House Convenes

And by the member staff press and guests in the galleries to stand me led in prayer by the house chaplain Dr rex Horne retired pastor Emmanuel Baptist church in Little Rock and remain standing for the pledge of allegiance to be led by representative Lane Jean. Let's pray. Father we pray for wisdom today and we thank you for the beauty of this day in this season and our state. But we need wisdom and living our lives on the one hand we know that this is the day the lord has made will rejoice and be glad in it. And we read in other places that we are to redeem the time because the days are evil. Lord help us to realize that each day has potential has promise. Often times some challenges some difficulty but but you're with us particularly for these women and men and Bob the noble work for the citizens of Arkansas bless these servant leaders bless their families and give us balance in our thinking and understanding of your ways in Jesus name amen. Members please indicate your presence by pushing yellow present button prepared machine Mr Clerk. Cast about Mr Clark. With one hundred members present the chair sees a quorum. Represent Fredrick Love moves we dispense the reading the previous day's Journal without objection so ordered are there Reports from select committees read reports Mister Clark Mister Speaker we are committee on public retirement to whom was referred house bill twelve seventy five house bill thirteen twenty five beg leave to report we've had the same under consideration here with the terms and the recognition do pass respectfully submitted Les Warren chair Mister Speaker we are committee on public retirement to whom was referred house bill twelve ninety nine and house bill thirteen forty three beg leave to report we find the same consideration here with the terms and the recognition do pass as amended number one respectfully submitted Westmore Les Warren share. Are the Reports from standing committees read reports Mister Clark Mister Speaker we are committee on insurance and commerce to whom was referred house bill thirteen fifty seven house bill sixty no one is that Senate bill two ninety beg leave to report we've had the same under consideration here with the terms and recognition do pass respectfully submitted Mark Lowery chair. There any unfinished business are there any Executive communications read the letter from the governor restrict. March fifteenth twenty twenty one to the Speaker of the house do Mr Speaker this is to inform you that on March fifteenth twenty twenty one I reviewed and approved the following measures from the regular session the ninety third General Assembly. House Bill thirteen thirty one ACT three thirty nine house bill thirteen seventeens ACT three forty house bill twelve fifty six ACT three forty one house bill thirty fifty threes like three forty two house bill twelve twenty six ACT three forty three house bill twelve oh five at three forty four house bill eleven fifty five at three forty five house bill eleven thirty seven ACT three forty six house bill ten oh eight ACT three forty seven house bill twelve fifty nine ACT three eight eight forty eight house bill eleven seventy five ACT three forty nine house bill eleven thirteen is at three fifty house bill eleven ten House Bill fifteen oh six ACT three fifty one house of forty ninety six ACT three fifty two house bill fourteen eighty eight ACT three fifty three House of fourteen seventy two was at three fifty four House Bill fourteen sixty two ACT three seven three fifty five house bill fourteen fifty five at three fifty six house bill fourteen fifties ACT three fifty seven house bill fourteen oh eight ACT three fifty eight house bill twelve fifty one. That three fifty nine house bill twelve twenty four ACT three sixty house bill twelve teams like three sixty one house bill twelve and I was like three sixty two house bill ten twenty seven ACT three sixty three house bill fourteen seventy one is that three sixty four. House bill three forty eight ACT three sixty five house bill thirteen forty seven ACT three sixty six house bill twelve thirty eight ACT three sixty seven helpful Fortino nine is at three sixty eight helpful Fortino seven is at three sixty nine house bill thirteen forty six Zacks three seventy house bill twelve four forty two was at three seventy one house bill twelve fourteen is like three seventy two house bill twelve forty one ACT three seventy three sincerely Asa Hutchinson. Representative Charlene Fite moved that we place Senate bill sixty one back on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number one Mr Clark a member number one Senate bill sixty one representative fight you're recognized to explain amendment one thank you madam Speaker this amendment adds me is how sponsor thank you. Would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment representative fight is close for the amendment. The question before the House is the is that the passage of amendment one to Senate bill sixty one all in favor say aye. Opposed nay. The ayes have it. Representative Robin Lundstrum moved that we place Senate bill one fifty nine back on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read amendment one Mr Clark Amendment ever want to Senate bill one fifty nine. Okay. Representative Lundstrum you're recognized to explain amendment one. This was just to add me as a sponsor thank you. Representive Lundstrum has explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment for the amendment. Representative Lundstrum is closed for the amendment the question before the House is the adoption of amendment one to Senate bill one fifty nine all in favor say aye. Opposed nay. The ayes have it. The morning hour has ended. Representative Wardlaw recommends that we can current Senate amendment one to House Bill eleven fifteen Mr Clark please read Senate Amendment one Senate Amendment over one to House Bill Levin fifteen. Representive Wardlaw you're recognized to explain the amendment minutes no more what I explained on house floor that they would run a bill present a good vote. Representive Wardlaw has explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment. Representative Wardlaw is closed for the amendment the question before the House is the passage of Senate amendment one to House Bill eleven fifteen prepare the machine Mr Clerk. Has everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot Mr Clark. With ninety two U. A. zero nine zero present amendment one to House Bill eleven fifteen has passed. Representative Lowery recommends that we concurring Senate Amendment number one to House Bill twelve thirty nine Mr Clark please read Senate Amendment number one Senate Amendment were one to House Bill twelve thirty nine. Senator flowers you're recognized to present the amendment thank you very much this is a an amendment to add Senator Pitsch is the lead sponsor and Senator Hendren as the co sponsor on the bill. Representatives Lowery has explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against it. Would anyone like to speak for it. The question before the House is concurrence with Amendment number one to House Bill twelve thirty nine prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot Mr Clark. With ninety five Yeas zero nays and zero present we have concurred in Senate amendment one to House Bill twelve thirty nine. Mr Clark please read house bill eleven sixty two. House bill eleven sixty two by representative Maddox to amend the law concerning the fit beneficiary deeds and to prohibit the recovery of benefits against an interest acquired from a deceased recipient by a guarantee of beneficiary deed in certain circumstances. Representive Maddox you're recognized to present your bill. Thank you madam Speaker colleagues. So this is a fairly complex bill but today I will do my best to explain it in two thousand five Arkansas created what's called a beneficiary the beneficiary deed is an excellent estate planning tool that allows you to avoid probate and it also is revoke herbal up until the grant towards death so that's a very good tool however it is subject to federal and state claims for reimbursement. This bill merely strikes that language. One the most common concerns I hear in my in my practice is people saying I'm scared I'm gonna lose my home to the nursing home you've probably heard people say that it is a valid concern because the fear is if you don't have the liquid assets to pay for the nursing home care which in my district six thousand dollars per month which is probably less than a lot of places where you guys live if you don't have that money then Medicaid can make a claim against your home so this is going to fix that problem. There are other options now that are available for Kansans but these options are not. Doable for most R. Kansas because they are very expensive and they require intricate and very expensive and difficult estate planning. This inequity has always bothered me so proximately year ago I began working with B. L. are doing research on other states not found the other states have created a remedy for this issue Texas Florida Arizona other states have a remedy Texas has what's called the T. O. DD or transfer on death deed Florida has what's called a lady bird deed which I just found that interesting so I had two major concerns when I began working on this bill one was that we comply with federal law and the second was what with the revenue impact B. for DHS if we passed. I want to be clear this bill does not violate the federal Medicaid estate recovery act is in compliance with that which I would be here presenting this if it was not into the fiscal impact to date yes is minimal I do wanna thank DHS for working with me close in on this for the past year they are not in opposition to this bill so I'm very thankful for that. The more of research this and the more I thought about it Collins the more frustrated I become in that. We have scared our Kansans for years and the thinking that they could lose their house to the nursing home as they say If they have to go into the nursing home and I don't have the liquid assets to pay for their care so this bill fixes that issue for our constituents. What I found in my practice. Is that this is force many are Kansans to make horrible estate planning decisions like dating their home to their children. Which is a bad idea but they want to do it because they're so afraid of going into a nursing home and losing their home I can tell you what about I did to deter. House you're just to chill number will do that some other time so I am certain. That are constituents in the vast majority of our cans and will be very happy to know that we create a pathway for them to protect their home in case they have that health care emergency they have that stroke they have that issue and we as a state we is DHS do not come in to make a claim against their home I want to be clear there is already a pathway for the a fluent in Arkansas to do this this is merely creating a pathway for those whose main asset is their home so again I know it's complex. So I should probably leave the well but I. see someone standing. Representative Eubanks for what purpose. Question you're recognized. Representative Maddox I understand what you're trying to do It's you're going to shield the assets of the individual from being responsible for paying for their long term care but it's also gonna be pushing that cost off to this the state and Isn't there something where if one if it the couples had the home if one went in the nursing home they would not be forced to sell the home or with would they even be forced to Lose it even if only one of them was in a nursing home. Two great questions there thank you for those questions I appreciate that so to answer the last one first yes if one person goes into the nursing home and the spouse stays they do not automatically lose that home you're right about that. Red would be protected for the surviving or the remaining. Spouse yes Sir will be protected as long as the remaining spouse. As long as the the sea is one of the persons in the nursing home passed away first it would be protected. And then to answer your second question your first question you know that's the great argument against this bill and I freely acknowledge it but what I want to make clear is when I talk to DHS there is no revenue impact to DHS so they're not collecting enough money to even justify the Medicaid estate recovery on the home so the policy of scaring people into thinking they're gonna lose their home when we're not collecting any money I think is bad policy. Again other state to carve this out it's not for the wealthy it's for frankly. Probably ninety percent of Arkansas I think it's a great estate planning tool for those folks I'll be glad to take any other questions. Representative brown for what purpose question you're recognized. I wish I had talked to you before I don't really understand the bill but I know that a lot of people do what's called spin down for Medicaid and hide assets so that then someone who a person of means ends up being taken care of in the nursing home at state expense so how do we justify removing this asset when we are all supposed to be accountable for sales of possible but again that's another great question it's real similar to represent of Eubanks question again I want to I want to be clear there's a there's a huge industry out there called elder law and Medicaid planning and those people with assets can do this and get the care this is only going to help those people who frankly can't afford an irrevocable trust and can afford all those things that are required to do what you're talking about yes there is a huge industry in that what this would create in my opinion it was level the playing field for people who can't afford an attorney or can't afford that type of legal assistance and it would allow them to shield basically only their home. Representative Eubanks for what purpose Jan you're recognized. You said this wasn't for the wealthy but the supplies everyone right well yes and no so yes it applies to everyone but there's a top wine under the federal your total assets are six hundred and three thousand dollars in all of your assets before you can be Medicaid eligible period so yes that's a lot of money. But that is not. For the extremely wealthy I don't know what we call extremely wealthy but again this is mainly going to protect the home I will say that the federal government is moving this way West Virginia is also passed the statute Frankly I I just think it's really good policy I think for us to come in. Because someone had a health care emergency and take the House from the beneficiaries when we're not making any money on it we're not recovering any money I think that's I think that's really bad policy. They know other questions solid the well. Okay representative Maddox is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Representative Maddox is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill eleven sixty two a prepare the machine Mr Clerk. Has everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot Mr Clark. With eighty seven Yeas four Nays and five present the bill has passed. Let's pass over house bill eleven or fifteen sixty one just for a moment Mr Clark please read house bill fifteen fifty. House Bill fifteen fifty by representative Dalby concerning the salaries of District Court judges and personnel for certain District Court and to repeal obsolete language representive Eads you're recognized to present the bill. Thank you madam Speaker members this is a bill we run every session as it relates to the salaries of the District Court all the parties are in agreement with that I'd appreciate a good vote. Representive eve says explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Or the bill. Representive ease is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen fifty prepare the machine Mr Clerk. Has everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot Mr Clark. With ninety four yeas to nays and zero present the bill has passed Mr Clark please read house bill fifteen eighty nine. House bill fifty ninety nine by representative Brad to prohibit taxpayer resource transactions for abortions. Representative ro you are recognized to present your bill. Thank you. Of members this is H. B. fifteen eighty nine serve pro life bill that prevents any government entity from providing anything of value to an abortion provider. This would include tax dollars and other taxpayer resources. I appreciate a good vote. Representative ro has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Representative flowers you're recognized to speak against the bill. Colleagues. This body just voted to outlaw. Abortions. Except for the life of the mother already. This bill is due process not on not only in that way but also. We can not already we cannot spend government dollars. With the exception. A very important emergencies. In my time here as a legislator and even prior to that. I only know of one occasion. Where any government funding was spent. To assist in an abortion in that was in the case of a child. Who had been rate. That is the only instance. Voting for this bill. Would prohibit us from take hearing care of children who are wards of the state. When counter rape or incest. What we did last week as a body. And granted I did not vote for that bill. Provided those in this chamber who are interested. And overturning abortion that's already done. But please don't do this please vote no thank you. Representative flowers has spoken against the bill would anyone like to speak for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill. Representative bro would you like to representative pro is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen eighty nine prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot Mr Clark. With seventy four yeas nineteen nays and zero present the bill has passed Mr Clark please read house bill fifteen forty eight House Bill fifteen forty eight by representative Penzo to create the personal care Medicaid reimbursement act and to ensure an appropriate reimbursement rate for personal care services in the Arkansas Medicaid program representative Penzo you are recognized to present your bill. Thank you Mr Speaker House Bill fifteen forty eight is intended to accomplish two things for personal care services first it is intended to address the differences and patient rate and payment rates between personal care attendant care and respite care services. These services are essentially the same in other words a person comes into the home to provide non skilled assistance to a apply currently the services are paid at different rates. Even though they are simply the same service this bill will bring the payment rate into parity with the personal care right is important to know that DHS has been working on this as part of ARChoices waiver and this bill would simply codify this process second it would protect the industry against potential change in the minimum wage by triggering a rate review study only if a new minimum wages higher than existing Arkansas minimum wage. DHS provided language on. Timing of the rate review and we have inserted language that would make the rate retroactive but only to the extent allowed by federal law. The minimum wage section is important for the industry because the ongoing discussion in Washington about a potential change in the federal minimum wage enclosing this bill brings parity to personal care attendant care and respite care rates and provides a mechanism for new rate review if and only if the minimum wage goes above current Arkansas minimum wage we worked with DHS on this language and I believe we have incorporated the majority of their changes to make the bill acceptable to them appreciate a good vote. Representative Penzo has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against it. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represented representative Penzo is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen forty eight prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot Mr Clark. With ninety four U. A. zero nine zero present the bill has passed Mr Clark please read house bill sixteen seventy four house bill sixteen seventy four by representative Wardlaw to authorize the issuance of a special permit by the State Highway Commission to transport forestry equipment representive Wardlaw you're recognized explain your bill thank you madam Speaker. So this is not the ninety thousand pound bill I just want everybody to know this is not in it's a hundred four thousand. It really is of. So. What this bill does it allows them to will to carry a hundred four thousand pounds in their equipment so what's happened over the last years is Quitman gotten bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger and we gave them a with exemption thirty five years ago long time ago and they've never had to wait exemption to go with it so what this bill does it does not give them an exemption but gives an inability to file for yearly permit for a fee. And that yearly permit will give them those those exemptions to a hundred four thousand. In the rules of this bill the highway department was set up the bridge laws and the routes in which this equipment can be Hall so it's not going to go across every bridge you go through it will be highlighted out where the low weight bridges are so with that I'd be happy to answer any questions and present a good vote. Thank you. Representative Wardlaw has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Wardlaw is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen seventy four prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot Mr Clark. With ninety five Yeas zero nay in one present the bill has passed. Mr Clark please read house bill sixteen fifty seven House Bill sixteen fifty seven by representative Christians and to designate the official steam locomotive of the State of Arkansas. Representative Christiansen you are recognized to present your bill. Thank you madam chair. Ladies and gentleman very seldom do we have an opportunity where we can recognize the passage of history. And an enduring icon of that passage of history that is in the present day. This act seeks to designate the title of official steam locomotive of the State of Arkansas. To the cotton belt four eight for more than eight nineteen that currently exists in Jefferson County in pine bluff Arkansas. It's a native daughter of this state. Born on the track she sits on right now in pine bluff. Nineteen forty three the eight nineteen was a war baby and I use the feminine vernacular because oftentimes history talks about how will issue steam and today right here heard whistle coming around the bend or things like that in traditional role rotors of looked at steam engines a little bit because they were graceful ways they were living breathing things in their minds. St Louis southwestern number eight nineteen was the last steam locomotive produced but it was in the state of Arkansas it was built in the locomotive shop owned by the St Louis south western railway affectionately known as the cotton mill road in pine bluff and placed in service on February eighth of nineteen forty three. During its twelve consecutive years of service to travel more than eight hundred four thousand miles before being replaced by more modern steam engines during that history it served our troops during two wars both live or two in Korea it haul the mechanisms of war and all the goods of war and if all the soldiers of war and brought them home to peace. July nineteenth nineteen fifty five cotton a bill president Herald mackenzie retired eight nineteen and presented that retired engine to the city of pine bluff. Prime love proudly displayed in Oakland park they built a canopy over fenced it did all kinds of things but vandalism as is want for static examples took its toll. In nineteen eighty three a group of folks who had originally built that locomotive in the final of shops forty years earlier. All that out of Oakland Oakland park rebuilt it and put it back on the rails in operation. Today it is in a state of semi this repair because it's twenty part four it's mandated federal reviewing an inspection according to the border laws so it ran out of it service time and it has to be rebuilt it's in the process it's home is now in the Arkansas River museum which is the place of its locomotive birth. If you don't know the cotton belt and road in history in Arkansas cotton built like the Missouri Pacific Kansas city southern another's advanced Arkansas in the world of transportation but the cotton built in particular had the nation's fastest freight train for many decades known as the blue streaks fast freight and the engine eight nineteen is truly part of that legendary tradition of excellence. So I'm asking this body to come together as a whole and let's conferred the title on this beautiful lady. Of the official state steam locomotive of the State of Arkansas West Virginia Pennsylvania Kentucky and other states have done so in the done so with the pride in what their people built and how the roads move this state forward. Do I have any questions. Seeing none I would ask for a good and complete vote from this house thank you. Representative Christiansen has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Christiansen is closed for the bill the passage before the House is the. The question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen fifty seven prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot Mr Clark. With ninety four Yeas one day and zero present the bill has passed. Mr Clark please read house bill fifteen forty. House Bill fifteen forty by representative Cozart to amend timely requirements concerning the election of school board members and school districts that have ten percent or greater minority population to declare an emergency representative Cozart you are recognized to present your bill. Thank you madam Speaker. Ladies and gentleman here to present a bill is covering the school board association but it's a. It's actually concerning school board elections so this bill is to clean up three issues dealing with the dates around in the post census redistricting do the legislation passed in previous legislative sessions first this bill in lines the timeline for the publication of the new zone so that publication must occur before the candidate's signature period circulation period opens this this used to be thirty days but was changed to ninety days two thousand nineteen secondly this bill changes the deadline for district four district newly determined to have ten percent minority population to pose to publish the resolution announcing the number of zones the district intends to transition to it sets it all at a hundred twenty days so that would be so that would be before they finalize the new zones the thirdly this bill clarifies that the redistricting must be complete by the annual school board election held on the second year after the census as currently written it could be read that the districts who opted for the fall election would have to finalize a redistricting for the selection as a second language second annual election after redistricting for those districts since the census and before last fall's year so that's best I know about it. Entertain a question if I can but not appreciate a good vote thank you. Representative Cozart has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative close art Cozart is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen forty prepare the machine Mr Clerk. You are voting on the bill if and the emergency clause. As everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast of the ballot Mr Clark. With ninety four U. A. zero nine eight zero present the bill has passed Mr an emergency clause. Mr Clark please read house bill fifteen forty one. House Bill fifteen forty one by representative Cozart to amend the conditions under which a local contribution rate for public school employees health insurance shall increase. Representive Cozart you're recognized to present your bill. Thank you madam Speaker I have been called a whole lot worse. Ladies and gentleman this is a bill that is an act concerning local can contribute thanks contribution rate of a school district for the public school employee health insurance program and to amend and if you read it the main thing is been added to this is an increase the base salary for a loss and personnel will. A minimum of a bachelor's degree the the old legislation was open to more than one interpretation on this so they were just trying to clarify that that's bachelor's degree is the starting percentage rate in the net percentage rate moves on up to the next levels so Try to answer questions if not appreciate a good vote thank you. Representive Cozart has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Cozart is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen forty one prepare the machine Mr Clerk. Has everyone voted. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot Mr Clark. With ninety seven yeah zero day and zero present the bill has passed. Representative Dan Vaught moved that we place house bill fifteen forty three back on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number one Mr Clark a member number one to House Bill fifteen forty three. Representive alright you are recognized to present your amendment. Thank you madam chair of this committee I mean at this bill passed out of committee with me going to put in some non codified language we thought it might be faster if I just send it back to our community get it addressed in there before we voted off this floor and send it to the other end so it's my amendment my bill and I appreciate a good vote. Representative ought has explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment. Representative bodies close for the amendment the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen forty three all in favor say aye. Opposed nay. Represented representative Vaught has passed house amendment number one to House Bill fifteen forty three. Mr Clark please read house bill fourteen eighty seven House Bill fourteen eighty seven by representative Gonzales concerning business liability for a person exposed COVID nineteen and to declare an emergency representative Gonzales you're recognized to present your bill the manager colleagues this is the business liability codifying one of the. Last executive orders that the I'll being doing or that I'll be in front of your runs. I'll take any questions. Then nine percent good vote. Representative Gonzales has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Gonzalez is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fourteen eighty seven prepare the machine Mr Clerk. You are voting on the bill and the emergency clause. Has everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast up the ballot Mr Clark. We seventy ninety days eleven days and four present the bill and the emergency clause have passed. Mr Clark please read house bill fifteen eleven House Bill fifteen eleven by representative Wardlaw concerning victim impact panel attendance required for persons who commit alcohol related offenses. President Wardlaw you're recognized explain the bill thank you Mr this is governor Lee be complicated. So years ago this was set up and we contracted with a group called of mad moms against drunk driving they came in and they were putting this class on but they were charging individuals coming to class sixty five dollars when a state learned of this and addressed the mad executives about the charge they pulled out left Arkansas which is about the time code hit last year we were left with about seven hundred people that had to have this class with no class to give them. When we look at the cost of the class the cost us right at forty dollars to minister to class which is a reduction of twenty five dollars from what people were paid prior to the state taken back over this class. What the law said ten dollars so we could administer to classes and have enough money. So DHS with conjunction with the drugs are have been offered to class but they've been taking money from of the funds to pay for this again I'm back in line assured up to offers of the VIP program to convicted drunk drivers for price that is exactly what it cost there be no money made with this and it'll take care of those court ordered programs and it's actually a reduction. To what people are actually paying prior to COVID and which was sixty five dollars so with that I'd be happy to take any questions. Ferguson Gonzales for what purpose question you're recognized was anyone fine for violating state law and charging more than what was in the law for the class no Sir to my knowledge they just picked up and left the state thank you. A good vote. President Wardlaw explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent Wardlaw is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen eleven prepared machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark by a vote of ninety three yeas or nays and zero present the bill is passed. Sir Clark please read house bill fourteen seventy. House Bill fourteen seventy by representative Scott concerning solitary confinement a restrictive housing for pregnant or recently pregnant inmates or detainees in the Division of course correction in a local or regional detention facility or any juvenile detention facility. Scott you're recognized explain the bill thank you Mr Speaker colleagues representative Bill Clinton and I have been working on this bill since December and I hope I pronounced his name right from the well this bill amends the law to prohibit solitary confinement in our juvenile detention facilities and restrictive housing in our correctional and detention facilities for individuals who are pregnant breastfeeding have given birth within the past thirty days are suffering from post partum depression or caring for a child currently the law restricts solitary confinement for juveniles with the exception of circumstances in which an individual possesses a direct threat to the safety of a person a clear threat to the safety and secure operation of the facility or wrist escaping attempts to escape a facility House Bill fourteen seventy we consider these factors as well as the health and safety of the child born or unborn in determining whether the mothers are subject to solitary confinement or restrictive housing evidence shows that pregnant prisoners in solitary confinement have less access to prenatal health services. I because of the lack of access to health services in Arkansas we're rated we're ranked fourth in maternal mortality rate in the third highest in infant mortality rate this bill is largely largely about codifying best practices in Arkansas department of correction and expanding protections for our Cuban House house bill fourteen seventy as agreed upon language between the Arkansas department of health the Arkansas department of corrections DYS in the governor's office we have a broad coalition of support for Americans for prosperity into crosser eight there is no known opposition to this bill and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. See no questions I appreciate a good vote. Represent Scott is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent Scott is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fourteen seventy prepared machine Mr Clerk. Everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark by a vote of ninety five Yeas zero nine zero present the bill is passed members we're gonna go back up to House Bill fifteen sixty one. Mr Clark please read house bill fifteen sixty one. House Bill fifteen sixty one by representative Gazaway concerning the definition of target group as it applies to community correction. President Gazaway you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues this bill isn't agreed upon bill compromise if you will between the Arkansas judicial council the Arkansas prosecuting attorneys association and the division of corrections basically what the bill does it defines a target group of offenses that if a person is convicted for one of these target offenses their eligible for transfer from the department of corrections in other words ATC facilities like you might think of brick use or the more punishment geared facilities to the department of community correction facilities and those are typically the facilities referred to as like a regional correctional facility they're a little less low security they're more focused on rehabilitation and less focused on punishment and so this bills simply defines those group of offenses and again it this is a a compromise between the Arkansas prosecuting attorneys association the judicial council and the department of corrections we try to do this bill last year but the groups can get together and agree upon the language that agreed upon the language this year and I'm happy to answer any questions. C. nine appreciate a good vote thank you. Represent gas was explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. President Gazaway is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen sixty one per machine Mr Clerk. Has everyone voted. That has everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark by a vote of ninety four yeas one day zero present the bill is passed. Mr Clark please read house bill fifteen eighty six. House bill fifteen eighty six No representative Gazaway concerning the offense of video voyeurism. Gazaway you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues this is another bill that comes to us from the Arkansas prosecuting attorneys association this bill seeks to fill a gap in the law that existed previously under video voyeurism law. Usually that statute said that it's unlawful to use a video camera to do certain things and one of those was to observe you photograph film or videotape someone who's not I'm sorry observe someone who's not consented to that observing and there is a case of the Fayetteville area where a person said they consented to the observing but they did not consent to being videotaped OR films which is apparently what happened in this particular instance and so to make sure that that is also covered that a person doesn't consent to the videotaping or the filming that that's also covered under video voyeurism law and so I'm happy to answer any questions. Saying not appreciate a good vote thank you president gas was explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent Gazaway is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen eighty six per machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. By a vote of ninety two yeah zero nine one present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read house bill fifteen eighty seven House Bill fifteen eighty seven representative Gazaway concerning habitual offenders and requiring a person convicted as I have individual offender to serve a period of time in prison. Ferguson Gazaway you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker this bill closes the loophole in our official offender statute currently under the law if you are charged as a habitual offender and there are a couple ways you can be charged depending on the number of felonies that you have there's what they call the little habit you'll offender statute that applies if you have three or more felonies and then there's what they call the big conventional offender statute if you have four more felonies and so this amends both of those to say that. Only to clarify I think what was just an oversight that allowed for a person who was charged and sentenced as a habitual offender to possibly just be sentenced to a fine not only. And when you look at what the law says that's really kind of an an absurdity because the law doesn't allow a person who is convicted as a habitual offender to be sentenced to probation the current law does not allow a person who is convicted as a habitual offender to be sentenced to a suspended sentence which is like unsupervised probation but the but the way the law was written technically there were people who said that the law could be used to give a the habitual offender a fine only and again that doesn't make sense when you look at it within the big picture which is if you can't get on probation if you can't give them suspended sentence it doesn't make sense that you could just give him a fine the original Legislative intent of the habitual offender statute was that if you have committed multiple felonies and you're just the kind of person who's going to just continue to break the law for more felonies then you ought to do prison time and so this closes that loophole from being able to Senate someone who's a habitual offender to a fine only. Which happens very rarely by the way the defense attorney who testified in the committee said in this forty four year career he seen it twice so it happens very rarely but it does close that loophole I'm happy to answer any questions. Hodges for what purpose. Question. A vigil that just a bit I should probably should know this a **** offender I mean how many how many. The offenses they have to have one of two more more than one or the third number so my understanding of it is. Two. More than two I believe for the little habitual offender statute to apply what they call and then more than four for the for the bigger habitual offender statute which carries more severe penalties on both of those what it does is it simply increases the range of punishment if you're and and let me clarify that in order to be found guilty as a vigil offender number one you have to be charged as a habitual offender which requires some specific language to be put in the original charging document or the information and then that there has to be the proof that exist of those previous offenses and then there has to be a determination that you are in fact habitual offender before you're going to be sentenced under the statutes anyway. Follow. A problem should go together with for this nasty questions I'm sorry so if I the what is their times time span in between set by the end in twenty twenty one and I don't offend again until twenty thirty. is there a time span in between them it has to have that add up right. That's a good question and it was something was brought out in committee and again this is just amending an existing statute on habitual offenders but the way the original offender statute currently reads there does not have to be a time limitation between the offenses so it could have happened twenty years ago but it still counts for purposes of the visual offender statute I will say that prosecutorial discretion comes in there I mean clearly if someone someone's only felonies were twenty or thirty years ago it's probably unlikely that prosecutors going to pursue them as a habitual offender not saying that it it would be impossible for him to but I think most of the prosecutors in my experience unless they did something really bad that would not be something that I would I would pursue. Singapore the questions appreciate a good vote thank you represent gas was explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Ferguson Gazaway is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill fifteen eighty seven prepared machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark. By a vote of eighty four yeas five nays and one present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read house bill sixteen forty five. House bill sixteen forty five by representative Dalby to adopt the uniform civil remedies for unauthorized disclosure of inmate images ACT president Dalby you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker this bill simply allows for simple civil damages action when someone discloses intimate images of a person without that person's permission. All the bill does I'll be happy to take any questions. Seeing none I'd appreciate a good vote president always explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. President Dalby is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen forty five prepared machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark by a vote of ninety five Yeas zero nine zero present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read house bill sixteen twenty two House Bill sixteen twenty two by representative great concerning the authority of the Attorney General to comply with federal regulations. President great you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker so this bill was brought to be my box brought to me by the Medicaid fraud control unit I've actually got to the to write a rope and in Arkansas the Medicaid fraud control unit is department of the attorney general's office since the mid nineteen seventies they have investigated prosecuted Medicaid provider fraud as well as patient abuse and neglect and facility certified under title nineteen of the Social Security Act federal law has expanded to permit them to investigate abuse neglect and exploitation in Bordeaux board and care facilities and abuse neglect and exploitation of patients who are receiving medical assistance under the state plan under this title in a non institutional or other setting so the bill does two things it conforms the authority of the Medicaid fraud control unit to investigate abuse neglect and exploitation. And and then it defines board and care facilities under Arkansas law in a manner that is consistent with federal laws and regulations governing the unit the bill does not create any new crime or criminalize any conduct that is not already a crime. I'll be glad to take any questions. C. nine I'd appreciate a good vote thank you represent graves explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. President grace close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill sixteen twenty two per machine Mr. As everyone voted. Everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark five of ninety three a zero days zero present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read house bill sixteen twenty three House Bill sixteen twenty three by representative gray to provide the Attorney General notice and the opportunity to intervene in any K. we timed lawsuits involving state funds brought under the federal false claims act. Great you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. So this bill does two things it's for the Medicaid fraud control unit as well it requires the Arkansas Attorney General to be given notice of all federal false claims suits involving Arkansas Medicaid claims or funds it gives the Attorney General the opportunity to intervene in cases where it is in the in the best interests of the state to do so what this bill does not Dave it does not create a cause of action or right to file any lawsuits that cannot already be filed in it does not create or expand any penalty or civil liability that does not exist under current law. Be glad to take any questions. Seeing none I'd appreciate a good vote thank you. Percent grades experts explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill represent gray is close for the bill the question before the House is a pastor house bill sixteen twenty three per machine Mr Clerk. Everyone voted. Everyone voted cast about Mr Clark. By a vote of ninety eight zero nine zero present the bill is passed members before we go to the budget calendar I would want to recognize that our troopers this week our trooper Justin Starnes of true Baffin Warren and trooper Maria Duarte of troop L. in Lowell. Amended budget calendar represent Jean moved to replace house bill ten seventy one on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read a member number one Mr Clark and then the number one to House Bill ten seventy one ingenieur recognized explain the amend. Thank you Mr Speaker what this does is of reduces for positions of the proper transformation Division information the I. S. budget. Yes the special languages it takes way for positions any questions. R. J. good vote on the amendment. President Jean is explain the amendment would you would like to speak against the amendment. We would like to speak for the amendment represent Jean is close for the amendment the question before the House is the adoption of member number one to House Bill ten seventy one all in favor say aye. He opposed. The amendments adopted representative Jeanne moos we place house bill ten eighty three on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection remember number one Mr Clark a member number one to House Bill tend eighty three. President Jean you're recognized explain the amendment language Speaker ten eighty three this apartment Social Security Administration this adds twenty positions of and this is all federal funds and also adds two hundred fifty positions of for the pool personal security of Division what we do we we take care of multiple state here the state of Arkansas once again this has no impact on state federal funds any questions. Create a good vote on the amendment. Represent Jean has explained the amendment would you would like to speak against the amendment. Would anyone like to speak for the amendment. Represent Jean is closed for the amendment the question before the House is the adoption of amendment number one to House Bill teen eighty three all in favor say aye. He opposed the amendments adopted. Representative Jean moved that we place house bill ten eighty six on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number two Mr Clark Amendment over to the house bill ten eighty six. In January I cannot explain the amendment thank you Mr Speaker member to the House ten eighty six partner Human Services this delete seven positions transfers five over to the department of disabilities and eliminates too many questions. Is governed govern letter five. Richard good vote on the amendment. Represent Jean as explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment. Represent Jean is close for the amendment. All those in favor adopting minute say aye. Opposed nay. Amendments adopted. Representative Jeanne moos we place house bill ten eighty nine on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number one Mr Clark Amendment over one to House Bill ten eighty nine represent gene you're recognized explain the amendment. I miss Baker of this is the mental ten eighty nine apartment. Of disabilities this ad for positions that we just took away from the bill Pryor the dented can be transferred to over there too Department disabilities any questions on the amendment. A good vote. Representative Janice explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment representative gene is close for the amendment question before the House is the passage of amendment number one to bill ten house bill ten eighty nine all in favor say aye. Opposed nay min was adopted. Represent Jean moved that we place house bill ten eleven oh six on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number one Mr Clark Amendment number one to House Bill eleven oh six representative gene recognized explained Amendment. House bill eleven OO six of do you have an eight is this what this does is takes the Wait a minute let me see here. Partminer justice fund the of. A resident of all Dalby had a Amendment that fund this out of the department of justice fund it goes ahead and puts the the constitutional officer fund which it should be to begin with no additional money it just frees up money off the department of justice fund any questions on the amendment. R. J. good vote. Representative Janice explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment Rep representative gene is close for the amendment question before the House is the adoption of amendment number one to House Bill eleven oh six all in favor say aye. Those may amendments adopted. Representative Jean moved that we place house bill eleven eighty one on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number two Mr Clark Amendment number two to House Bill Levin eighty one. Senator Jane recognize explained Amendment. Mental house bill eleven eighty one department of health this adds to a program specialist positions a great G. S. O. six and about seventy two thousand and Sarah reason twenty thousand and match of this is for suicide prevention for veterans this brought before senator Gardner's amendment any questions on the amendment. A good vote. Representative Janice explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment representative gene is close for the The Amendment. Question before the House is the adoption of amendment number two to House Bill Levin eighty one all in favor say aye. Those may amendments adopted. Representative Jean moved that we place house bill eleven eighty two on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number one Mr Clark amended number one to House Bill Levin eighty two representative gene you're recognized explained the amendment member want house bill let me to the state land commissioner for some reason he didn't have his cost of living the one percent ready for the fall budget hearings this just adds it to it like everybody else at any questions on the amendment. Richard good vote. Representative Jane has explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment representative gene is close for the amendment to question before the House is the adoption of amendment number one to House Bill Levin eighty two all in favor say aye. Opposed nay amendments adopted. Representative Jean moved that we place house bill eleven eighty seven on second reading for the purpose of amendment without inspection read Amendment number two Mister Clark Amendment over to the house bill eleven eighty seven representative Jane you're recognized explained the amendment. Secretary of state house bill eleven eighty seven this is the Wardlaw amendment that make sure that they give shot all the gift shop always stays the state capitol any questions. Representative makes for what purpose question please you're recognized for a question how can you give a little background on this or it may be represented by law firm reviewed Wardlaw can come down and answered questions. Representative gene as explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment representative Wardlaw you're recognized to speak for the amendment. We started the session there is couple rumors that they were going to move this cross road to victory building when our schools common are constituents come to the capitol we on the right to be able to go to the gift shop in the capital and not to go across the street so that was the reason for the amendment I'll be happy to take any questions. Represent makes for what purpose question place you're recognized for a question so I have a question in a concern I I don't disagree with you I like the idea of it being located here within the main capitol building my first question is are we crossing a constitutional boundary here because we're telling a member of the executive branch where and and you know secretary states is responsible for the capital on the where to put the gift shop and then my second concern is if we want to make sure it stays permanently here in the capital why do and special language because you know special languages a one year deal. Versus putting it into a substantive bill. You are saying answer that is no because we dictate the expenditure of all funds the legislature so it takes funds to keep the gift shop open so we get to tell and how those funds can be spent so the first question is noticing a question is special language the perfect place to put this because we elected new secretary of state we we may not need this because the different people you elect in that office have different viewpoints so the next one may not have a view point move in the gift shop out of the capital so that's kind of the reason I did it the way we did. A good vote. Representive Wardlaw spoke for the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment. Representative Jane would you like to close for the amendment. Representative Jane is close for the amendment. Question before the House is the passage of amendment the adoption of the amendment number two to House Bill Levin eighty seven all in favor say aye. Opposed nay the. Management adopted. Representative Jean moved that we place house bill twelve and seven on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number two Mr Clark amended number two to House Bill twelve oh seven representative Jane you're recognized explained Amendment amendment two to House Bill twelve AU seven is apartment energy environment of this is the good work from representative jim Wooten help reduce some positions that were had been used in couple years it reduces fourteen positions any questions only amendment. I appreciate a good vote on the memo. Representative Janice explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment representative Jane this close for the amendment question before the House is the adoption Amendment number two to House Bill twelve oh seven all in favor say aye. Opposed nay amendments adopted. Mr Clark read house bill twelve ninety one. Represent gene you're recognized. I miss Baker calling we're going back to these two appropriations there Henderson state and the Black River technical this is our general corporation of beginning July first twenty twenty one any questions this is in the governor's balanced budget. Remember your one voted for the bill the merger closed misspeak rather Clerk read the bill for the third time. Mr Clark read the bill for the third bills for the third time House Bill twelve ninety one house bill thirteen ten. Where the machine Mr Clerk. The voting on the bill and the emergency clause. Casts up the ballot Mr Clark. Ninety five Yeas zero nine zero presence the bills and emergency call to pass. Members we're going back to reading calendar Mr Clark read Senate bill one eighty eight. Senate bill one eighty eight by representative McGrew to amend the law concerning polling places into a mental law concerning electioneering. Representing the group you're recognized explained bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues in the last election there were some polling sites or private property where there was several incidents where the private property owner allowed signs from one candidate and not from another in my case they allowed my competition to have poll workers I mean not to. This bill solve that problem by making all polling like ****. Locations public on the days of election that way securing the it's equal between all candidates with that I would appreciate a good vote. Representative McGrew as explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Represent Coleman you're recognized to speak against the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker and this is the closure for disclosure I have served in Election Commission and my brother's presently serves and Election Commission. Reason I am a poses Senate bill one eighty eight. Is the word in the the bill it says that if the private property is selected then the entire area of ownership of the private property shall be designated as a polling site including without limitation all parking areas and areas adjacent also. The private property shall not restrict electioneering on the property and on any day on which early voting is allowed. A public buildings are also enclosure next July what I oppose this bill one of the first reason just private property rights. A lot of our voting hookers on churches and private property and a lot of these and other activities that occur in those places they may have daycares schools they may have of sports for you. Another. Reason for opposition is issues not only does canister appear but any issues are allowed to campaign on this so you gonna allow campaigns promoting issues it may disagree. With a very beliefs and the values and teachings that these organizations hold. That allowed us to have elections there. I agree that of of polling site allows one group of candidacy K. campaign on their premises and not the others then the election commissioners can change the location or consolidate that site with another site that will treat all candidates an issue fairly. In the unfair treatment of Candace occurs then you should change voting sass and if the election commissioners don't change voting status then you need to change election commissioners. Because when these. Group for. For quick need let us to use that going to have to find some new polling sites it is very difficult to do. Of those of you that have served on Election Commission you know that some of the areas that you need to look for you need to have a large area where you can conduct the voting you need to have a large area for the parking. Have to need to be handicapped accessible. In the area needs to be assessable to all constituents in the area and our air there if a few property to meet these requirements other than in large churches. Now one other thing if it would pass this bill that I think we need to own it and we need to be up front about it and you need to go to your election commissioners and make them aware of this because. If the charges are allowing you to vote there and they found out that there is an issue that they have to utilize their property for or you're going to take over all of their proper that day they may. Decide that they don't want to hold election and is pretty tough to find. Of a polling site just a few days before elections and of this changes then your county Clerk is going to have to do mailing for all of these I think that there's probably some improprieties that were done in this unfair treatment thank you there's other solutions of this in the last to keep opponents us now Washington County coordinator of. Which is okay next to mine in my district goes into they're concerned they have. One church the server where that left seven thousand voters. And the only other large church in the area. Is is that is already said that they would not serve as opponents that couple other early voting sites that they've had over ten thousand votes. Cash your election please so what I. I would ask you that you opposes this bill and let's use a different way provided our candidates and issues are treated fairly. I thank Larry stand up for questions so I'll wait a minute okay. Thank you very much. Create your opposition. Representive Coleman has spoken against building would like to speak for the bill president Lowery you're recognized speak for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. Rolling down here and reminding me I think representative Deborah Ferguson said something to me that with this cart I've become a lot more sensitive to Americans with disabilities act. Having access to all places including polling places I think representive Coleman Coleman brings up some some very valid points and I certainly would not want to dispute someone who is served as an election commissioner but you know one of the issues that he pointed out is that we could consolidate polling places if that is an issue that's been discovered that that they are indiscriminately allowing signage for one candidate over another or one issue over another with the fact is a lot of times you don't find that out until the day of the election. Lynch to two late for you to send out notice that you need to close down that polling place and consolidated with another. This is something that is you know we we always try to be as proactive as possible at the this will prompt our election commissions to be more proactive in working with those private properties to let them know what the issues are that are going to be coming up on the ballot if it is a an election issue that they may have concern about give them the option then of whether they want to go ahead and open themselves up to be fair and equitable in that campaign or to those campaigns or if they want for that election cycle to allow that polling place to be consolidated with another. Another thing is that we're finding a lot of other in a lot of counties Faulkner County is one of them I think Pulaski has been talking about of the selection centers. Where you're going to be having more and more voters going to those because you have has consume consolidation so that is going to be extremely critical in making sure that there is equity in how that polling places treated for the campaigns because you're going to be dealing with more voters you're gonna be dealing with voters that are actually coming from multiple precincts multiple areas of the county so for all these reasons I Preciado good vote for this bill. President Lowery spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. semigroup. But close for the bill. And I would just like to point out that first of all is a the polling place this is not an invasion on private property they get to choose whether they want a polling place they're not and even get to put in the least one specific area is covered under that also many of us have the election is an emotional time and. I would say this is we we talk a lot about the election reform and making sure the elections or or equal this is one way to do that and I would appreciate a good vote thank. President of groups close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill one eighty eight prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Is everyone vote. The cast of the ballot Mr Clark. By a vote of thirty nine yeas thirty seven days and ten present the bill is failed. Mr Clark please read Senate bill two twenty five. Senate bill two twenty five a representative Holcomb to amend the law concerning the additional fee required for the registration of a hybrid vehicle. President Holcomb you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues. One of the things we do is legislators is that uh. We look at the circumstances of the change around this act as technology changes around us sometimes we have to come back to monitor and adjust. Most of you know that I ran the A highway funding bill last year act which is ACT four sixteen now generated ninety five million thirty five million that come from concede almost fifty eight million was a A fee own wholesale prices fuel in two million was on hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles currently the lecture all electric vehicles I have a fee of two hundred dollars and then we had a hybrid vehicles of price of one hundred dollars after this is done in looking into that now there's three categories of those vehicles we would like to leave the all electric vehicle at two hundred dollars and there is an electric vehicle now that's a plugin that gets about fifty miles per on the charge of a battery which people to just driving to work they're hardly ever use any fuel however after looking at it we like to reduce the price of the hybrid vehicle the fifty dollars instead of a hundred dollars or will have three classifications we work this with this bill through the DOT and worked for a trucking no no no opposition and I appreciate a good vote. Thank. President Holcomb is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent Holcomb is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill two twenty five prepared machine Mr Clerk. Everyone voted. Everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. By a vote of ninety two yeas one nine three present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read Senate bill five. Senate bill five a representative born to amend the law concerning reciprocal service credit benefit rights and deferred retirement under the Arkansas local police and fire retirement system and to declare an emergency resemble recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues this is a local police and fire retirement bill that spells out the floppy will use the final average pay reported during the members time he or she was covered by the law the to calculate the lot the benefits there's grandfather provision with the bill that was added to have floppy use the highest final average pay from the reciprocal system for a person to establish reciprocity prior to April first two thousand twenty one and has member contributions on account with what the at the time of retirement this bill also brings floppy into compliance with the federal passage of the secure act and there is an emergency clause I would appreciate a good vote. Percent worn is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent worn is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill five prepared machine Mr Clerk. Voting on the bill in the emergency clause. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark by a vote of ninety six C. A. zero nine zero present the bill emergency clause or passed Mr Clark please read Senate bill two sixty three Senate bill two sixty three by representative firm and to regulate the attachment of signs to utility poles. Person for Berman you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues a this bill is a very simple bill all it does is it allows a municipality to attach either an American flag in Arkansas state flag or the municipality flag to utility poles that are owned by the municipality unless they're in a state right away as permitted by high rise. Outlawed by federal law so does it again American flag Arkansas flag or the municipality flag only on utility poles owned by that municipality appreciate a good vote. As everyone voted. I'm sorry. Cattle had a. Representative represented Fuhrman has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would like to speak for the bill. President Berman's close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill two sixty three per machine Mr Clerk. Now as everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. Five of ninety seven U. A. zero nine zero present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read Senate bill three eighty. Senate bill three eighty by representative will be an act to amend the uniformity and its and leaf Policy Act and to declare an emergency. President Putin you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr chairman. Calling this is a bill to help make us a better employer is a state. And having now reached or employees amending the uniformed tendance leave policy. This section one of the bill defines a critical need employee as a person employed. Well the listed state agency which you have in the bill which is in in your in the bill these may include facilities that operate on a twenty four seven skit schedule but not all of these employee working employees working as child welfare and family service workers could also be included agencies will need to notify any employee. That they determined to be a critical need employee and will send a report to the Legislative Council once per year of the positions that have been identified as critical this became a issued during the the virus particularly but it can also become a point of concern relative to a tornado as it relates to the state police are of the office of emergency services and gives them some flexibility when they have to require two of their schedules agencies as a central have to notify the A. L. C.. section two allows Employees who have been identified as critical need to Kerry over forty five days of annual leave instead of thirty. The most other employees can carry over this section three if an employee is not considered critical lead they can carry over thirty days of annual leave each year. If I have more than thirty days of annual leave at the end of the calendar year the excess leaves will be automatically move to the crawler to the catastrophic leave bank if you remember we have the bill last week that set the it's a it's a voluntary if they do if they desire to set one up section four has been updated to allow agencies to provide a lump sum payment to the employees or the amount of leave requested by the employee but or denied to the staffing needs of the agency no that's if it's over forty five days they can be paid back the the mails section four also states that the agency shall monitor annual leave balance leaves and may require an employee to take leave in excess of forty five days if the agency requires the employee to take their annual leave in excess of forty five days they must give the employee at least fourteen days notice in order to do that this program will be overseen by the office of personnel management and individual agents. The agencies will also coordinate will also coordinate with the of OPM relative to the classifications of what employees will be considered as critical these employees another example is the the presence of all of the department of corrections if you will department of corrections and their their security force down there they may have a situation where they need the whole people over or because of a shortage of personnel they have to work longer they accrues or Lucy. Mister Speaker I'll be happy to answer any questions or attempt to the. Seeing the whole for a good vote thank you president wouldn't explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent Wooten is close for the bill the question before the House is passage of Senate bill three eighty prepared machine Mr clay. Voting on the bill in the emergency clause. As everyone voted. Is everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark by a vote of ninety six Yeas zero nine zero present the bill emergency clause are passed Mr Clark please read Senate bill two twelve. Senate bill two twelve by representative warned to create the Arkansas pants pandas Advisory Council and to declare an emergency. Percent worn you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues for two years now we have had a group including two representatives and two senators working on a problem plaguing young people in our state. Pans pandas is an acute disorder that causes inflammation on the brain as a result of having had strep I personally watched a young man in my community spiral down in his family lose everything taking him to doctors and seeking to find answers they finally found the answers but they did not come easily the treatment was found in good health was restored to the young man I know. Due to this being so new insurance refuses to pay for the treatment the young man I know has had so many trials waiting for approval of treatment drugs for this condition it has been heartbreaking to watch this Advisory Council was set up two years ago UAMS and children's hospital have been instrumental in getting Arkansas on the map as a regional center for pans and pandas the legislation was only good for two years we need this legislation passed to continue the work we have already started there's no cost associated with this I would appreciate a good vote. Percent worn is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. We would like to speak for the bill. Percent worn is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill two twelve prepared machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Voting on the bill an emergency clause. Cast about Mr Clark. Of a ninety five Yeas zero nine zero present the bill emergency clause or past. Mr Clark please read Senate bill two eighty nine. Senate bill two eighty nine The representative Brandt Smith to create the medical ethics and diversity act. Representative Smith you're recognized explain the bill. Colleagues it's a privilege for me to stand in front of you an offer Senate bill two eighty nine for your approval your support. I do want to mention that. Even though this bill has been circulating for. A couple of terms that I've served. It's not the exact same bill that we presented. Two sessions ago. As a matter of fact. Those of you who set on the public health committee know that after a lengthy discussion. The first time we ran the bill there was a lot of concern and a lot of questions and so we took the bill. And we re worked it. I met with several of the members of the health committee along with our team and we sat for a couple of hours and discuss how to make the bill better and so what we've done is we have three pages of amendments. That go in and take language out put language in we make definitions and it's a much better bill. One of the things that I'd like to say in my opening remarks is simply this the medical ethics act is modeled after two other states in the union. Mississippi and Illinois. The law in Illinois. Is used as it is in Mississippi as model legislation for what you have on your tablets on your phone or in a paper copy in front of you. Illinois passed their law in nineteen seventy seven. That's the year I graduated from high school and believe me everyone in my class members that I have stayed connected with is either gray headed now or they've lost their her all together or some of our cheerleaders are a little on the point sign a lot of water under the bridge. I thank you for that it's my turn I guess but this is a good bill. And one of the things I want to mention is in all that time Mississippi since two thousand four Illinois since nineteen seventy seven there has never been any legal challenge. Expressed as far as discrimination goes. At all as a matter of fact the ACLU has never filed a grievance or a lawsuit against the states that have this bill. Two eighty nine has been thoroughly vetted by alliance defending freedom and there has been no lawsuits in the history of having this bill become law. One of the examples I'd like to share with you and probably you remember one little sisters of the poor a Catholic charities organization. We're told they have to distribute certain. items for birth control and it went against their. Tenets the tenets of their faith and their conscience. That case went all the way to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court upheld their rights of conscience. And so one of the things that I would leave you with. Before I step away is simply this this bill provides a remedy. Or our medical. Care providers it does not discriminate in any way we have the affordable Care Act that prevents that we also have title six. No discrimination against race creed religion. At all four lifestyle choices it doesn't allow for discrimination instead it simply supports a medical practitioner right not to participate in certain scheduled procedures not against persons but against procedures. And so as my colleague on the Senate in. Said recently if you don't have a remedy you can't defend yourself this bill provides a remedy and we've talked about this bill over and over two times this session in public health and I'm at a place where I just simply would like act like to ask you for a good vote. Resents Smith has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill represent McCullough you're recognized to speak against the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker if if possible I would have asked the question. What what do you need a remedy for something that's not happening. And that's my main question on this is there any instance of somebody being unable to to do what their conscience dictates here in Arkansas right now this is the second time in a couple of weeks I've been up here not to talk about enhancing medical care for our Kansans but to talk about a bill that restricts of medical care for our Kansans and in my mind I'm trying to reconcile this bill because I do believe that our physicians and our health care workers will follow the Hippocratic oath. And the beats stay true to their healing goes and do no harm however I know there will be some that will use this to discriminate or to make folks feel calm and comfortable and a lot of ways the I believe the medical ethics and diversity act has nothing to do with the ethics or diversity of take one of our liberties religious freedom. To believe as you wish and twist it to infringe on others rights even medical rights is reprehensible. This bill is unnecessary we already have robust protections in Arkansas we have the Arkansas religious freedom act which prohibits government from imposing a substantial burden on anyone's exercise of religion absent a compelling justification which covers this federal law also protects employees religious freedom. This bill is unprecedented. The Mississippi law prohibits refusal because a patient's race color national origin ethnicity sex religion creed or sexual orientation as B. two eighty nine has no such protections the Illinois bill has also been greatly amended. Just a few years ago. This bill is dangerous that allows all types of discrimination marital status and racial relationships sexual orientation and and and the list goes on I don't need to keep repeating it. This bill simply piles on with others that continues to restrict and hang over like a dark fog of intolerance over our state and stagnate our quality of life in our economic growth I once again plead with you to vote no on this unprecedented dangerous and unnecessary bill. Ferguson Makola has spoken against the bill would anyone like to speak for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill. You're recognized. In closing for this bill I would like to mention. That. The first two times we ran a bill similar to this. The. Bill had no support from the government. Had no support from the Surgeon General. However in the last couple of years Dr Greg Bledsoe. Has been privy to information that he received from colleagues here in Little Rock in our state. That there were some federal. This is made from Washington DC. On funding. And so Greg was talking about how. These medical. Doctors in our state we're told. If you. Don't perform certain procedures you will lose federal funding. And doctor Bledsoe when he spoke to me about that he said Brandt I. Realize that that point that the times have changed that we no longer can simply say I would prefer not to perform a certain procedure but that we would be forced. Without this remedy this law SB two eighty nine we would be forced to violate our conscience or our convictions our morals our ethics and perform surgeries that are not emergency setting surgeries but rather. Land scheduled types of surgeries and so. I was surprised to get that call in those visits from our. Surgeon General here in the state. But I was pleased that somebody else was recognizing that our. Culture. As changed and it's constantly in change and so this is a remedy and if we do not pass S. B. two eighty nine we may put at risk. The medical community those that do have rights of conscience that can't. Do what really right in their own heart when it comes to some of these procedures and so with that I'd like to ask for a good vote. Represent Smith is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill two eighty nine per machine Mr Clerk. Is everyone voted. As everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark. By a vote of seventy two yeas twenty nine zero present the bill is passed. Mr Clark please read Senate bill three oh one. Senate bill three oh one by representative Brandt Smith to require that state agencies to return fines collected under section subsection twenty that's seven that's one oh one during the public health emergency for failure to comply with rules orders or directives related to COVID nineteen into declared emergency. President Gonzales you're. Thank you Mr Speaker I'm sorry I read this building committee and I've been working with some with Senator Solomon on it so I thought I was trying to allow her to rest missing call anyway. Calling I'm like the bill that the good bill Brandt Smith just did just run this bill does not have support of the governor This. As you all know there's been then some restrictions placed on our small businesses throughout the state that really put them in a financial bind and on top of that some of them were were issued fines this will make the state department said issued those bonds return the fund money does appreciate a good vote. I'll take questions. Representative gene for what purpose question recognized. Roger Gonzalez up I've heard the number I want you to confirm it it are the fine just around twenty thousand dollars that's what matter dollars we're talking about I don't know the exact number that the number that was stated by Senator Solomon committee I think with some around forty between forty and fifty thousand so we in committee testimony was forty to fifty thousand a that's right okay thank you. They represent Collins for what. Represent Gonzalez is less well. Represent Gonzalez's explained bill would anyone like to speak against the bill representative Collins you're recognized to speak against the bill. Thank you Mr really just had a question which was whether or not ABC or the Department of Health acted arbitrarily or didn't afford due process to anyone in the setting these fines if they didn't and I don't think they did based on the information I have if they acted in the way that they were supposed to act I think that it's important to note I also think that we run a real risk here if we pass this Setting bad precedent you know it if we don't stick to what we do administratively if we undermine our cells and things like this I don't know how we're going to get people to comply with finds that are justifiable down the road so I'm opposed but I'd also just appreciate that being addressed thank you. Represent Collins has spoken against the bill would anyone like to speak for the bill represents Smith you're recognized speak for the bill. Thank you colleagues I Mister Speaker I want to add a little clarity to this bill. There were. Moments. Where there were there was some overzealous inspectors around the state specifically in northeast Arkansas. Where if a patron went into a cafe or restaurant made a family owned business a small business. And took their masks saw instead of the inspector going after the patrons they levied a fine or a penalty against the owners. And as a result of this begin to stack up at a time when small businesses are hanging on by the skin of their teeth we don't need to have overzealous. Actions against these business owners and so I believe the the amount total amount that I was told pushed a little north of sixty thousand dollars and so with that we just wanted to make sure that if an inspector health inspectors going to by pass the big box stores. As they drive to that restaurant or that cafe that they should be fair in what they do and not just simply target the little person. Thank you. President Garner for what purpose question you're recognized for a question yes Sir thank you Mr Speaker representative I have several small businesses and we did everything we could do whether that rule was right or wrong we did everything we could do to make sure that we were doing what we were supposed to do what does this bill say to those folks who did everything they did. And lost customers over some of it. To give every someone else you didn't do what they should have done potentially most of those I would guess okay. Thank you representative Garner here's the here's the point that I can make to your question. There are there were a lot of businesses who definitely went out of their way and tried to do the best they could to meet those regulations the rules the health requirements but some of the patrons that entered. Were less than enthusiastic about the mask mandate but I don't think we should take that out on our business owners and so I'm gonna I want to mention this to everyone this is a good bipartisan bill. Republican or Democrat you've got small businesses that have suffered during this pandemic and this would be one good bill that we can come together on and try to do the right thing and make a difference in our business community. Representative Smith has spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Representative Perry you're recognized to speak against the bill. Thank you Mr thank you Mr Speaker. Members I guess I've been down here to speak against the bill probably two or three times of mine nine years but you know what after looking at this read it. Analyzing it started thinking I said there's gotta be you can't do this. You know as a as a small business owner we have twelve locations of restaurant franchise it was an impact to this but you know when the governor issued the emergency order if it was to protect the people of Arkansas It me yeah we didn't want to do it I mean I just you know we had to close with dining in our stores. You know it shut off the business we didn't have curbside delivery so it was all taken out but we did what we were supposed to do. And you know we're we find no the business up for ya it was cut back but you do what you have to do we've never had a pandemic before and you know hopefully we'll never have another one in our lifetime but I feel that with things processing going on hopefully they'll be lifting the emergency restrictions at the end of this month life will be getting back to normal but if you set a president's to where you wouldn't be fine because you did something that you weren't supposed to do it's not a good example I appreciate a Nova. Represent Perry spoke against the building like to speak for the bill representative hoping you're recognized speak for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues I just wanna tell you a story of a convenience store than Jefferson County have been represented can purposes district who was fined six hundred dollars for parent A. Clark was working had amassed on forgot to put it back up owner knows was fined six hundred dollars they requested a drive thru window when the pandemic started they didn't get the drive through window two months later they get a mail from A. B. C. saying they nine hundred dollars there their video feed only stores two weeks so ABC had the officer there ABC you you if you wanted to appeal the appeal A. B. C. and they hear the appeal so they have nothing to appear with because they're video evidence was gone this is two months later they're fine nine hundred dollars I mean they try to do what was right to give the drive through window to help themselves and I ask the question the ABC director how many times have you given Walmart we can find the committee what I center I see five people going to time of that man's so why are we punishing small businesses when they're trying to do right when the patriots out there are doing right so I think this is really good bill and I'd ask you to support thank you. Represent Holcomb is vote for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Gonzalez you're recognized to close for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker out of respect for my colleague representative Collins on come down here and try to answers questions as far as the sponsor being. Placed over Terry unfairly as far as I know there were no big box stores no chain restaurants that were were issued finds these were or all your small businesses and is as far as not complying with state law these are not laws that that we created these were direct as it came out of the executive branch also I would like to remind you all that as far as these fines being issued to businesses over what their customers did our money we just passed a bill out of here I believe just last week that said that the health department can no longer do that they no longer find the business for what their patrons do so I would appreciate a good vote thank. Represent Gonzales is closed for the bill question before the House is the passage of Senate bill three oh one prepare the machine Mr Clerk. Everyone voted. You voting on the bill and the. Bring on the bill an emergency clause gas at the ballot Mr Clark. With sixty seven yeas twenty nays and six present the bill and the emergency clauses pass. Mr Clark read Senate bill three seventy nine Senate bill three seventy nine by representative Gazaway concerning the process for emergency declarations and directed directives addressing a state wide state of disaster emergency related to public health and to declare emergency represent Gazaway recognized explained the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. Colleagues this is a bill to amend the Emergency Services Act of nineteen seventy three to empower the legislature to serve as an appropriate check on executive power during a declared state of emergency. Many of you likely found yourselves and in the same situation that I was back a year ago at the beginning of this pandemic and as the pandemic continued both Republican and Democrat hearing from your constituents who were upset with some of the things that were being dictated by the executive branch and I'm sure many of you like I did heard from restaurant owners hair salon owners other small business owners Dennis medical professionals about the things and and measures that are being put into place and wondering what we were doing down here and why we were voting on these things and probably many of you like me had to respond to your constituents that. I didn't have a vote on that I didn't have anything to do with that here's the governor's office phone number. And what I will say is I want to be be clear from the outset that this is not a criticism of governor Hutchinson or the administration or many of the measures that they had to take this was a unprecedented situation and the governor had to make many tough decisions and so I want to be clear that this is not a criticism for how the governor handle that but what it is. A effort to do is to restore an appropriate balance of power between the executive branch and the legislative branch so that the legislative branch the people's representatives have a say in emergency situations. And so I'm gonna try to go through quickly what the bill does it doesn't number of things that I believe are very important again to ensuring appropriate checks and balances on executive power in ensuring that we the legislature have a say in emergency situations so at the beginning of the bill one of the first things you see yes we say that an emergency disaster declaration can last no longer than sixty days. And if it's a public health emergency disaster declaration and the governor wishes to renew it he'll have to come to Legislative Council to seek renewal and that set forth a little bit further and in more detail later in the bill. Also at the outset of the bill what we do is we empower the legislature to terminate a state of emergency at any time and that's any state of emergency that's one to clear on the local level that and that's a statewide stated disaster emergency how do we do that is the legislature the bill set forth processes on how we get to that meeting number one that meeting can be called by the Speaker of the house it can be called by the president pro tem of the Senate or if fifty one members of the House or eighteen members of the Senate request the meeting then the chambers will meet in a committee of the whole to consider termination of the governor's declaration of disaster emergency and so at any time if the legislature believes that the governor has gone too far with the declaration of disaster emergency we have set forth a mechanism for the legislature to respond and to terminate that stated disaster emergency. The next thing that you'll see is that if the got governor wishes to declare a state of disaster emergency that is a public health stated disaster emergency the governor has to specifically state that. And. Then we we deal with processes for if it is a state wide state of disaster emergencies of the bill makes a distinction between regular states a disaster emergency which do not require a meeting of the legislature and then state wide state of disaster emergencies which will require a meeting of the legislature at the outset so if there is a declaration of disaster emergency that affects the entire state then the entire states representatives at the outset deserve the opportunity to come in and weigh in on that decision of whether or not there should be a declared state of disaster emergency and whether that will continue and so. The bill set forth in the next section that the legislature upon the declaration of a state wide state of disaster emergency will meet within eight days of that declaration to decide whether to continue or to terminate that stated disaster emergency what is a state wide state of disaster emergencies define very specifically in the bill is defined as affecting at least nineteen counties or at least twenty five percent of the overall population of the state. So again if the governor declares a state wide state of disaster emergency that will trigger a meeting of this entire state legislature within eight days to vote on potential termination of that emergency. Section three of which is the next section of the bill prohibits the governor from prohibiting the legislature of from meeting in the seat of government in order to do our job. Section four deals with executive orders this bill will give the legislature the power to review and in some cases terminate an executive order as we've as we know the governor issued many executive orders in this case and that is the executive branch which has the power to enforce the law effectively legislating or making the law that is the power that is. Historically traditionally and and in law reserve for the legislative branch and so if the governor is going to exercise those powers of essentially law making then it ought to be able to be reviewed by the executive branch even in an emergency situation and so the bill sets forth a review of executive orders by legislative counsel in a process where Legislative Council can terminate an executive order that's found in section four section five deals with the board of health if you don't know if you didn't know a review of the emergency services act of nineteen seventy three makes it very clear that the board of health and the director of health have tremendous power under existing law the board of health and the director of health have the power without currently without the legislative involvement or legislative say to quarantine every man woman and child in the State of Arkansas that is tremendous power and so is the legislature we have to take some of that back how do we do that. Again much like with the governor if the board wishes to issue directives those directives have to be submitted to the Legislative Council those directives can be terminated by the Legislative Council we specifically set state. That the board of health if the issue directives or at the governor's direction issue directives they can't combine on into one large directed so that they have all of these things that you want but that one thing that you don't want if the board of health and issue directives they have to issue on single issues so that we can take them up one at a time so that they can't force us into things that that may not be best for state. And so again section five sets up that process. And then if the if those directives want to be renewed for renewal they have to submit those to council and the council will consider those for renewal. Section six deals with where we are currently with respect to the state of disaster emergency. If this bill passes. It will it will immediately go into effect because the emergency clause and it will trigger many of the provisions in this bill which will include a vote upon whether to terminate the current state of disaster emergency so be aware that under section six the vote of the legislature in our ability to weigh in on that decision will be impacted in section six if we pass this bill and then section seven is temporary language that deals with the board of health and the directives are currently in place as many of you know the governor recently did away with the directives so my understanding is all the directives have been changed to guidance with the exception of one which is the mass mandate if this bill passes and that's in effect there will be process is set up where that can be reviewed any directives that are ineffective when this bill passes from the department of health have to be submitted to the appropriate subject matter committee and in this case the department or the the Committee on Public Health for review and recommendations those directors will then be sent to counsel for potential termination and then of course the bill contains a separability clause in an emergency clause and with that I'm happy to answer any questions. Seeing none I'd appreciate a good vote thank you. Representative arrives for what purpose question please you're recognized for a question representative you appreciated it's going to ask a question representative jamming if we should make a move and it did go to Legislative Council would it be by a majority vote for the things that we vote on there would be as a two thirds or al it's a good question and that also is set out in the bill any vote by council has to be approved by a majority of a quorum present at the council meeting and has to be submitted to the entire council so the bill specifically says that council can't designate these decisions to go to a sub committee of council or subgroup of council it has to be the entire Legislative Council and has to pass by a majority of the quorum present. Representive ray for what purpose. You're recognized. Representative Gazaway first of all I'd like to commend you on the work that you've done on this bill I know this is a very extensive topic deal with emergency powers one thing that has been on my mind in the last couple days is this one point six five billion dollars in stimulus funds that the state is about to get from the federal government does this bill in any way impact how those monies might be spent or the process by which they're spent. To the excellent question this particular bill SP three seventy nine does not but there is a companion bill that is not on our calendar today that still and in the public health committee that would and that bill says with any unanticipated federal funds which the federal funds like the cares Act relief money would have would qualify as what is unanticipated funds and specifically those funds that are but essentially you're marked the types of funds that are dictated by the federal government have to be spent on a particular purpose so basically that bill which is another bill says that if we the state receives those finds that the chief financial officer has to submit a plan as to how those funds are going to be spent that plan has to be submitted to you for in session the Joint Budget Committee if we're out of session A. L. C. and A. L. C. will consider that plan and can't approve it or disapprove it and so the legislature will have a say in how those funds are spent. Thank. Seeing no further questions I'd appreciate a good vote thank you. Represent Gazaway has explained bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Ladyman you're recognized to speak for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker I just want to come down and say that. this bill representative Gazaway and senator Hammer worked a long time on this bill on the interim they worked out they came before the health committee a number of times I'm sure that the governor's office is not one hundred percent happy with this bill I don't imagine representative gas weighs a hundred percent happy because I know there were a number of changes made even before the session and that's what I call a good bill we're both sides are not one hundred percent happy so they came to an agreement and that this is a very important bill. So you need to think about this before you vote because anytime. There's a disaster or a major accident or anything like that in my career we always went and looked at those things in great detail because the one thing you need to do is you need to learn from a major issue and COVID has been a major issue and we realized that we had some problems and I think this bill that representative Gazaway and senator Hammer has come forward with is the best that we can do so I would appreciate a good vote. Representative Ladyman spoke for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Gazaway is closed for the bill question before the House is the passage of Senate bill three seventy nine prepared machine Mr Clerk. You voting on the bill and the emergency clause. Everyone voted. Gassed up the ballot Mr Clark seventy eighth sixteen nays and one present the bill and the emergency clauses pass. Mr Clark read Senate bill one seventy Senate bill one seventy by representative Dalby to prohibit the unlawful boxing of a minor on social media. Representative dobby recognized explained the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker Senate bill one seventy is brought to us from senator garner this bill will prohibit the unlawful doxing of a minor you may want to know what doxing is that just simply means it's to publish private or identifying information of that minor with the malicious intent and that's all the bill does be happy to take any questions. Thank you I appreciate a good vote. Representative always explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Represent dobby's close for the bill question before the House is the passage of Senate bill one seventy where the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Gassed up the ballot Mr Clark. With seventy seventy eight one nine nine present the bill is passed. Representative makes for what purpose motion place you're recognized for motion after after the announcmenet trading of the bills transferring the bill's place in the calendars on the desk members amending their own bills own amendments members withdrawing bills finalize resolutions reading communications in any remaining committee report I move we adjourn until one o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Proper motion non debatable all in favor say aye. Opposed nay motions adopt passed. Members of we're getting close to the end of the session Currently we're scheduled for April ninth I don't know if it's gonna be extended or not the speakers asked that if you have bills that you have been filed you better get it done and get him run also he asked me to remind you that next week is spring break we're only going to be here Monday and Tuesday. If you have bills that are on the agenda in a committee you need to get with the chairs if you want to run those. Are there any other announcements. Representative look Jean for what purpose announcmenet you're recognized joint budget will meet at eight thirty tomorrow morning big mac a. Representative Cozart for what purpose announcmenet you're recognized House education meets tomorrow morning nine thirty in room one fifty one. Representative Lanny Fite for what purpose announcmenet you're recognized city county local affairs will be fifteen minutes and mac C.. Representative Charlene Fite for what purpose announcmenet you're recognized aging children youth military will meet at ten minutes after we leave here. Represent Holcomb for what purpose announcmenet you're recognized public transportation will meet in the morning at nine thirty AM maxi. Represent Wooten for what purpose announcmenet you're recognized personnel committee of the Budget Committee who made in the morning at seven thirty and big mac a. Representive Tosh for what purpose announcmenet you're recognized state agencies a made in fifteen minutes room one fifty one for constitutional amendments. Are there any other announcements. The desk will remain open as needed for the reading of the bills and upon completion of the items named in the adjourn resolution the house would be adjourned until one PM tomorrow.