House Convenes

I'm by the member staff press and guests in the galleries to stand to be led in prayer by bishop Stephen Arnold founding pastor grace temple Little Rock and remain standing for the pledge of allegiance filed to be led by Representative Lane Jean. Per S. per. God we give you glory for this day we're glad and grateful that this country was founded upon biblical principles and so law we look to you first and foremost what's them. You were declares that if any person lacked wisdom let him ask of you who gives it liberally and would not withhold it so what we thank you for the wisdom for the show leaders to continue to conduct themselves by making wise and just decisions we also what pray for our country for healing. What we thank you that you're still in the healing business not only for healing but for unity for this is the United States of America so god continue to bind us together in love with the purpose and what we thank you that many who are here today serving this is also a time of transition for them and so long allow this to be seamless and great and also some transitions into leadership and so long as they. Operator making decisions for this Arkansas that you allow them to do things decently and in order for the betterment of this entire state it is in your mighty name we pray amen. Members please indicate your presence by pushing yellow present button prepare the machine Mr Clerk. Cast about Mr Clark. With ninety six members present the chair sees a quorum. Are there any request for leave. Representative Ferguson for what purpose leave you're recognized leave the for a Representative Fred Allen is leave grant granted for a person Fred Allen. So noted represent Watson for what purpose leave you're recognized leave a Representative Charlene Fite leave granted for representar lane fight. So noted represent bro for what purpose of late you're recognized of represented Karilyn Brown is leave granted for represented round. The noted represent hawks for what purpose. Leave you're recognized leave for Representative Tosh it's leave granted for representantes. Though noted. Represent Fredrick Love moves we dispense with the reading of the previous day's Journal without objections so ordered are there Reports from select committees. Are the reports from standing committees read reports Mr Clark. Mr Speaker we are Committee on state agencies to whom was referred house bill ten fifty three ten eleven twelve possible twelve fourteen Senate bill one twenty eight Senate bill one forty five. Beg leave to report that we have had the same under consideration in here with return with the same recommendation that a do pass respectfully submitted Justin Gonzales vice chair. Sir any unfinished business. Are there any Executive communications. Read the letter from the government Clerk. K. twenty eight twenty twenty one to the Speaker of the house I do Mr Speaker this is to inform you that on January twenty eight twenty twenty one I approved the following measures from the regular session at the ninety third General Assembly household ten seventy as ACT ten households and thirty three as act eleven possible to thirty four has ACT twelve House within thirty five has ACT thirteen household ten seventy nine that's ACT fourteen ten ninety five as active fifteen house bill eleven twenty six as ACT sixteen house eleven thirty three as act seventeen sincerely it's a hundred. Members before we move to the resolutions of our state troopers with this this week or corporal Russell brand's field of troop B. of Newport trooper and trooper Darryl can't in troop ET of pine bluff. Our doctor the day is Dr Richard W. Nicholas junior on orthopedic surgeon here in Little Rock in our nurse of the day it's miss Brenda he would have been. Mr Clark please read house resolution one thousand nine. House resolution one thousand I'm a Representative may very to create Arkansas nurses for their dedication and commit commitment to creating a healthy and safe learning environment for students even in times of crisis represent Mayberry you're recognized to present the resolution. Thank you Mr Speaker. And twenty thirteen there were seven hundred and fifty six school nurses statewide in Arkansas. In twenty twenty pre pandemic there were nine hundred and forty eight we have increased the number of school nurses in the state of Arkansas by two hundred since twenty thirteen we still do not have a nurse on every campus but we are making strides imagine what the situation would be like in our school systems right now with this pandemic had those nurses not already been on those campuses. In twenty twenty the health department declared school nurses acts critical infrastructure the only school employee with that distinction critical infrastructure. A school nurse in New York was actually the very first to notify officials of the swine flu outbreak in two thousand nine which triggered a nation wide response. If you talk to some of the nurses in our schools they'll tell you that their office is more like a mini E. R.. Some of them see fifty to sixty children a day. Fifty to sixty a day in their school nurse office. In previous surveys this is pre pandemic. One hundred and fifty seven thousand six hundred ninety four public school students had at least one chronic health condition which represented thirty three percent of the total student population. One million nine hundred and twenty two thousand nearly two million public school students were seen by a school nurse and then return to class. Sixteen thousand nine hundred and three public school staff members were administered first aid by school nurses. I think it's time we take a little bit of a a moment to can mend our Arkansas calls are Arkansas school nurses for their dedication and commitment to creating a healthy and safe learning environment for students even in times of crisis Clark please read. The resolution. Barclay's read the resolution. Where the school nurses advocate for put positive spin health outcomes by using care coordination and student focused care and west school nurses are responsible for collecting students school staff data in order to determine what changes are needed for school health services that local and state levels and we're at school nurses utilize evidence based resources programs and tools to enhance equitable and inclusive student health and wellness collection service the primary link between schools health care and community agencies to support optimal educational success in order to bridge the gap between health care and education and whereas school nurse is making enormous contributions to the health and well being of children in schools by caring for students mental physical and emotional wellness and we're at school nurses abide by the standards of practice improve care coordination excels leaders in their communities support encourage quality improvement healthcare and bridge the gas which within their communities for increased access to better healthcare and we're asking nurses throughout the country approved to be essential and invaluable throughout the ongoing current affairs twenty nineteen pandemic by caring for students staff and maintaining safe school operations now therefore be it resolved in the house of representatives of the nightmare General Assembly the state of Arkansas. Person Mayberry has explained the resolution would anyone like to speak against the resolution. We would like to speak for the resolution. Mayberry is closed for the resolution the question before the House is the adoption of house resolution one thousand nine all in favor say aye. Any opposed. Resolution is adopted. Morning hour is ended Mr Clark please read house bill twelve hundred. Household of hundred by Representative Mayberry to amend the Arkansas rehabilitation services forgiveness of student loan program and to clarify requirements for eligibility Mayberry you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker and members this was a bill that was also brought to me by Arkansas rehab services I thought it was a good bill to make sure that we are people making people held accountable for services that we're helping them with these amendments ensure that ARS Arkansas rehab services only contribute funds towards the forgiveness of students law student loans after eligible employees become entitled to the payments I wanna make it clear we are not starting a new student loan program this already existed there is no change there's no fiscal impact of this bill whatsoever this is an existing program we are just trying to make sure that people are doing the work that we expect them to do pre payment of funds toward student loan forgiveness can lead to collection efforts against former A. R. us employees if they retire or terminated before fully earning those payments prepayment is also difficult for a R. S. staff to manage administratively these problems would be eliminated as a R. S. made loan forgiveness payments once eligible employees had already worked two years for the agency thus earning the payments I appreciate a good vote. Represent Mayberry is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent Mayberry is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill twelve hundred prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. I voted ninety five yeas zero nine zero present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read house bill eleven ninety five. House eleven ninety five my Representative Dotson to create the every mom matters acts to provide health care support to pregnant women in Arkansas into stabilize families and reduce the number of abortions performed in the state. Absent Dotson you're recognized explain house bill eleven ninety five thank you Mr Speaker members. House Bill eleven ninety five every mom matters ACT four E. intimate Emma for short. Would reducible arsons by making sure every woman obtaining an abortion in Arkansas knows about both the resources public and private available to her to support her pregnancy and parenting should she decide not to have an abortion. Many abortions are driven by so so opt economic concerns that pre existed pregnancy. Many women seeking abortion experience heightened stress and are unaware of the all of the available resources to them. To do this in my requires before obtaining an abortion or must first to receive a free resource access assistance offer from a train supported professional in which the professional explain services available to the woman and offers to connect her directly to them. The Bill supports extensive follow up services until the child's second birthday. All services are provided through a brief phone call to a toll free number. Data shows that if women are fully informed as many as a third will decide to keep their babies in Arkansas when Emma is fully implemented that would be roughly one thousand babies saved annually plus ongoing support to the children's mothers. This is set to go into effect if passed January first twenty twenty three. So imagine five years after this being fully implemented that would be the equivalent of forty plus new classrooms full of kindergartens. Starting school every year thereafter the more than happy to try to answer any questions. Represent a color for purpose. Question you're recognized thank you Mr Speaker you talked about on going support Representative Dotson can you give me a kind of a time line of how how long does the support continue at it would be through the child's second birthday as far as the the way the resource access assistance offer Program would be set up. The initial phone call would be as short as five minutes woman who is seeking abortion can make that eight hundred number. Is not required to do anything else you can then go ahead and and make whatever choice she decides to to go forward with should she decide to ask for additional resources then they would set up a care plan depending on her particular situation whatever those resources might be it might be trying to set up job training it might be a resume building it could be helping or signed up for Medicaid or any other type of resources but to try to help her hold hold her hand through getting both public and private resources that are locally available to wherever she happens to be in the state follow up Mr Speaker you're recognized thank you Mr Speaker so can you also address funding and what type of funding has to be used and is there a chance that this funding would run out at some point so this this would be set up through the department of health the estimates on the cost the program would be between one point two and one point five million dollars like I said it will not start until January first of twenty twenty three so we've got virtually two years before it be the second half of the next fiscal year before would be beginning to be implemented to find whatever resources through the department of health would be required in order to continue the program make it sustainable Funding like this typically would probably be through general revenue allocation of whatever surplus as we as we're budgeting things going forward. Represent Wardlaw for what purpose you're recognized thank you Mr Speaker. Represent Dotson you present is a public health and. I ask the question I health department but later I found out this bill actually mandates my understanding that we contract the services out and to the health department's point that day in committee they think they could do this cheaper have you talked to them about that point are is that something we could amend on the bill or what what's your thoughts on they haven't brought that up to me and I haven't discussed it with them any further since then. When I haven't talked to him about that specifically banned brought that concern to me follow up respect recognize can you have that discussion before this bill runs in the Senate we can certainly have that discussion thank you. Representative Deborah Ferguson for what purpose question you're recognized well and that was part of my question what happens if the appropriation never comes three what happens to the bill. I mean it's possible as many will never be appropriated so what happens is that these people are stacked requiring the phone call that there's no one on the other end to answer the phone well the Department helpful to be in violation of the law if we set the policy that's what this is about is us determine the policy we determine what the policy is going forward should this bill pass in the law department health would have to then allocate resources toward implementing the policy and we as the appropriators would then have to make the determination through budgeting. How we allocate those resources through preparations going forward. Can I ask a follow up you're recognized as a thought I ask you just about every question in public health I could ask but who will be answering the telephones and will they be licensed counselors I mean or will it just be volunteers or is that decided at this point so in other states where this is set up the trained professionals I'm I'm not entirely sure exactly what all their specific qualifications are they're outlined in the bill as far as there has to be trained professionals that are answering that phone call on the other end so whatever entities that the Department of Health decides to contract with in order to supply the services would have to meet the the R. F. P. qualifications and make sure that they're they're hiring the appropriately trained professionals in order to to be receiving those phone calls okay thank you represent Hodges for what purpose question recognized where did you get the what did you get your does your impact dollars from the annual impact dollars from because the Department health estimated between forty five million dollars yes so the the Department of Health hadn't ever put together any sort of data on this type of a program specifically before so the data that I had came primarily from organizations that do this type of work in other states and create this type of a have this type of program in operation there's a program similar to this in Texas that over the last couple years it's had over ten thousand women call into their their resource line and make offers of assistance and connecting them to services and that sort of thing about a third of those that that's where the statistics come from that a third of those once they've been made that offer they choose not to move forward with the abortion and then they on average have about five months worth of services that that women seek out and and continue with them for about five months so. That's the entity that had actual data and numbers on what the cost to to develop and maintain a program like this and is made the offer to work with the department of health to create a program Should this bill pass. Buffalo please recognize so if the with Texas the only state that you you you get your numbers from or how many other states the team to come of it I'm not sure the the all of the different states that's the that's the main one that that I was working with I think they're in operation and a couple of different states but I I don't know their names off the top which ones off the top of my head. Represent flowers for what purpose. Question you're recognized thank you Mr Speaker Dotson I want to commend you for drafting a bill that works toward prevention Rather than in terms of providing resources for women however why incorporate a mandate for a woman to contact someone with the program rather than providing some outreach in making the information accessible and available. Well so. This is expanding on a program that we passed a couple years ago that provided the opportunity for the department helped move sort and forward and create this type of program that was out reach to everyone in the state In two years they haven't moved forward with that that was a may do it so. Currently we're not operation doing anything for that type of outreach this rather than having a expanded program that is I mean I I would love to do what you what you're suggesting I wish they would of implementing the program but you're talking about out reach that is a little bit more expensive this is much more Taylor Lee focused specifically on the three thousand roughly women who are actively seeking an abortion and. Is targeted specifically toward making sure that they have the resources they know or they need before they make that final decision. Hello Mister Speaker you're recognized. If he and eight in the if the legislation has already been passed rather than putting the onus on a woman who I would assume has already made a painstaking decision to then make a phone call especially not knowing circumstances around that pregnancy in the cases and and people don't like to think of this I don't like to think of it that rape and incest and on domestic violence are are true realities in the lives of so many women. Why not put a shall on that legislation that was previously pass so that the owners would then be on that agency to follow through with the out reach that you'd intended in the first place thank you. You write that that bill and I will be the first co sponsored I would love to see it done. I appreciate a good vote. Represent Dotson explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Absent Ladyman you're recognized speak for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. Well these are all the questions we have a lot of good questions in committee I was in the committee where this was discussed. And you know cost is one thing. And we don't have money allocated now we don't know what that's going to be exactly but there's estimates maybe a million dollars. But I just wanna add one comment that came to me when we were in committee and we were debating this. And. Texas course maybe you don't like taxes I didn't like them when they were plan Razorbacks there okay I guess but but this was not in Texas. And the eighty. Said that they had one third. Of the baby's safety. So if that holds true in Arkansas which I don't know why it would not. that would be a thousand babies. Now. Talking about cost. You know we had a flood recently couple years ago on the Arkansas River that tore up a lot of stuff. You know what if that's what killed a thousand people sales a major flood and we knew that was going to occur every year we had a tornado go through Jonesborough downtown Jonesborough through the middle of Jones brought five PM on a Saturday that could have easily killed hundreds of people. If we knew a disaster like that was coming. It occurred annually. It took a thousand lines we would spend a million dollars to stop that. If we had data that said it probably would stop that. So we've got data this is this would save a thousand lives. No matter. With their birthday is minus three months or nine. So I think we could spend a million dollars to save a thousand lines so I'll be voting yes for this. Represent les mis spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. We would like to speak for the bill. Person Dotson you're recognized close for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker members. I appreciate your consideration of this bill and Mr Lehman. I was mentioning birthdays in today is mine so I would appreciate a great the. Dotson is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill eleven ninety five prepared machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Is everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. By a vote of seventy five yeas thirteen days in five present the bill is passed. For a pass over house bill eleven eighty Mr Clark please read house bill twelve twenty seven. Also told twenty seven our Representative Wardlaw to amend the minimum wage act of the state of Arkansas and to amend this section regarding relief from liability for employers and impacts portions of all resulting from initiated act five of two thousand eighteen purpose of Wardlaw you're recognized to explain the bill. That's right thank you miss Baker they always want to flex. This is a. Is bill doesn't really do anything and practicality of. We we already practice exactly what this bill says today in the trucking industry the truck and Association came to me months ago with this bill and what it says is while you're sleeping and your off duty that will not be calculated into your minimum wage figure our average truckers today make about thirty eight thousand dollars a year we will still pay for on duty we were still pay for waiting for unloading and loading and obviously for driving and with that I'd be happy to answer any questions. I appreciate a good vote represent Wardlaw as explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Person Wardlaw is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill twelve twenty seven prepare the machine Mr Clerk. Is everyone voted. Everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark. I voted ninety five U. a zero day and zero present the bill is passed. pass over house bill ten twenty two Mr Clark please read house bill eleven fifteen. Hello fifteen by Representative Wardlaw to to amend the law concerning the weight threshold for commercial motor vehicles. Wardlaw you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you were Speaker. So in a lot of our districts I know in western Arkansas this is happening a lot what we were seeing happen is a department transportation were stopping of normal pickup trucks with trailers and ever right now I'm overweight tickets offer their axle weights in Committee I held up to pitchers offer Gautam this afternoon on hold him up now it was a picture of an eighteen Wheeler and a picture of a pickup truck and which one do we want the department of transportation regulation is the eighteen Wheeler so this just takes the pickup trucks out of that regulation we will put amendment on the sanity in that will say intrastate only so we're only doing this for people here commercial haulers will still be regulated under the regulation and those people have a USDOT number usually on their side are trucking us how they're doing five presented vote. Represent Wardlaw explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. sim Wardlaw is closed for the bill the question for the house's passage of house bill eleven fifteen where the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. They're one voting. Cast about Mister Clerk. By a vote of ninety four U. A. zero nine zero present the bill is passed. Gonna pass over house bill twelve sixty five Mister Clark please read house bill eleven oh nine. House will limit on under Representative Eubanks to amend the law concerning the deposit of funds for the and claimed property at. Purposive Eubanks you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker members of this bill was brought to me by Andrea Lea the auditor the state it is agreed upon between her office and the FAA the F. and I it basically just set for budgeting purposes set number on the transfer of funds from. Her office to there's appreciate a good vote. Perceive Eubanks has explained the bill. The way we wish to speak against the bill. We would like to speak for the bill. Observe Eubanks close for the bill the question before the House is passage of house bill eleven oh nine prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark. By a vote of ninety five U. A. zero nine zero present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read house bill eleven fifty eight. Hello Kitty a Representative great concerning the present construction trust fund into color emergency. Percent great you're recognized explain the bill. All right thank you Mr Speaker and this one ACT concerning the prison prison construction trust fund and to declare an emergency so it's a little bit misleading in the title and I've had a couple people reach out to me let me tell you real quick what it does first and then I'll explain the title of it and essentially right now this this prison trust trust fund is for construction only instruction construction or to equip new facilities and so what the department of corrections would like today is now be able to use this fund not just for construction and equipping new facilities but also the purchase and equipping of existing facilities that would allow them to buy facilities that are already in place maybe aren't being used or they can repurpose a building at a much cheaper cost than actually constructing new buildings and so is actually fairly straightforward and the comments that I've had so far in the title it says prison construction trust fund and so there was some questions as to whether or not this monies could be used only for prisons that's just in the title one page T. one line sixteen it says correction or prison facilities Secretary graves was very clear and that it's correction or prison facilities such as re injury parole probation or community a community correction center so and also has the Representative Garner nodding at me a secretary graves did say he would look to see if it be possible to change the name so it doesn't just say prison but also corrections in the title there are some bonds that have been issued so he's looking into it to see if that's something we could change if so we would change that on the Senate intended concur in the amendment on the side so I'll be glad to take any questions. Represent flowers for what purpose. Question you're recognized and I apologize not asking this before just to get clarity because I'm we've missed each other with this in any way allow for the building of a new facility without coming through the legislature in advance of legislation that would. Provide for that next so they can already I mean if they wanted to use this money to build a new facility the so the process is is already there right to do that so this doesn't change that it would just allow them to purchase. Okay I thank you and it's a small amount I believe the last I think it had like fifteen million in it so it's not like it's this huge amount we're not touching private facilities or anything like that. I see no other questions I'd appreciate a good vote thank you. Person grace explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent gray's close for the bill the question before the House is passage of house bill eleven fifty eight repair the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted voting on the bill and the emergency clause. Everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark I voted ninety four U. A. zero nine zero present the bill emergency clause are passed Mr Clark please read house bill ten ten. Houseful ten ten by Representative Jett to amend the sales and use and use tax exemption for sales of certain aircraft. The jet you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleges bill is the solemn airplane state of Arkansas the seller's responsible collecting the sales tax on that airplane so what this bill does is it better plans by somebody not a resident of the State of Arkansas and your plans be moved outside the State of Arkansas it takes whether it's possible to the seller to collect sales tax because before when somebody tries owner plane somebody in Texas I'd click the sales tax remains the if a int- if I would take that money and working for the difference out with the state of Texas what we find is happening is a lot of maintenance and repair operators in the state of Arkansas record losing money because their plans are going outside of the state or not get an opportunity to pre by inspection thank you for refurbishment most of the time is our plans are to appear over ten years older use a painted in the onyx and injury done every ten years on average so we think this bill is economic development driven top bill there's no opposition I know of also inspiration mysteries number one export in the State of Arkansas I think a lot of people do not know that so this bill actually makes a state save Arkansas better represent Jean standup has been physicist of serving bill my part interest for disclosure for used to ask questions I do have an aircraft there was license but no it is not status of serving bill my parks not appreciate a good vote. Jett has explained the bill we would like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent Jett is closed for the bill the question before the House is pastor of House Bill Clinton. Repair the machines Clark. Everyone voted. Everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark by a vote ninety forty eight zero nine zero present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read house bill ten thirty one. Housel ten thirty one a Representative Jett to require the electronic filing of income tax returns by tax practitioners and to amend the law concerning tax practitioners. Or subject you're recognized explained bill. Thank you Mr Speaker Collins this is a DFA bill what this bill does is requires a tax breaks practitioner file taxpayer state income tax electronically if they filed a federal tax electron electronically is will also the cabbie on on this bill is for presents a hardship on the tax filer then they can be waived by the if they so it's not like it's mandatory but the effect is trying to get everybody to file electronically if possible so with that if I would appreciate a good vote. Represent Jett has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. We would like to speak for the bill. Represent Jett is closed for the bill the question before the House is pastor of House Bill ten thirty one prepared machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Asked about Clark. I voted ninety four U. A. zero nine zero present the bill is passed. Represent Jett moved that we re referred house bill ten fifty two committee that's proper motion represent Jett you're recognized explain your motion. Thank you Mr Speaker colleges bill come out of committee revenue tax the other day it it actually had a couple questions on the if they had agreed to let us amend a bill going down on the Senate the ancestries what they get out Revenue and Tax the since then over the weekend I've had alter three phone calls regarding this we all know how the Senate connection screw stuff up from time to time so what inside to do is put it back in committee let us take care of our own mass will clean up the committee again or bring it back out sometime probably next week with that I appreciate a good vote. Represent Jett is explain his motion would anyone like to speak against the motion. We would like to speak for the motion. Represent Jett is close for the motion the question before the House is the re referral of house bill ten fifty to committee all in favor say aye. Any opposed. The motion is adopted. Work please read house bill eleven hundred. I also live in hundred Representative Evans to amend the law concerning individuals listed as amended to reporters and if the child maltreatment act. The Bevins you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker I colleagues the simple purpose of this bill is to expand upon to provide clarity as to who should be included as mandated reporters in our school systems victims of child maltreatment should not be subject to ambiguity and left unprotected due to uncertainty in adults possibilities to report we believe that the consultation with our legal counsel in the field of education along with members of our state agencies that are charged with child services that the expansion of this definition will further protect our children in preventative delay in getting assistance with these cases when they happen. I will share that there were some questions that came even though we had a do pass it came out a Judiciary with only one dissenting vote there were some questions that came up after the meeting over the weekend conversations with those members we're going to address that we get out here today will address that down on the sanity and make sure that this is clean it takes very good care of our kids. The no question I appreciate a good vote. Represent Evans explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. We would like to speak for the bill. Represent Evans is closed for the bill the question before the House is passage of house bill eleven hundred prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Everyone voted cast about Mr Clark by a vote of ninety five U. a zero day and zero present the bill has passed. Mr Clark please read Senate bill one hundred. Senate bill one hundred Representative Lowery to enhance our educational education fiscal accountability and transparency at seven provisions of the Arkansas code concerning student accounts receivable policies in certain financial commission reports represent Lowery recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. And if you will allow me a a point of personal privilege some of you've been so kind as to be asking about why I'm hobbling around had X. rays done this past week I've been hobbling and have two broken toes you know some of said so if you've been kicking **** well actually if you read my emails in your emails you know what month that's the one that's being kicked so it was not to that and I don't know what happened but I'm not saying that. What happened anyway of this bill. With that feel flooded. Anyway I want to give you an explanation of that that I have the broken foot that's why have the boot this bill is something that came out from basically conversations in testimony that took place in joint performance review. Related to the Henderson state financial issues in questioning Dr Maria Markham we asked if she if her department the higher ed Corning board was receiving adequate information from all the institutions of higher is about the financial standing if you remember the news reports and even the testimony within joint performance what happened is that even the Board of Henderson state did not know the full ramifications of their financial status and so we asked Dr Markham would it be helpful to her if she had information about several areas one of which being Henderson states vice president finance and the president were reporting that they had substantial accounts receivable of. Mainly in the area of of student accounts but there was no aging report showing that some of the student accounts had been due overdue for for five years a really beyond the time of when they should not have been considered to be accounts receivable so one of the requirements of that is in this law is that there would be an aging report given to the board but it also would be provided in annual financial statements to the Division of higher ed the higher a coordinating board the other issue and was one that requires a A ballot statement showing cash on hand and how much operating cash on hand of the university had that is something that was not previously required that information would also be required to be presented to the board of the institution as well as to the hiring and coordinating board in their annual financial report Dr mark of felt like that this would be an extremely good effort for transparency and other institutions of talked to two members from. The issue system you of a statement all of them have been involved in the drafting of this none of them have any concerns that have been voiced I think that this is something that is is well over overtime needed especially the the standard of meeting the requirement of cash on hand so for those reasons I would ask you for your support of this bill and and I'm available for any questions. Resent Lowery has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Per sim Lowery is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill one hundred prepare the machine Mr Clerk. Is everyone voted. Everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark by a vote of ninety four yeas zero day and zero present the bill is passed. Person makes. What purpose motion placed you're recognized after the announcement during the bills transferring the bill's place in the calendars on the desk members amending their own bills with their own amendments members I move that we adjourn until one o'clock tomorrow afternoon. That's a proper motion it's not debatable all in favor say aye in any opposed. Motion carries are there any announcements. Cozart what purpose announcement. Education meets tomorrow morning nine thirty in room one fifty one. Represent Lanny Fite for what purpose. You're recognized. The we will be taking Committee pitchers out here in the House chamber steps and immediately following that city county local will be meeting in my big maxi. Absent Fortner for what purpose. Now spent recognized revenue tax will meet tomorrow at two o'clock one fifty one. Represent Ladyman for purpose announcement you're recognized public health will meet tomorrow morning at nine thirty AM maxi. Represent Holcomb for what purpose. You're recognized public transportation will meet tomorrow at two PM or if we'd German from the house floor after two PM it be ten minutes after German that's maxi. Represent winning for what purpose announcement you're recognized Mister Speaker I'm happy to announce that we have two birthdays in the chamber today we have Jim Dotson who is not a surprise. This is typically what we applaud. And we also have someone who likes to sneak under the radar but House Management always follows Representative Jay Richardson Happy Birthday. VOL four purpose. I have an announcement and appoint a privilege if possible Mr Speaker announcement will act committee will meet at two o'clock and if everybody will join me in congratulating Representative eves and his wives his beautiful wife missed in a sum becoming grandparents again to a beautiful baby girl name Ramsey say. Represent hawks for what purpose. Announcement. You're recognized. Karen what Lee has supplied a list of the governor's staff to everyone in the car and their contact information it'll be in the members boxes. Represent makes for what purpose announcement. You're recognized the organizational meeting for the advanced communication information technology committee will be Thursday at eleven thirty and Maccabi so that's communication on Thursday. In any other announcements. This will remain open as needed for the reading of the bills upon completion The Addams named in the joint resolution house be adjourned until one PM tomorrow.