JBC-Special Language

Members of all take our state we'll start the meeting. All right let's start the meeting builder can you start we're going to start with C. one. Good morning members see one in your package deals with the department of agriculture this is a bill that sponsored by senator Caldwell and revision of Cozart it's regarding some fair funding grants is an appropriation for approximately two point two million dollars. Representative because our. Can you please come to the table introduce yourself for the record. Thank you madam chair if you don't want to have with four women from part of a. That's correct When you buy the name wrong What we have here today of. Is a. Appropriation to the department of ag to help fund our fares as you know last year they did not have a county fair and when they don't have a county fair it's just like you being unemployed for after or year because they have no money coming in so with no money coming in they have a maintenance fees different things that they have to keep up a keeper like Christy I'll keep the grass mowed keep that water going things like that fair so without those funds come in which come in usually through their carnivals and to the participation to the fair system I have no other income coming in unless their own by county and there are very few of their own like County most of them are independently on the summit meeting on the county that's still how they get their money in there so I would like to do is do appropriation that would give each fare in the State enters about seventy five of the best we can tell seventy five maybe seventy six but like your seventy five thirty thousand dollars and that would just the pretty well from what we found out across the board to do there associations that that will keep their lights on and keep going without doesn't give me profit most doesn't need sixty or seventy thousand keeping all so that's that's what we're asking for in general and and of the stores here if you want to ask any questions. Members do we have any questions. Yeah so thank you for looking into this you know we send a lot of PPP money I guess not the billing. it is to the county could they not go to their to their county quorum court to seek this money. If they're part of the county that could like I said not all or part of the county or one or a county where I'm from that is owned by the citizens of our county but it is not funded or or anything to do with Garland County so a lot of those I don't know how much money that was released I did talk with or Got a judge and they are willing to put some money into that but I'm not sure that they can do what we need to do for each county so that where there was a designated for that type of situation at work and I don't think so what he says. Any other questions members. C. nine two I have a motion. I have a second. All in favor say aye. Those opposing nine. Congratulations your bills passed thank you madam chair Mister. All right members let's move down to see to HB twelve seventy seven. Members this is on page five of your the agenda this is a bill house bill twelve seventy seven that deals with department of finance administration it's for the office of deaf and hard of hearing this is a bill by representative Charlene Fite there is some special language the only with the funding transfer that's also included in the bill. Representa fight please introduce yourself and you're ready presenter bill and your guest all right thank you yes I'm Charlene Fite state representative district eighty. I'm Dr Sam masters and. I'm going to move the interpreter up here please. You good morning I'm Dr Sam Atchison. Yes at one time Arkansas was a leader in services for the deaf and hearing impaired we had to offices under the umbrella of within the re have services it was called the office for the deaf and hearing impaired officer for the deaf and hard of hearing excuse me D. H. nine most of the services were concentrated in central Arkansas but satellite offices were scattered throughout the state and we're staffed by independent living counselors and covered all the counties in Arkansas unfortunately this disappeared about ten to twelve years ago and since then we've just had a patchwork of services for the deaf and hard of hearing so what we are asking is to reinstate the office for the deaf and hard of hearing we feel like this would help all of our Jett and hard of hearing people in the state of Arkansas get the job training that they need and the services that they need to live full and productive lives to contribute to our economy and the good citizens of the State of Arkansas so that's what this money is about is re establishing this office and I would like to ask my witness to speak please. Again my name is Dr Sam Atchison I live in Little Rock I'm a licensed audiologist and tenured professor. an audiology. And perhaps most relevant to this meeting I'm a person with lifelong hearing loss from the age of four I'm a user of cochlear implants and American Sign Language I personally and professionally experienced over a forty year span changes and access technology and services for the deaf and hard of hearing people and as a military dependent and independent at all I've lived in eight states including the United Kingdom experiencing differences and services for deaf and hard of hearing I'm here in support of house bill twelve seventy seven. And in doing so we hope that we can remove the existing back here I'm in favor are efficient fiscally responsible coordinated collaborative personal services across state agencies and related community stake holders for deaf and hard of hearing our cans and the office would conduct systems level advocacy for access inclusion and remove of barriers for that hard of hearing and deaf blind individuals it would provide education and outreach to organizations and business says to improve service delivery and include the general fund of knowledge of legal rights available assistive technologies resources and opportunities to improve quality of life. Just so we're clear when we talk about that and hard of hearing individuals this is a broad and diverse group we're talking about children with hearing loss or they're sure suspected of having hearing loss through the state newborn hearing screening program thirty would consider themselves staffed or deaf blind thirty years American Sign Language individual she rocked appropriate service says and have engrossed in or sign language deprivation because of their hearing loss. People with noise induced hearing loss from recreational sports like hunting and loud workplaces that slurry of reintegrated hearing over time. Adafruit late onset hearing loss you're still working and trying to make a living wage. And senior citizens with age related hearing loss with or without cognitive declines. Approved understand this is not Arkansas's first radio in nineteen seventy five we had an office impacting our hearing impaired that was established by the governor's office. and we are where other data centers across the nation including Arkansas I'm sorry. Arizona the reason I ask at North Carolina and Texas to name a few and they started as early as nineteen sixties to nineteen seventies. Sir for their private groups that I've mentioned hearing loss can impact social educational vocation all financial medical and emotional health while hearing loss can be from birth there are many forms of acquired hearing loss and no one is truly I'm year and. I would not be here today without the amazing services I've received over the years and many states and schools after the work of federal and state laws or agencies. Our I would like to at least tell you some of the examples are what we have seen or experienced in this state and others we have individuals who need help filling out applications or forms including steps to take for a variety of state level services such of motor vehicle social security income filing taxes communication replaced or attorneys and resolving workplace conflicts we need help with assistive technology we need interpreter service says when someone takes their driver's license test. We have individual sure right after and for trying to figure out how to state employee or state productive before they retire. And certainly we need accessible health services from interpreters are experienced in working American violence I could go on and on but you get the point all that having been said I urge you to vote in favor of house bill twelve seventy seven to reduce barriers are to advocacy education and outreach services for deaf and hard of hearing by filling in the gaps through coordination of services by an established office are deaf and hard of hearing thank you. Thank you members do or have any questions. No questions. Members what's the will of the committee. Hitcher but. Yeah can hit your button. Senator Hickey you're approved. Yes my mind as it relates to the funding because you're showing this is going to come directly out of our reserve a lot but fun. Yes we we were not passing bills that to where that money was coming out of surplus. After some other funding mechanism. It's the will of the committee I could amend this to remove that section I and see if the if they can find the finding another way. Yes ma'am because that was just the. You know everything that we've been doing or whatever we were not allowing those funds or you know for any of the members is what we've been saying is that uh needed to five different funding sources instead of coming out of that not saying that this is not a very worthwhile project in and everything is just the I also think we need to address that part before we vote on this special language all right I will take down this bill and make an amendment on it and try to find another way to fund it. Thank you Committee thank you representante. members we're going to move to Adam D. one H. B. twelve oh six Senator Hester. Yes I thank you. Director graves will come up at all. I'll just start members by saying that it may surprise you that those that have made bad choices and up in our prisons from time to time will make bad choices when in person. And so we're needing some Director graves need some help with the the additional prosecutor and so I'll hand it over to you please introduce yourself for the record. Thank you madam madam chair Sullivan graves said secretary of corrections I'm joined this morning Sullivan Wembley who's the budget administrator for a division of correction. was first of all when I think Senator Hester for caring this amendment for the department and the a prosecutor coordinator's office what this proposed section forty seven will do is create a funding mechanism for the department of corrections to pay for a deputy prosecutor to handle solely crimes originating with in the department of correction one of the challenges we have now is the majority of our criminal referrals originate out of our maximum security facilities which are House within two judicial districts of those prosecutors disproportionately carried the load they also have of local local needs violent crimes within their communities that they have to make judgment calls on what cases to take the court in what cases to not take the court and I don't fault them for that at all because they have a capacity problem this is a proposal will go toward addressing that capacity problem give the department an additional mechanism to hold offenders who are committing criminal activity within our field our facilities accountable and also ensure a state steady funding string four of four this prosecutor this is no new funding for the department this hundred thousand dollars that is referenced in this amendment will will come out of cash funds with no impact on the state budget. Senator Hester and I think it's important for a members to understand that this prosecutor will work for the elected prosecutor so just be house and paid for by you yes Sir. Members are there any questions on this amendment. C. nine. Representantes please enter but. Thank you Madam chair. The Secretary I'm just curious about how many cases you thank you the that this. Special prosecutor each federal prosecutor assigned to the department of corrections but I medications you thank you would to be able to we would be required to handle of S. Senator Hester and IP J. hamper clarifying that this will while the department will be paying for the prosecutor this will be a full fledged deputy prosecutor within the of project elected prosecutors office but last year statewide we referred over four four hundred cases of suspected criminal activity to the state police. But that follow up yes but not sure I understand this special prosecutor is just going to be working in the what units I mean he's not going we haven't ever played across the stated all units across the state agency this will of predominantly focus on those in the eleven with which is Pablo I'm sorry I'm Jeff Jefferson Lincoln County and also be deputized to assist in the first judicial district which would cover our maximum security unit outside Marianna. One more N. S. so now with that question answered for that area there that he'd actually be responsible for it now how many cases would he be those of. Those to judicial districts probably take on about eighty percent of our total state police referrals those two because those two judicial district health all of our maximum security facilities which is where most of our criminal activity originates from okay thank. Thank you any other questions members. CNN motion I have a motion to pass. Second all in favor say aye. Imposing nine congratulations the amendment is passed. Okay members were going to go down today to which is Senate bill one fifty eight. Representative Lanny Fite can you come down to present your bill please. Please recognize yourself. State representative Lanny Fite district twenty three. Go ahead thank you okay. I'm here today we have special language and and Senate bill one fifty eight and section thirty three the Department read asked me to put that into a standalone bill which I have done I'm here today asking the strikes section thirty three Senate bill one fifty eight. Okay thank you any questions members. Nine do I have a motion. The past eight all in favor. On House congratulations your minutes past. Okay members Any other business with that. We are adjourned. And.