State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs- House

Bragg only but I was I kind of watched online and and not last year they did a great great job and I appreciate him fail in the end for me but H. I'm really glad to be back with you get out of jail and coach while ago us it is just doesn't seem like it's been that long ago was it just the other day but you know but we're back in the I appreciate you and the first item on today's agenda is a Senate bill one eighty eight and it's my understanding from the senator that represented Payton is going or. Go to the on the table and run the bill Ripley Representative Payton. Thank you Mr I want to run the bill I hope I don't run it off the cliff but the members This Is Senator Clark bill. I'm not a co sponsor but I called in with some questions about it and he's satisfied my questions and it was like a month ago it's quite awhile back and so he said well when he gets over there in your committee would you run it I totally forgot about it until this morning so I've been trying to re review it here but basically creates a section in Arkansas Code that clarifies the use of property especially private property. FOR a polling place so that the. If the county election commissioners have. Granted there are arranged a location on private property for a polling place. This clarifies that just because it's private property that property owner can't set their own laws and election laws so it it it brings in a lot of the federal election law definitions and descriptions of what can and can't be do done around the polling place when people are voting it sets the hundred to a hundred foot rule from the main entrance and identifies and clarify some of the terms of election hearing but it's all mirrored with the federal code from what I'm told and and I know that as I read it most of these things I've already been told in my campaigning that that's how we have to operate and so with that I'll take any questions and we'll read the bill The presentation by a Representative paid no the Senate bill represented to the Ladyman you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr. And I apologize for getting into the weeds here but I'll give it that I read this earlier and I had a a couple of well I guess concerns if you look down at the that's line twenty eight on page to the last part of this bill. It talks about a public if a public building is used as a polling place. You shouldn't restricted but. The problem I have with that. in Jonesboro as an example we've got early voting on one side of the street and no signs are allowed there even though it may be a hundred feet because it's public property and the signs are allowed across the street when I read this people can put signs on that public property and and you cannot stop him from doing that and that would hold true so you got a church. The end that it's being used like we have one there in Jonesborough one street Baptist church they allow it but some churches might not work it's a big campus and there's a lot of yard or parking lot maybe grass there some churches don't want signs in their yards. And this bill they basically could not stop people from putting signs in their church or if it's a hundred foot in the opening well and so first defense there is. Before you agree to to make it a polling site. Those things need to be taken into consideration so if you're a church that does not want certain activities to go on on that property you may not want to allow yourself to be used as a polling site but once you do accept the responsibility of being a polling site then you've accepted the election laws that go with that and the election laws are that and you can't have any signs within a hundred feet of the main entrance coming and going and you know you can't. Solicit votes from people while they're standing in line to vote things like that we've had a couple instances here in Arkansas where. You know the church claimed were you only rented this room and we can do whatever we want the rest of the building and so there was election nearing being allowed inside the building but only. VOL by the side that was preferred by the church you know so what. Senator Clark expressed to me that he's trying to accomplish here and accuracy you know he went by the advice of bill are is that if they voluntarily make arrangements to become a polling place that they accept the responsibility of following the federal election law on the sets those parameters on the electioneering it stops the canvassing of people in line for signatures on petitions and things like that And I don't think that there's any language in here that goes outside of the of the federal election law that we currently have to follow anyway but good follow. You're recognized yeah I understand and and and and I totally agree with you that if you sign on you got to follow the rules but there have been a what what the concern that was raised to me this morning was it in some small town some small areas they they use these churches there are limited buildings that they can use and some of the churches they've used in the past might not want to sign on so the buildings available might be an issue. That's that's the concern I have had ran I come from a small town and totally understand that concern we had a little church used on one they weren't even in town we don't have a town so to speak for years and and then we had a fire department or fire department was built in and we use that and so I understand those concerns I just think that we need. A standard set that everybody follows and it doesn't matter which side of the fence your own you you have to establish where the boundaries are going to be hell why they're going to be you know what rules were gone following just because you've rented private property to to create a polling place at I think you still have a responsibility to for to have a uniform standard. Among all polling places especially when candidates have to know the boundaries in order to to send their volunteers to hold signs and and such on there it's very important that we have a you know something is uniform. Across the board thank you Mr. Cozart you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chair. Principate in the you know Senator Clark and I are in the same area and we've had some concerns from our Election Commission over there more so about public. Buildings that are being used and some of their things that they do and do not allow all and we've we've kind of of understand that putting signs in a public place or around on the outside of a public place has been kind of a problem not no that's not that it happened every year that you use a courthouse or a or a city municipal building to have elections but it it does seem to hinder them a little more so I mean that might be something to just won't be happening again but I in the past I have seen churches I know up recently been brought that in effect that did not want signs in their yards I finally which were in a perfect place to be a polling area but they finally did not be at a polling place because of that because they did not want signs in there so I still have some concerns I'm not dead set against the bill but I think this is going to probably call some problems with some people are going to claim to be a building places what's going to happen so. Well and you agree with that yes yeah I would agree that that's a concern I'd like to find out you know how many places are like that this does have some restrictions on the signage about you know dig a hole and put up a sign having. I'd like to see it limited the signs that you hold your hand and and not signs it that you would leave without. People there but I think that gets off into charting new territory instead of just mirroring federal law and federal code and so that really would be a bill that would be unique to Arkansas and I think I think the goal here was to try to bring something in that was less controversial by mirroring what's in the federal law. Representative of Deffenbaugh you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr this just for my clarification had as a place decide to be a polling place have they have has have they become a polling place. Well in my county I mean the three county election commissioners. Yeah I'll ask. If it's private property whether or not they'd be willing I mean they're not forced to be a polling place of. It all motor most of the polling places in my county have been the same places for many many years and it's kind of assume that it's going to be there year after year selections I collect election cycle but I know in the five counties I represent. Polling places have been. reduced F. cut back nearly fifty percent on polling places out rule Arkansas and so it's not because of a lack of buildings it's because of going to electronic voting machines in the cost and and and they've consolidated polling places so the the availability of buildings would not be a factor in the five counties that I represent because like I said there's been as a quite a reduction in the number of polling sites over the last eight years. Five thank you appreciate. Representative Medicare recognized. In general I do like the bill and I would ask bill that we go back and try to do some more definition on some these terms that you want the terms as Alexion hearing is the likeness of a person if in a public building the governor's pictures on the wall at the Texas senator's office this bill says that you cannot have a life of the candidate if they were running for reelection you know is this requirement that we take those pictures now I just think that I like the idea of what we're doing but I just think we oughta. Address it more you know it you're right people standing in line should be subjected to people campaigning or our campaign materials but we need to define that within reason I think the bridge it is it just cast an awful wide net here that is going to open up for people to challenge things so. The item that is not that's not a question I understand that and but but I I would I would really appreciate if you look back to senator clarken saying aye you might look at you know sharpen your pencil little bit on some of these points. Distributed to beg the question will be do you agree. So I mean I would think the likenesses that are hung on the wall of the governor or the county Clerk or anybody else should be covered or taken down during election during the time that they're voting in and out I know that's the practice in in my area of the I have always assumed it was part of the federal law so I don't think that's a big problem as far as we can that. L. me this past the Senate with the with only two. No votes at thirty four yes votes and I think. Any of us can follow bill before this session is over that would tweak it or modify it or or bring in further definitions and and I'd hate to try at this late date do I go to Senator Clark and ask for amendments unless unless there's some significant resistance at this point I would like to see those tweaks happen with just just by following another bill. Thank you for the question. Say no further questions from committee members and no one signed up to speak for against the bill. Of the Representative paid no you. Allen closed. Tribute we are closed yes and I moved to pass. Okay we've got a motion for new patches or any discussion on the motion. Shea none all in favor say aye. All opposed say no. Regulations your bill is passed. Representative Cozart. But judging Cozart would you you can just do it from where you're at which you chair. Do what. Right you can if you want to just do it from there if you don't mind. Committee member Representative Cozart is going to chair this next bill and I'll be at the end of the table thank. Resit Tosh is going to present House Bill twelve twenty four. All in favor. Share. If I wish it was that easy it is. Rep Josh do you have anyone is going to testify along with you. Yes Sir I say yes we'll see how the questions go but yes I'll go ahead let's bring you up here now Mister if you wanna bring him up a little bit introduce yourself then there recognized Colchis anytime I agree with that and then he's available if we needed so. This is director of the crime lab if you would just in relationships are. My name is Carmen channel instructor state crime laboratory. Thank you all recognize present house bill twelve twenty four okay thank you Mister chair committee members this bill Obviously is brought to me by the crime lab and. There is a critical situation that has occurred or is that is occurring at the cram crime lab and could even get more critical if some action is not taken. And what I mean by that is is that the. Trying to recruit and to retain a forensic path colleges has become extremely difficult for us to do here in the state of Arkansas. And currently there's only around five hundred forensic pathologists across the country. And that really needs to be approximately seven hundred to twelve hundred so they're in high demand I mean they go to college for so many years that such you know when you become a forensic pathologist you've got a lot of years and study with behind you and also you have a lot of that. And he said this we're looking at here in the state for it to try to help the crime that recruitment it offers something for them to be one the you know trying to recruit. One of these. Five hundred. I thought I would use that to. Our route is. That we have across the country. So one of the things we're doing is wrong. A scholarship program. And basically what that program or do an entity of the crime lab another tool to use and that recruitment process that it is that they will offer them and they'll have to sign a contract that would stay with us for twenty four much. we will pay for each twelve March twenty five thousand dollars which would be a total of fifty thousand dollars at the end of the twenty four much will pay that. At long. this is used to recruitment technique to put something out there to try to get in because we were in like I said in about the remarks were in a critical situation there's only five. We are we have only five forensic pathologist over crime lab three of those are. Retirement age the ready to retire so they could get any day and M.. I understand I don't know about two years but I understand how critical this from the standpoint of. Richmond across the state and what I mean by that is that the. What we are trying to use a credit I tried thank you the name of that accreditation I I've got it here subgroup from Beijing association of medical examiners and it's like any time and agencies accredited which they have to meet certain standards. They can't Than two hundred and fifty adoptions in a calendar year that are are are you pass all just our up to about two seventy so we're going to be real careful not to lose that accreditation because when we lose that then the the homicide cases and other equipment designations with the crime lab has been involved. That accreditation when we lose credibility and credibility with those cases and we do not want that to happen so what I could do it like I said and and colleagues I'll I'll be the first to admit I don't know if it's not. And I and the directors know what he's going to know whether this is going to work or not but my point may in the revision will bring in this bill it was we gotta try something we need to do something to put something out there to give them the another tool for them to be able to use to recruit and this chair with that and less let me back up a director do you have anything you need to add to that. Going to resume talks on the cover of things really well but it is critical I mean Reserve Tasha with five hundred friends apologist those or certified forensic pathologist that are gainfully employed okay but as far as stock coming out of medical programs is about forty so all the United States is in Arkansas problem it's a national problem so we're competing against maybe forty people students coming out of school today and it's a problem and it saw an artist Fund committees before a and I've always said I mean it is that this is the one problem that Arkansas is going to be facing that keeps me up at night because it's not just about criminal cases yet to realize that we do about fifteen hundred cases a year for all seventy five counties that corner law enforcement's met us it's a lot easier even natural cases that we have to ascertain cause and manner in order for that family to get a of official death certificate so what I think the the ramifications of not addressing this need in Arkansas is critical and it's become a long time we've been trying to recruit these positions they still stay on for a couple years before we even get a candid it so it's it's a step in the right direction I think maybe there's potentially more that we can do but I think with the dressing salaries we already are doing that with appropriation bills that's gonna help us to compete with Memphis whose hiring for three hundred thousand a year so it's it's a problem and I appreciate you did do a good job of presenting this bill. And I might add one more thing that this is a. This student loan this twenty five thousand dollars a year in that recruitment process they will be required to sign a contract with the state and in the event they leave before that twenty four marches up for any reason then that student loan that we gave them will have to be paid back matter we're not going to give it to them until they completed the two years so so it will be a problem of trying to attach to recover that so with that Mister chair closed and take any come questions all right we have quite a few questions ripped apart your first the. Thank you Mr so he almost answered my question at the end of of the presentation there. Obviously if you have a sign on bonus to or some sort of. Compensation enhancement like this it helps recruiting my concern is you don't always want to recruit somebody with little experience and this would be very look very good to somebody coming out of college with student loan debt but we don't want to focus all of our. Carrot on that if if there's people out there that's available with experience so do we have a mechanism. Where in the regular salary somebody does not have student loan debt but you have an opportunity to hire. An experienced person do we have incentives in there that that we can pay them for their experience are we gonna be paying the novice more than than the experienced one no I that's a great question that's one of things we addressed on the front in our appropriation bill because existing salary level from one of the hire associate medical examiner I have the authority to go to mid range which is one ninety nine the Max of that ranges I think about two forty the chief medical examiner's two seventy one that's the Max we can't compete even at those levels so what we did is we by given the the appropriation necessary that if I get a good candidate and I can negotiate above and beyond the maximum level of what that salary range is courses is going to have to be approved if I get that individual on the hook then it still has to be presented for committee and and go forward from that point so for the first time in my tenure at the crime lab is I've got negotiation power which I think is extremely important so I think it's just one piece so hopefully we can find someone out there with experience but the likelihood of that happening is a little bit slimmer again you know a lot of these individuals already making very high salaries the ones with experience so be our best shot is to get these individuals right at a or at a school where they to have that debt but I do have to tell you as well as my existing medical examiner's probably have some does well because they come out of college with three hundred fifty thousand dollars for the whole educational track and that that's pretty daunting so they're looking around the country now in there they've got the pick of the state that they want to live in they've got the salary range that that they want in order to accommodate their family and their tuition and then that's realistically what we have to compete with. If I could follow up you're recognized how young do you have to be the initiator career in that field. A lot younger than me. Review and make sure recognized. Thank you I support what you're doing here the only question I have just the funding mechanism how's it gonna be funded out but doesn't seem like it's probably gonna be a whole lot of sense you don't have a whole lot of candidates but if you could just bills and all that it absolutely in if you to one of the things is with our existing salary savings so we've got with the to open positions that we had funded on field that goes directly into general revenue the other thing that we did is we transfer DPS about not quite a million dollars from AC I see and that's recurrent funding so it's not going to be a a new issue so with everything that we're doing with relationship to salary and student loan forgiveness is going to cost the state additional funding request. Resurging you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman Director of just kind of I support this but of how do we rate as far as pay and and what other states are doing this loan forgiveness do we have any example of the success of the state to face and yes we do one of the the district where we can model this from his Maricopa county in Arizona the currently have about sixteen or seventeen forensic pathologist in this program's been very successful there been able to you know keep that hook in them because they again they can you know pay off some of that student loan debt and the other thing I'd like to mention to is within if we are successful with this program and they come to work for us they have a whole year probation period before they're even eligible so we don't plan on for one dollars away with someone what we should hired anyway. And how to how do we rate. Page with other state or I'm sure were toward the bottom we are toward the bottom however with the ability to exceed the maximum rate I think it makes us very competitive so I think that's you to first step okay. Thank you thank you Mister chairman represented Johnson you're recognized. My questions for the director is is it channeler Mr name Sir the channel channels it would Director channel so the question is do we have a forensic pathology fellowship in the State of Arkansas that's a great question we used to have a a fellowship program with you M. S. and we've had done talks with them on trying to breathe life back into that program because I'm a firm believer in that so the long term goal to establish that relationship we already have a relationship we already see their interns we already do a lot for you M. S. and I think this is the best for the state we're trying to figure out what's that going to cost you a mess to administer that program but that those programs are successful because you can grow your own if you will and I think that's what we need to do in Arkansas long term is to make sure that's a viable programs funded appropriately because you know this isn't going to go away nationally so we have to have a lot of uh mechanism mechanism to compete. Follow up at so a program like that do you have an idea of what that would cost. You know that's already open to run yes you know as you know you M. S. as several different types of fellowship programs I'm not sure what that cost is but we're we're currently working with them to try to figure out what those things are because they would actually administered the program and we would of course supply the facility the case work and and Education from our existing pathologist and to that point we also another thing that we're doing is call a locum tenens project and what that is and we're advertising for that now that it gives us the ability to bring in forensic pathologist they would have to have their Arkansas licensure to practice medicine but they can do a lot of the cases that are non criminal like drug overdoses that were skyrocketing that a little that allows us to reduce the number of cases were we're doing and to have the time necessary to be an educational institution in a fellowship program of that nature I have one more and then that would be considered graduate medical education program correct correct I thank you. Reversal back correct. Thank you Mr so. I'm a little confused number somewhat so we were talking about fifty thousand or something so this is actually a hundred thousand. Per person Max until that the Max's here in twenty five thousand dollars for twenty four months of service correct that's correct so the way the program worked it out to successfully complete the first year we would sign off on them if they are good employees after that first year at that point they would sign a contract for the twenty four months received twenty five thousand the Max of the total time period would be a hundred thousand. Okay so so that they're actually working for us a year before they can even start their two year period absolutely not thank. Represent a great. You're recognized thank you Mr chair so I've learned in high in my dealings with physicians that but their contract is their lifeblood date that contract means everything to them they look at it all the time and so I realize this is not the actual contract but when I'm trying to dissect this end to support what you're doing as I as I Bassick the as you say that they work for Laboratory fraternity because twenty four months for each year the program makes a payment is that calendar year fiscal year that's calendar year okay and then I don't know if that needs to be defined but if I'm a physician reading a contract I could question that if it's not included and and the and so for every year that the payments made but she based the payment schedule on the two year cycle so you've got down there twenty five thousand per twenty four months so do you intend to pay up to twelve five every year for eight years which would then put them on the hook for sixteen years of employment you you just pay for the two year successful completion of the contract so for the twenty four month period that we get to be eligible for the twenty five thousand and it they would be paid for that if they violate the contract or M. for bid we have to terminate someone and they would be responsible for paying that back and I think some of those details like that I think would have to be again we have to promulgate rules the prime let board to make sure and that's why we wanted to have the information like the tuition because we don't want someone coming to work for us and getting that money because they have a they're you know they're driving a Porsche needs to directly go back to their tuition okay and that student that one must follow what they just based on what you said is we would pay them after that two years is up so they said they do two years and then we paid in the twenty five thousand they would actually be paid on the signing of the contract that way again eight failed to make that two year period they would be responsible for paying back the entirety of the twenty five thousand okay and then my last question is this. Says that we made the payment will made directly to the to the creditor not to the pathologist themselves correct. Okay thank you. Ferguson Ladyman you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair of. What would happen if we don't approve this and you said you have to open positions now are not able to fill in some of the folks retired like represented Tosh talked about what would we see as a public you know what would be the impact of that it's safe to get a couple more retire. What would we see well we it is centered Tosh point on we would lose our accreditation or national association of medical examiners accreditation that would be the first thing to go and and that is a credibility issue on any criminal case school for a the jury and rightfully so the other impact that we're gonna see is it's like anything the reason those numbers exist is if you do too many cases you're gonna make mistakes so there's a a litany of things that can happen to the citizens of Arkansas they're not gonna begin their death certificates timely whatsoever because the cases are gonna be stagnated at the laboratory the other component of this and you realize that we're dealing with all seventy five counties and we have no statutory authority to reject the case so they submit a case to us because whatever the reasonings are they submit the case to us we have to determine cause or manner of death so it's a I think there's a huge ripple of fact that happens in every county of the state whether it's criminal or whether it's just a natural death that the county coroner who descend to appropriate quipped educationally to make those determinations. Thank you. With that also result in cases being dismissed from criminal cases if we didn't have someone to do those reports. What absolutely I think that's one of the the Japanese that that we're facing a minute you know one of the things that that's important forensic pathologist the attention to detail of those things are extremely critical in Cornwall and those of the things that we can't sacrifice so we can't there are no corners to cut there's no efficiency to be gained on any of this process. Roger gene you have a question you're recognized. I still support I will make this clear. I'm sitting in the of probation period of one year that's correct okay. I'm trying trying to figure out. After the second year they will not be eligible for this either that is not not crystal clear that is the third year the eligible for this after it after they complete their first successful year and they're off on their signed off on off of probation and have all the educational requirements certifications that's needed to practice in Arkansas then they would be eligible to sign a contract for twenty four months at that point so that would be their second year that would be in any audible for the third year yes with the twenty five thousand yes Sir okay thank you. All right anyone any other committee that represent back you have no. You're recognized. So okay. They work year. Then I signed the contract and they get to twenty four thousand dollars then in but they agree to work for two years that's that's correct at that point there the during the game for the first year at the sign the contract two more years of obligation as friends pathologist any violation in there can be they would have to subject they would be subjected pace back that twenty the whole amount twenty five thousand with the city a year they did six months the whole amount thank. All right any other questions committee. We have no one signed up to speak for against this bill is there anyone in the audience would like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Rosa Tosh would you like to close for your bill. Thank you Mr I'm close with the bill and make a recommendation of a do pass. Committee we have a do pass motion of the discussion on the motion. Ropes and gray record. Thank you Mr chair and it's what we're sitting there is kind of talking and I think between now this the three of us were confused with that language there on page two and so I'm going to vote for it but I just recommend that I don't know who you need to talk to you whether it's counselor someone that specializes in employment law and contracting and I think you might actually need to amend that language and make it more clear in stat sheets of my discussion is just ask you to please do that and possibly amend on the Senate side if needed and we would concur here on the house side absolutely thank you. Any other discussion. Seeing none all in favor say aye are you opposed no graduation you've passed your bill. Reserve board you probably can go head started to the of the table you're next with the House Bill fifteen seventeen walled chairman is getting back to his position. Thank you Mister chair and with the chair tosses permission I'd like to present and an amendment to the the bill. Representable yeah go if you've got other people us. I was gonna present the amendment has to be adopted in and bring them up if that's okay okay you have you have an amendment bill waited you're recognized to present the amendment so some of you might know and understand there's an kind of an old informal legislative working group looking for at security in our election systems and they offer this amendment and if adopted would be in support of this bill so The Amendment simply is set the path for the secretary of state to develop an address verification system and there any specific questions on that I'm happy to have someone from the sector State's office to come up here. Jim Dotson. Be recognized for a question and make a motion to adopt the amendment to the bill has amendment. Okay we have a motion to adopt the amendment any discussion on the motion. Say none all in favor say aye. All opposed say no amendment is adopted Representative board that you can present House bills fifteen seventeen is amended thank you Mr chair and with your permission I'm gonna bring miss Anna Claire Tilly up to the table and so. So I will just start briefly this is a bill about modernization this is a bill about it ensuring we maintain that election security and this is a bill about efficiencies one I just want to briefly say and we can talk more about it later if need be one of the the challenges we have in the state is with motor voter which is a federal program not a state program so we don't have a choice but to to register voters when they go to that to the DMV or potential voters and so what happens is a DMV employee you know can enter information and it's not infrequent that that information is incomplete and then that goes downstream to the county clerks and creates a frustration because it's their job to register voters and they can't do it within complete information and second of all an added expense because they have employee time in postage that they have to use to try to rectify that so with that said I'm gonna have a missed duly introduced herself and she's going to give us a story about watch it here today. Every year more than you're recognized to distant relationship again and then Do you have you say you have some comments to make yes Sir thank you good morning everyone my name's in a telly I'm a girl scout and I'm working on my gold award with a Representative void in the secretary of state's office to allow electronic voter registration in Arkansas I address I need for this in Arkansas whatever my sister attempted to register to vote at the DMV and ran into a snowball of inefficiencies this it would modernize Arkansas registration system and help cut out some of those efficiencies like Boyd said and we'd be following in the footsteps of thirty seven other states they've already implemented electronic voter registration. So Mister chair with that said if you're okay with that I'd like to bring a represented the secretary of state's office to kind of go over the nuts and bolts of what the bill does and doesn't do. The recognize just haven't come the other table data by yourself and you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair on Kirk now man with the Arkansas secretary of state's office and as Representative Boyd stated very simply what this bill does is it allows the secretary of state to develop a process and a system by which residents of the state can go in and register to vote online as miss Tilly said there's thirty seven other states that currently do this this is an issue that we looked at last session and decided to do an interim study proposal and we research for up pretty closely what the other states were doing and talked with potential vendors of the product what this bill does not do it's not automatic voter registration it is permissive it's something that if you choose to do so you can go online the form will be developed through a vendor who does this for other states in the. For most concern is that the information that is entered is accurate and complete and verifiable and that's one of the amendment was introduced to allow another form of verification of the information with addresses it will also require that an electronic signature be on file with the person who is online registration a registrant so that that can be cross referenced back with the system already in place by D. F. and I this does not replace the motor voter registration process that will continue this will be a process that a person can go in on their own enter the information started doing it through DMV it's their information the complete list and the accuracy is going to be greatly enhanced the funding for this can be provided from a federal hava grant that's the help America vote act so they'll be no increased cost to the citizens of Arkansas we will maintain a long term contract with the system provider so that any things that need to be tweaked anything that needs to be augmented can be done on the fly very quickly I don't know if I believe the thing out on all that but I'd be happy to entertain any questions that you may have. Thank you any any questions from committee members. The Representative would occur you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair. Thank you mention signature capture. Can can you tell us if you know what other these other states that have been already implemented how are they capturing signatures it's large largely through the a department of finance and administration component for their state you cannot use this system if you have not already conducted business with the department of finance and administration so your first time registrant you're going to need to do that by paper if you get through the process and you don't have documentation on file with the entity or if the signatures are are not verifiable and the addresses are not verifiable it will give you an error message that says you must complete the registration process be a paper but by other means follow Mister recognized great now use when you say having done business with them the let's just be sure are definitely. This would apply to folks who went and got their identification card as well as driver's license. I don't think so in that case because the identification card is issued by the county's so I don't think I'm come out of this state ID of a state ID just to be sure yes Sir okay just want to be certain that thank you so much. Say no further questions from committee members Representative board. Be ready to close. Just double checking there's no for against. Well. We don't have anybody signed up about a recognized okay did not I don't know I don't I just wanna make sure we get that to me is to appear Representative but I appreciate your help yeah. Thank you Mister chair I just didn't want there to be any questions later on thank you committee for hearing this this is a good opportunity to modernize and at the same token create efficiencies in our government I just wanna give a quick story about my own situation so most of you know on a pharmacy and so it's not infrequent that I have an eighteen to twenty one year old person this never voted before and so the way the process works today as I walk him over to one of the computers and say let's get you registered in we go secretary of state's website would print off the form and I'm like here's an ink pen and by the way the pharmacy will provide you a stamp when you mail that thing and and there there's just no reason we should I should be able to walk them over there and get the get the process going they'll have a driver's license they're all citizens of Arkansas and they should be ready to vote so with that said I sure would appreciate one of you giving me a do pass recommendation. Okay committee member Representative board has closed for the bill puts pleasure of the Committee Repligen makes a motion to pass any discussion on the motion. The. As amended. Okay. Any discussion on the motion is amended. Shea none all in favor say aye. All opposed say no graduate Representative. Bill is passed. Less bill only today's agendas Representative site. House Bill Evans twenty. Representative or used the other year. Thank you Mr good morning committee Mr Jeremiah brings witnesses to the table please yes you can thank you. I have with me Chief Stefflon see walls of the department corrections and sterling ten X. the jail review committee. Director coordinator. The total of the week in the hail. You're recognized resent your bill representing. Thank you Mister committee with the The Amendment on the bill. The the should have. Is the ones I believe some of the members of this committee discuss with department of correction representatives laid out of just a minute this Share with all I'm not Senate Amendment. Gross okay okay ten dollars a month hello NO second. Okay that is billable region gross amendment as engrossed you're recognized okay so in that sense it's been engrossed to send the bill we made those changes from the last time we present it and you know it today's date. The general review director coordinator keep it may confuse coordinator is a a political appointee by the governor to go through and coordinate with the jail committees of that district to the oversee the jail do the review go in and say that the the jail is in compliance and all or nutritional moods and and it's Colleen it's we're the building for them to be and it's being operated correctly. And the during this this of being a political point a lot of times there's no continuity involved in it you may have one coordinator come in and the new governor this guy he'd the motley blower of mine on the next one might come in a little overzealous and get on the traveling show the jail down and with this being a career move will be more continuity to it by a moving them with the department of corrections now the jail standards is completely different from the department of corrections standards so there's no Merion them into that that they have to conform to what the department of corrections to the pre trial detainees are treated completely different than a convicted felon so when you have to respect those rights of that. So with that if we and the Department corrections came to me with this bill it's believed to be a good bill for the continuity of the county jail city jails in the plan the Department corrections also. And. The okay thank you Representative eight any questions of from committee members. Representative Greg you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair I am someone Page three line eight and it's looks like that's part of the amendment the method of inspection by only be altered an event of an emergency declared that does it hold the entire. Review process does it that just changes the met the Dalai for possibly in person to video or something like that. So if you want to that be fun. Thank you Mr chair thank you madam and so right now I'm statute they are required to go out and inspect facilities so with the declared emergency this time with the pandemic we were able to use the governor's orders to Kind of set those rules aside and allow him to do a modified by him I mean sterling backer behind me and a modified review so that they were able to conduct a review at all because they weren't allowed into the jails. Okay follow up. You're recognized there. I'm not bothered me just a little bit okay with modifying the plan but like we're going into like your TV with executive orders and the Emergency still in place and so what we're looking at is at least like probably two years of a modified plan without him actually having I site in those facilities and so I don't have a question it is. It kind of bothers me especially since this review is only required annually that we couldn't find a way for actual physical review this once a year does that review how long does it take I mean is is a weeklong review a months long review. All right that the thirty year old. It depends on your committee that some that didn't take five minutes to come in there during the call for you to leave and that said I hate to be brutally honest about that's what some do some of them may be in there all day and a lot of it depends on the Journal review coordinator that's in there it's was talking about the continuity of it and you know they usually still schedule it try to get it in there on that date but if we have snow storm and in and I understand what you're saying only the exact borders to agree there but if their schedule during that time and they can't get into the jail the end of the review the documents provided by the jail jail administrators will get them everything thirds questions of the in the the facilities closed most facilities now I'll have to start on about the and the power of video in there so they could do a look in there if they just want to see in certain areas but flux snowstorm mayor of control leave delay at which the lawyer buddy ill spore set it up with that they can review the documents okay thank you. Say no further questions from committee members. Pepperidge later you're. Read as follows with your bill well I would certainly sense of no Mister payments for years and how he flex to talk all terminals will stop the bolt of force committee and you to have to suffer through it so I'll close. Okay he represented you state is close with these bill. Of what's the pleasure of the Committee. A production we have a. I do pass any discussion on the on the motion. Say none all in favor say aye All opposed say no regulation refuge let your bill has passed thank you committee thank you Mr you're welcome committee members Was it sure until this morning but it looks like that we will meet on Monday morning at nine thirty I know we had had that meeting Monday morning meetings but we need to kind of get our agenda moving get some things done we do have a just a few bills to run by Arkansas apologize to you but I've already told those are the people we engineer we'd get you my friends so anyways I understand thank you so we will meet Monday morning nine thirty thank you committee members this meeting is adjourned.