark but you're welcome to say something since you won't be able to be with us okay well I'm I'm trying to pass over that and and you get information and review it again at your next meeting but I would just say Mr Kerry says he was the chief of police I was a mayor and and the nine one one system does a lot of good then there's a lot of other areas other than the one that you all have concerns about I understand why you have concerns you wanna make sure the board is adequately but looking at this but I believe the intent of this is to get this under one focus and I believe we need to do that but it does need oversight so I agree with that but there are many other things that this board could address and it just seems like a very much a very efficient way to do this. Thank you for your comments we will look forward to the your bill being represented in a quick and timely manner with data support if on Tuesday thank you Mr thank you Committee committee members are going to gavel out here in a second we have Tuesday being the last day before we're off for a couple days so if we could please hurry down here will hear this bill Senator Rapert I think wants to present his bill that day and we'll have one other bills so we will try to keep to stay on the track and in and out and hopefully our Senate session will be a four and a half or Senate session for the good of