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- October 2, 2026
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
5:43
Members really grab your seats we'll go ahead and get started Representative bro you want to lead us in opening prayer
Amen. thank youpresentative. With that I'll turn it over to Mrarris
William Parrish
Unverified
6:33
thank you Mr chairr we're in section B. these are various temporary appropriation requests. The first one be one is a letter
from the department of Education division of elementlementary secondcondary Education. this is a request for 200,000 in appropriation is to make grants to childcare facilities for training and to defray the cost of criminal records checks this is supported
by license fees paid by childcare facilities ex t itemb2 is a letter from the department of publicublic Safety Commission of law enforcementandards and training is for 101,000 spending authority. This is to conduct leadership in professional development training for law enforcement it's supported by our workforce development grant from the officefice of Skills Development. Mr Chair, those are all the VTA requests. any questions on item B1? senator love you gonna be one
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
7:29
there is there any is there anyone here from the division of elementary or rogers walk into the room see if he remembers where
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
7:36
the table's at g re g rogers department of education
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
8:04
Miss chair a recognd sir. OK Mr.Rogers just on the childcare facilities because I've I've received a couple of calls and not not specifically just on this item but on on the
vouchers that that are actually administered are are we behind on it on actually giving out vouchers for for childcare facilities can you give me an
update on that not that I know aware of they were behind on giving
Speaker 45
8:29
out vouchers I know that we have a waitlist right now and that we're make some changes to try
to address the waitlist but that's all that there I have right now on
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
8:40
that OK is that is that do what does that do to well so is there is there is there a reason why we're behind on on it I don't know that I I don't know that we're
Speaker 45
8:51
behind that that's that's what I'm saying I don't I didn't know that we were behind on that can
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
8:57
you give me some information on on ok all right thank you thank you Mr chairir. thank you any further questions on B1?
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
9:07
seeing none thank you Mr rogers Can I get somebody from s uhdPS don't take off running Have we always funded this particular
leadership and professional development through the office of Arkansas Office of Spekills and Development No sir this is the first
Speaker 53
9:50
time that we've requested funding for this particular program the leadership development program was developed about 16 months ago this is the first time we've asked for funding to outside our normal budgets to do so so how how have you paid for it the last 16 months? we had a partial grant from the drug council from director
Tomishcher's drug council that paid for it and when we began it in 2024
Speaker 56
10:16
so what's the whole biennium cost on this project? estimated
Speaker 53
10:20
costs for 25 will be right at $101,102,000 sir. you hold on you're requesting 101. I'm
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
10:29
guessing that's for the rest of this fiscal year, correct sir these are gonna be really simple answers I hope. you just told me you need 102 for the biennium. biennnium is a twoyear process
we're looking at 16 months has already passed. what does the total program cost for the biennium approximately $240,000
Speaker 53
10:48
sir. Wed received $137,000 grant from the drug council last year this this will be able to complete the biennial training sir any further questions on B2? thank you guys thank you
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
10:59
have a motion to approve have a second all those in
favor say aye all opposed eyes have it. move on to see
William Parrish
Unverified
11:15
thank you Mr Chair. we're in section C. this is CARS Act appropriation request. there's only one item. it's from
the department of financedministration dispersing officer. This is for4.6 million in appropriation. According to the letter, it is to allow DFfa to return CARS Act funding that had been returned to agencies for various reasons. Staff learned that a large portion of these funds are related to
Speaker 31
11:34
a lawsuit over the CARES Act funding that recently ended. any questions on aisle see one?
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
11:45
have a motion to approve have a second have a second all those in favor sayy aye
all opposed ayes have it and move on to
William Parrish
Unverified
11:58
d1. thank you Mr Chair. we're in section D. This is American
Rescue Plan Act appropriation requests the one is a request from the department of healthalth it's for 112,000 in appropriation. This is to return excess or unused funds to the CDc from the K through 1el comprehensive screening programme
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
12:17
any questions on itemd? see none needed a motion I need a second all those in favor say
aye all opposed ayes have it moving on to
William Parrish
Unverified
12:31
autumn Eve. thank you Mr Chair we're in section E. this is the infrastructure investment and jobs actct appropriation request E1 is a request from the department of Public Safetydivision of emmergency Management. This is a reallocation of previously awarded appropriation they're requesting to move57,000 from
various lines mostly out of capital outlay to operating expenses and grants and aid. This is to cover the cost for the remainder of the hazardous materials emergency preparedness grant and this is after realigning program needs for subgrant payments and training costs. The second request behind this reallocation was the original request that is being reallocated. any questions on Aramy
seeing none do have a motion have a second
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
13:18
all those in favor sayy aye all opposed I's have it moving on
to F and and members when we have multiple items we'll take questions on F1 and then questions on F2. thank you Mr. Pparrice.
William Parrish
Unverified
13:32
Thank you Mr chairir. we're in section F. this
is a restricted reserve fund transfer requests f one is a letter from the department of Public Safety staterimelab. This is a $131 million transfer from the state crimeme lab building set aside it's to construct a new state crime lab . The letter notes that any
funds not used will be pledged toward future construction of the building and just for the committee's information, last biennium $200 million was set aside in the restricted reserve fund to build this new facility. In November of 202,310 million was drawn down to enter into a contract with a design professional In January of 2024,4.4 million was requested to buy land and then in June of 245 million was approved to cover contractor costs for construction. Those three disbursements totaled 19.4
million for the new biennium that 19.4 million was deducted in a80.6 million was carried over into the set aside account. today's request of 131 million would take the balance down to48.6 million from the original 200 million that was allocated. Next item is F2. this is a request from Departments of Veterans Department of Veterans affairs it's an $80,000 transfer from the motor vehicle set aside and this is a purchase3 vehicles. Mr chairir, that is
Unknown speaker
14:51
the end of the restricted reserve fund transfer requests can't getdPS to the table please So
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
15:22
are we truly coming in48 million dollars under the projected cost originally
Speaker 72
15:32
were projecting for the actual construction of of the building where 139 million and the cost that that we've come into for the GMP for the project is 136 million. so we are a little under there the cost that we
haven't factored in yet are things like furniture and equipment and things like that so we do have a a pretty good estimate for that we we think we can get it done well within30 million dollars so that's that still looks like overall for the total project that we would come in under the 200 million. OK Senator hickey is your question on this you're reckon us thank you and some of this may
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
16:24
be for staff two or three questions just first of all the way you've written this up and with what you just said. so you said that we got 1319, you all are hoping that you can construct it for that but then the next says any funds not utilized for this purpose will we put towards future construction of the building what it sounded like to me that you might be thinking about buying furniture fixtures and equipment if there's any money left over the way you the what what if you finished the building
you didn't need the money but you've said that you're gonna that you're gonna put it towards the construction what are you going to do with the money then? what are we gonna do that with that part does that make sense so if it's
Speaker 77
17:11
not used for the construction then it would just move towards the furniture and the equipment and that's my point the weight and
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
17:17
and maybe Mr chairir if they can state this from there it's just saying you're saying that you're going to use it for the construction of the building. furniture
fixtures and equipment. I don't look like that's construction so again, I don't know if that needs to be you know, set in here or what just to make make 100% sure that that this body's ok with you using it you know for that purpose because the way I see it you couldn't use it for that the way you have it written. Anyway, and maybe just for staff this 131 million we're we're dispersing all this at one time is that kind of been our normal course with this stuff that's coming out of the set asides
or have we kind of been doing it more more in increments
Speaker 80
18:02
for this particular set aside senator hickey it's been more piecemeal they've
William Parrish
Unverified
18:07
only had three disbursements all of last biennium and it was 19 million altogether 1 million here,4 million there this is the first large swing at that set aside account. OK? One more for you all if you don't
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
18:21
mind. So here we are we're going to give you 131 million dollars. Who, who is overseeing this project to make sure that there's a draw schedule and that
we're proceeding and that we're not getting over over budget and if we were how would you all how how would you all at that point come to us or what would you do to say that it looks like that we're not proceeding at the right course. so in other words, you know, if we if we've only got I'll make make something totally up5 million for dirt work and that's what's in our budget but for some reason it comes in at 8 million who's who's overseeing that?
Speaker 72
19:05
so we've had very clear conversations with the construction company working on this that you know we do not plan to come back to ask you for any more money and that that you know they need to get this project done for the amount that they've said they will and they've you know, made every guarantee that they feel fully confident that they can we have received an an estimated
schedule of the cost you know of where they think the cost will be each month so we will be able to follow along with that and make sure we're not getting off course anywhere there. a lot of the items that the big ticket items have already been ordered they're just things with long lead times so we don't expect you know, changes to the cost of anything there and so we will be keeping up with
this monthly there are there are month monthly meetings that I'm going to we're getting weekly reports from the construction company on what's happening out there I've been out there multiple times already to make sure that the construction project is going as planned they are fully on schedule at this point right now they're they're going to be working Saturdays if they need to to make sure that that we stay on schedule so that's that's so if I'm hearing
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
20:38
you correct you all do have a draw schedule that that you have in hand that says something along the lines that whenever the rough end plumbing's done it's x amount of dollars whenever the slab's poured it's x amount of dollars is that what you're within your statement was that there was that what you were referencing we do have estimates of what that cost is
Speaker 72
20:57
going to be at each milestone correct and who and you
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
21:00
said you I think who within your office is going to be monitoring that to make sure that we're staying staying in
Speaker 72
21:08
line with all that that'll be me at the crimeme lab along with thedPS fiscal team that I'll be working closely with on that thank you
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
21:25
sir Yes go ahead members and so the restricted reserves set aside the way that
that was wondered worded that's a capital improvement bill that we'd passed right and so the language is for the facility project so it doesn't stipulate where that be
construction or anything else it's for the facility project of building a state crime lab and you know that and creating a state climb and so that capital improvement can be used for both the construction and the purchase of furniture fixtures equipment and that sort of thing. I mean that's that's the way the bill was worded that we passed Representativeladyman you recognize thank you Mr Chairman.
Speaker 89
22:06
I'm over here. got a couple of questions so you're requesting
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
22:12
132 million approximately how much did you say was budgeted 138 is that what you
Speaker 72
22:19
said? 139 was what was what we had originally estimated for that in 136 is what their maximum price ended up being so that would be about a
Speaker 92
22:28
excuse me extra7 million that you're not asking you're
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
22:34
not going to spend right now but what's the size of this building square footage how big
is it? it's approximately 190,000 square feet how many floors?3 3 floor 1 speed. OKok you know I know that during construction of a project that large there are going to be some probably changes needed two lights here you know another outlet here, those kind of things may come up that would help the function of the building and you might want to make those changes that would cost extra money on an
engineering change or construction request do you think that is possible currently especially
Speaker 72
23:20
for some of those smaller things there is some contingency built into that I I believe it's currently about 1.5 million to allow and that's within the cost to allow for any of those minor changes without us having to to come back and and request more funds and then any of that any
of those funds that are not used will either be returned or or used for for the the next step of the process and I I also just wanted to point out we did we have requested some of the funds to to enter into the contract with the construction company so that's why this amount is a little bit less than that maximum price because this just this is just the extra amount to get us to that maximum price. but if
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
24:10
you had if you had extra requirements that you ran
into during the construction the way this is written to me you could come back and ask us to use that for additional construction things that you may be missed in the planning process and to me that's totally I mean you're only talking you're talking5% of the total cost of the project for necessary unknown changes that's in your budget to me that's a good that's just good planning so I I think the way it's written that you could use that for unintended changes
that you might run into during the construction. would you agree with that? yes certainly if if if
Speaker 72
24:52
that's something that that comes up obviously we don't want to have to come back to ask for any more money we want to get this done, you know, right on schedule but but like I said without knowing what some of those costs are going to be as we get towards the end of finishing this project we can't make our our best estimates right now what's been my
Speaker 92
25:16
experience you'll run into things that you
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
25:19
could do now that would save us money in the future and we need money available for those
Speaker 96
25:25
kind of changes if that happens. Yes and
Speaker 72
25:29
and certainly with the with the amount of funds that are left available and what we're estimating for for the furniture you know and and that that includes all of you know, office office cubicles things like that for for equipment for moving you know
we've got a lot of specialized equipment that has to be specially moved it has to come and be disassembled moved by a specialty mover and then reassembled at the new facility so we're not quite there yet on estimating what all of those costs are going to be but we hope to be there within probably the next6 months so we have a good picture of what we think the rest of this project is going to cost but we are we are certainly going to be the best stewards of
the state's money that that we can and keep these
Speaker 92
26:19
costs as low as we possibly can. Well it's nice for you to come in under budget thank you
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
26:28
for those answers thank you Senator Love thank you
Mr Chair. So let let me go back so we can we can clar clarify the the construction contract is already in is there a contingency built into that that construction figure there is yes. OK so you already
have what510% contingency built into the contract Yes I think
Speaker 72
26:51
they've gotten it down to about7% now all right so the
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
26:55
so so then for all intents and purposes you shouldn't for the construction part even have to come back to us because there's a contingency already built into the contract is that not correct? we're certainly hoping to not have to that's correct we're
Speaker 72
27:07
hoping that that contingency will take care of any unforeseen issues that may arise OK now the the second part and I think I might have
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
27:18
missed the chair need to come to staff so the 131 million that we're moving out of the restricted to
the agency now as of right now is that in the interest bearing account? is a is a restricted in the interest bearing account? I'm sorry sir I'd have to defer that
Speaker 103
27:39
to the agency for with the properties of that account looks like no no'm talking about the restricted account that
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
27:48
we're moving it from is that is that an interest
William Parrish
Unverified
27:53
bearing account? ' m seeing from Secretaryhudson that it
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
27:55
is so now the account that we're moving it to is that an interest bearing account? I'm
also seeing yes all right then that's that's that's that was the only concern that I had is like are we moving $131 million from an interest bearing account to an interest bearing account or noninterest bearing account right so then then that means how how how long is this construction project?
Speaker 72
28:20
we expect the full construction project to be completed in July of 2027. And so it they began so
Speaker 102
28:27
we're talking about we're around August this year so a two year project that means
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
28:32
$131 million over a two year period of time I know that it does go down as we draw but that's still money that that you all will be accumulating is that not correct? that is correct yes so then that
means that there's another contingency on the money because you all will already have that money when you all have the spending authority that Secretaryhudson can
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
29:01
you come to the table? I think it's gonna be better if you answer these fund account questions versus nodding your head off the record makes me as a chair feel more comfortable anyway Jimhutson
Speaker 108
29:13
secretary DFfa uhsenator it is interest bearing but that interest does not go
back to the agency that's in just a general interest pool and that ends up in the securities reserve account that gets redistributed at the end of the fiscal year along with all the accumulated surplus. OK, so that is that is that doesn't go back
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
29:34
to the agency they just can't spend it no sir OK all right
Speaker 109
29:37
thank you thank you Mrir thank you that was simple. Any further questions on this item? or items seeing none do I
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
29:45
have a motion a motion do pass you know a second
all those in favor say aye all opposed eyes have it members as we move on
to the items for review, staff's going to oh yep go ahead sorry I'm
William Parrish
Unverified
30:05
ahead of the game thank you Mr
Chair. we're in section G. this is an appropriation and or fund transfer request it requires approval. this item is from the department of Transportation. it's a $20 million transfer from the highway transfer fund from interest earnings in the treasurer securities reserve Fund. the Arkansas highway Improvement Plan of 2016 sought50 million that's from
existing fund sources to produce a state match that would draw down all available federal aid proceeds from the securities reserve fund are a component along with state surplus and other sources the act requires approval from ALC to make the transfer to the department. seeing no questions do I have a motion? have a
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
30:45
motion have a second have a secondpresentative ladyman all those in favor say aye all opposed ayes have it now I will give you the explanation of the items of review Mister Parris is going to go
through itemsh through K at the end if you have a question on one of those items you were to specify that at the beginning of your question otherwise we will take those without objection for Mr. Parri, you
William Parrish
Unverified
31:09
recognize. Thank you Mr chairir. we're going to start with sectionh. this is another appropriation and or fund transfer request but requires review. This is a request from the public defender Commission, Commission for parent counsel it's for30,000 to transfer from legal services refunds and reimbursements to an extra helpline item. The letter explains they have a contract attorney who will no longer be
available. they would use the appropriation for that contract to hire extra help and special language allows it after review by Lc The next section is the cash fund appropriation section item I one is a letter from the department of Education division of higherducations for 100,000 in appropriation. This is to make a grant for the Arkansasbased youth mental healthalth core it's supported by a grant from Impact assets Next itemi2 is a letter from Southern Arkansas University's for 9.1 bill in spending authority. This is to make capital improvements to the
football stadium, women's athletics facility and other related projects it's supported by donor fundstaff learned that this request is 80% of the total project the remaining 20% will come from university reserves and a related method of finance will be on the review subcommittee on that agenda this afternoon the next section is section J. These are miscellaneous federal grant appropriation requests the first item number one is a request from the department of healthalth it's for 2.6 million. they have a grant from the CDc
to enhance the state's immunization information system then J2 is a request from Department of Commerce division of workforce Services officef ofkills Development. it's for780,000 appropriation and to establish two positions. They have a grant from the US Department of Labor to expand registered apprenticeship as a workforce development strategy title in class for the two positions will be reviewed in the personnel subcommittee those are all the employees the next section is overtime. this is section K and there's one
request from the department ofublic Safety division of emergency Management for50,000 in overtime appropriation. Theyitete work during severe weather events in March and April for the increased overtime. Mr chair those are all the review items. seeing no questions on any of
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
33:16
those they stand reviewed without objection so we'll move on to the reports members any questions on the reports
Unknown speaker
33:34
CNon we have no other business we stand adjourn
Agenda
A. Call to Order
Items for Approval
B. Various Temporary Appropriation Requests
C. CARES Act Appropriation Request
D. American Rescue Plan Act Appropriation Request
E. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Appropriation Request
F. Restricted Reserve Fund Transfer Requests
G. Appropriation and/or Fund Transfer Request
Items for Review
H. Appropriation and/or Fund Transfer Request
I. Cash Fund Appropriation Requests
J. Miscellaneous Federal Grant Appropriation Requests
K. Overtime Appropriation Request
Reports
L. Annual Report
M. Quarterly Report
N. Monthly Reports
O. Other Business
P. Adjournment
Documents
Speakers
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
William Parrish
Unverified
Senator Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
Speaker 45
Speaker 53
Speaker 56
Speaker 31
Speaker 71
Speaker 72
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
Speaker 77
Speaker 80
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
Speaker 89
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
Speaker 92
Speaker 96
Speaker 103
Speaker 102
Speaker 108
Speaker 109