Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee - Senate

When you're ready Senator you are recognized okay at first I would just ask to and adopt the amendment to the bill. All right I have a motion to have a second all those in favor say aye all those opposed all right amendment is adopted. All right members thank you so much sorry we're running down here we need to pass a bill that was also timely in fashion for Senator Hester in Education Committee thank you M. for waiting on me and what this bill does if you will recall back during the fall we had testimony and public health committee from small businesses who were ordered by the government to shut down I think this greatly affected our salons barbers hairs hair salons restaurants. a lot of the time small businesses that were really directed and as a result there unemployment obviously skyrocketed during that second quarter of twenty twenty and so because we are on a system of periodic review of where their unemployment within affect their twenty twenty one rates those statements went out to their businesses and they were and clearly that second quarter impacted what they will be pain and twenty twenty one and the only way that we can adjust that by passing this legislation so that those small businesses that the government ordered to to close that does second quarter unemployment numbers would not be counted against them for their twenty twenty one rates for this year so that's what this bill does And presented Ladyman to a really good job bringing and testimony from small businesses who brought their statements and he kind of highlighted this issue in this problem so we worked with department of workforce services department of commerce represent lady minutes here and to get this language at where it needed to be and get this bill passed it is a time is of the essence on this bill because those adjustments are in the process the need to be made for this year all right thank you a are there any questions from the committee. All right seeing no questions does anyone want to speak against the bill. For the bill. Seeing none. Of the clothes for your bill yes I'm I would just appreciate a good vote thank you all for digging in on this issue with us all right Senator Sullivan you're recognized. All right we have a motion to pass to have a second R. I. is amended as amended thank you all right the all those in favor say aye. All those opposed all right thank you have thank you bill thank you madam chair thank you members of the committee alright ladies and gentleman Senator eats is here and he needs to get back to his committee he has a of something that he wants to do and we are sure that it will be quick so here we go I believe you have an amendment is that correct all right when you're ready you are recognized. Madam chair the members already have a copy of the amendment. All right you want to explain your amendment. Thank you madam chair of this amendment actually changes the the subtitle of this of this bill to actually encouraged the governor to amend the Arkansas Medicaid eligibility rules to provide access to coverage for migrant men women and children from the compact of free of Association islands And we need to adopt this amendment parking explain fully what this resolution does all right you've heard the amendment do you have any questions on the amendment. All right seeing nine point is the pleasure of the Committee on this amendment. Motion to adopt second all those in favor say aye. All those opposed all right you're amendment has been adopted you can continue of with the. The Senate current resolution number five is amended thank you madam chair colleagues this isn't an amendment that encourages the governor to changes eligibility rules in nineteen ninety six federal made this a group of people an eligible for Medicaid and other federally funded programs but Congress passed a bill last just this last December that was signed into law by president trump called the corona virus response route relief supplemental appropriations act of twenty twenty one which again makes the citizens eligible for Medicaid coverage so what this would do is by updating our eligibility rules would align that with the federal law that was passed in December and and this was in encouragement from the legislature is put this actual resolution would do to to move for with that plan and and merry Franklin's here from DHS if we have any questions specifically about the process all right would you the state your name and who you're with for the record please. Afternoon this is merry Franklin on the Director of the Division of County operations at the Department of Human Services all right thank you thank members that you have heard an explanation to have any questions all right senator Levin you're recognized for a question what is a governor needing courage meant for this. Well we have this on a number of occasions this is this is an important issue and we passed a resolution the last session this time before that added pregnant women and children to the programming that they were eligible to that and this just given the legislature an opportunity to participate in the process saying we think this is important we are encouraged to worry I'm just wondering why there's encouragement if the governor not inclined to do this without our. No I believe he's he's he's willing to move forward I just thought this is important for us to participate in the process okay good I agree thank you. Questions. All right seeing none. this anyone in the audience want to speak for this bill. Against this bill. Senator do you want to close for your bill I am close I would appreciate a good vote all right of do I have a motion all right have a motion to have a second. All right all those in favor say aye all those opposed you have passed your bill thank you so much thank you madam chair thank you Committee. All right ladies and gentlemen. Is senator Johnson he you're going to his bill all right. This is a Senate bill two fifty seven and Senator Flippo is going to present the bill for senator Johnson and you're recognized appointment do you have someone to help you the estimates. Johnson with that yes. The right name your. Thank you manager mark what would be H. us all answer whatever you wanna call me. Right Senate to people you're recognized. Thank you senator Johnson the Sure members this is a bill that's going to the law concerning the complete investigation for the adult health treatment long term care facility resident maltreatment so not overly familiar that worked on this bill so you don't more stuff and talking points here to me by my toward it over to mark and let him tell you all exactly what the reason for this is what this bill is gonna do I think you're recognized thank you madam chair right now all we will protect services which investigates allegations of abuse neglect or exploitation of endangered adult in the state in the statute there is a limit on those investigations of sixty days and we find some situations where there's just a need for more time to complete those investigations agree to examples one is may we we we know what's going on with the abuse or neglect and we're dealing with that but there's a delay in getting that in danger individual into a long term placement they're waiting for a bed to open up a particular facility and sometimes a second pushes past the sixty day mark the other example would be on exploitation cases is very time consuming to get records from banks will we need to banking or financial records and that's something that's not unique to us on though when I was a proper thanks to the lawyer I carry the same thing it just takes a long time to get financial records on the banks so what this bill does two things one is it extends the time for an exploitation case only to ninety days for the sixty days and allows either type of case to be habitable forty five days extended for good cause and with that I'll have to answer any questions all right other questions from the committee okay of centre Sullivan. Thank you madam chair I know there are a number of ways to clock starts running all over again so you we have a have a sixty day and if certain conditions were met they could start that sixty days all over now we're taking anything if ninety and they can start that clock running all over again so what is the average time it takes on these types of cases to resolve them. I will let me know that would last time I looked the advertisement was it was about fifty or so days its course berries from case to case I will say that rape is meticulous in the statute there's not a way to start and stop the clock essentially starts from day one and just runs into a mess and because that lack flexibility the statute that's why we we sought to have this amended to provide local flexibility there for when it is needed Caroline NO senator Johnson's investigated this were also just concerned about people that are involved in that it seems like they're invasive investigations can just go on on because we just restart the clock and I'll come to watch on the coast thank you thank you manager all right any other questions from the committee. All right seeing none is anyone in the audience want to speak for this bill. Against the bill what are you closing senator I'll close my bill pretty good though all right what is the pleasure of the Committee motion motion all right to have a second all right all those in favor say aye all those opposed you have passed your bill. All right moving on down. Is anyone here who is carrying the bill for Representative Dotson house bill eleven sixteen. Not today all right then we'll go on down. To senator Bledsoe and let's take a state senator Senate bill two fifty nine first please. All right madam chair Sir but so you're recognized proceed with two fifty nine I see you've got a a guest with you down there if you don't mind give us your name in here with the record. I'm Denise Oxley and general counsel for the department of labor licensing we're happy to have you thank you and the ladies and gentleman I'm very happy to have her as will of this comes from the Secretary of the Senate. Of and to miss Oxley is going to explain the bill. Thank you the members of the committee the heating ventilation and air conditioning and refrigeration licensing port has for the past seventeen years been issuing day of local inspectors license and charging an annual fee of twenty five dollars for that. That board was transferred from the Department of Health the Department labor licensing with transformation and we began looking at as with all the boards of the rules and regulations that board specifically did not have specific statutory authority to issue that license or charge that fee apparently relying on some very generalized authority with respect to inspection programs and the board in the Secretary thought that it was important to bring this to clean up what they've been doing for seventeen years to six Pacific legislative authority for doing that and that is what this bill would do. Are we happy to answer any questions of members are there any questions. All right say none is anybody on as we speak for the bill. Against the bill. Sir but so are you close regarding any comments I am close for the bill and I would appreciate a good vote and I do need to pass our members who got a motion to pass in the second. Second by Senator Davis all in favor say aye. Hi a post graduation venture bill passes. I'm moving on we've got to are you gonna do two eighty five but so yes okay and I'd like to invite to rose mediums to the table with me correct. Rose ma'am six active Director of Arkansas right to life. Please to have in this man's centerplate so you're recognized perceive your bill all right I am asking miss man's to tell us about the bill. And turning it over to her. Thank you. Well this is a bill to amend the existing law that was passed in two thousand five I believe by Senator Bobby Glover. Person support to all for a woman who is seeking an abortion to be able to view the ultrasound of that is done before an abortion if she wants to and this law would amended to make it a must display ultrasound image where the woman wouldn't wouldn't be burden would be on her to ask to see it it would be there for her to see if she wanted to she could for her eyes so she chose not to but it will also give her critical information about the development of the unborn child A description of what is the altar scenographer is seeing you know if there's one baby or to The internal organs. Arms legs whatever they say as an explanation while they're doing the ultrasound. And we've learned that in crisis pregnancy centers that have ultrasound machines and many of them do now. That eighty five percent of the mothers who see the ultrasound image often choose life. So this is a life saving bill. Reduce the number of abortions in Arkansas greatly if that image was on open display the year at Planned Parenthood in the regular planning windows when we go to have you know the consultation because that's when the ultrasound is done. And so that they can see their unborn child in here about the development that's basically what the bill does all right thank you members will have any questions. All right say no question Senator Bledsoe are you closing your bill yes I'm close from a bill and I'm a do pass all right numbers we have a motion to past we have a second excuse me I'm sorry I completely overlooked public with anybody is signed up to speak for against the bill with a miss Allie Taylor. Is Taylor you because to be on the left. I'm sorry members I skipped step pre important step Mr you're recognized that receives remarks. Thank you if you get the. A better for you thank you Senator Bledsoe and committee members. I'm sorry if you just give us your name and who you're with that you're with anybody before thank you. My name is alley Taylor I am co founder and president of Arkansas abortion support network I oppose SB eighty five this bill is just another attempt by the state to enact onerous regulations on a safe legal medical procedure. I always find it a little ironic that so many members of this legislative body claim to hate big bad government regulation except of course when it comes to pregnant bodies it seems that there is no government regulation that is too big when it comes to controlling pregnant women. This bill does nothing to improve the health or safety of patients it's sole purpose is to shame pregnant people as if a woman can't possibly know what she's doing without the State inserting itself into the exam room. It's already requires an ultrasound prior to an abortion and already requires that the patient be given the option of viewing the ultrasound. It seems as if the legislature doesn't want pregnant people to have options so now we have this bill the discretes more hoops for providers to jump through a more regulations for pregnant people vote no on SB eighty five. Thank you Mr thank you. Of where to go to This is the care next Mesick. If you will please go ahead and give us your name and who you're with for the record and you're recognized recognize Percy remarks. My name is Karen music I'm with the Arkansas abortion support network but mostly I'm representing myself as a woman this is one of those things I want to make sure you realized the majority of women who have abortions the vast majority of women who have abortions have already had children. The vast majority are trying to control the size of their households this is a sign of an educated in a progressive country this is how countries move ahead is allowing. Women the right to control the size of their families. I really would appreciate you opposing this effort to try to do nothing but shame women that are making a choice you don't agree with. You must be sick. We also have this cloak Klein Senate speak against this client. If you would give your name here with and then you would be recognized Percy okay hi my name is Chloe Klein I'm a senior premedical student at Henderson state university and I just wanted to say that requiring women to view an ultrasound before an abortion is just another attempt to control what they're doing and that exam room and it's just simply unnecessary Senate bill the Senate bill and the other abortion restrictions that Arkansas legislators are trying to pass penalizes women for needing abortions instead of preventing abortions the time and money that is being spent on abortion restrictions should be allocated towards age appropriate sex education and access to affordable health care and birth control which have proven to significantly lower abortion rates and improve the quality of women's lives I just wanna leave you with a quote from the Michelle Obama the difference. Between a broken community and a thriving one is the presence of women who are valued thank you thank you recline. All right Senator Bledsoe are you not close for your bill I am close from a bill and would appreciate a good vote all right members you discussion center but so is now close to a motion. A motion by Senator Gilmore second. Senator Hester all they were. Opposed regulations Senator Bledsoe your bill passes. All right ladies and gentleman we have finished our region agenda with the exception of represented done since bill are you going to carry that Senate twenty. Okay all right but sometime next week. Okay Wednesday all right well we'll look forward to that all right of the chair does not see any other business. And we are adjourned.