Joint Budget Committee

Our members you get your state we're going to start in one minute. Call a meeting to order. First item on the agenda is the the peer report review deposit you're recognized. The in Wednesday can you hear me thank you Mr the peer review subcommittee met on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week the report actions taken if provided for you they approved to various temporary appropriation request in a shared service in shared services transfer request. The two MSG for the department of education items D. nine and D. ten were passed over in are being referred back to JBC all the items review I move adoption of the report. I have a motion to adopt a board to have a second we have a second any discussion on the report. All in favor say aye any opposed borders adopted. Members were going to Adam C.. We got some amendments back is Senator Garner here. The. You only. There would be not able to answer okay yeah senator garner will let the transglobal Ruth The Amendment right click and then you can you can speak to it. Thank you Mr chairman we're on item see one in your back and I don't see one page one this is an amendment by senator garner to House Bill Levin eighty one department of health appropriation it adds to health program specialist to positions and ninety two thousand dollars out of their paying account is. By the way we're going to send this person that we're going live to the senator explained is amended you're recognized thank measurement yeah that's one of the staff from this morning Senate personnel on eight so this is for the veterans suicide task force that we came up with I ran a bill that says that the person who is in these positions need to be a veteran or have better range training this is kind of the second part of it to add more staff to positions obviously there can be some movement of banks have whose I guess that's part of what they're paid for this is what BLR came up with to add those two spots to their budget with any questions I with it without take any questions you've got some questions. Riveter Love you're recognized. Thank you Mr senator garner I really do appreciate this this bill because I'll work with veterans and suicide so Molly my only concern with being. That they coordinate with the V. eight more carefully so that we can streamline those services but I'm in full support of this and thank you for bringing this agreed I think I'd be a good thing that's another thing about the task force is that you thank you know anytime you get silo in these things it comes toward communicate but comes our veterans I think with more after we make toward the bed thank you represented. Senator Elliot you're recognized for a question thank you Mr senator garner I do you give a leeway for there may be somebody who is very very well qualified but not a veteran and you've not been able to find somebody who is a veteran that could feel that position do you give leeway for that anger yes ma'am in other bill it would if you receive training or something like that so if you're in a position already or you have somebody would be a good hire what I would ask nothing they could do this under law would be to allow them to get some kind of training with us to the VA through their veteran service officers through many different programs there be more aware of it more in tune with the veterans call solution preclude anybody from able to hold that position okay so that that's set in writing somewhere that the that's just an understanding of no ma'am that's the bill we passed all the studies the other bill yes ma'am there conjunction on the Antarctic okay all right thank you thank you Mr thank you senator any other questions. Okay we'll send this personnel thank you senator You Stacey did you get another member on Senate bill thirty eight. The friendly explained that amendment. Yes Sir thank you Mister chairman we are on page seven items C. two on page seven in your packet. This is an amendment by senator garner Senate bill thirty eight form of Human Services division of aging and adult behavioral health services to add an additional appropriation a new appropriation payable out of a paying account for grant programs veteran service organizations for five million dollars. Senator Garner you're recognized by your minute thank you chair Mister chairman with we get the federal cares Act money this last year one of the things I saw is that our veterans were having issues getting the care and treatment they need so I made a request to the the steering committee that we appropriate five million dollars for veterans service organizations that's the non profits that's people who deal with veterans in your communities that passed and even under truncated shorter deadline for to do that they spent two million dollars of that five million dollars going directly to nonprofits and each one of our districts to help veterans I we actually have about three million dollars of that left and to the extension of the federal government right now you have a non profit in your district and you like it access to that money that money is available for your non profit so tell them to apply to DHS today what we press this or not since I was a success and talking some those nonprofits what I want to do is make that more a permanent feature of how veterans organizations can get this money moving forward this is the first step to do that now obviously we have to find ways to fund it that would be my duty to do that I think moving this first step says from here on out these nonprofits those people on the ground so peer to peer who call who show up on either a suicide call for people need groceries they'll have this money available to apply for a grant to create more of substantive continuous grant program for them to do in the future that Mr I'll take any questions you got a couple questions yes Sir centerman you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chair senator garner I just wanted to really apply to you you this was a great thing that you brought before the cares task force and it really led to some great work at DHS and really opened up some of the I think issues that had not been addressed before with veterans and also opened up the relationships between us veterans organizations in the state of Arkansas with DHS and it really formed a new partnership and a new relationship and new work that started that is actually going to be continuing and different avenues with DHS so I I just I just wanted to be able to say that because it was probably one of the most significant things that I think we did with our cares Task Force money because it is has the sustaining of facts on and now the relationship between those veteran organizations and the folks at DHS so just want to applaud you and the folks at DHS for the work that happens in this arena thank you yes ma'am was interesting is that had to go DHS for a constituent issue this week and we actually talked about this and other program what happen is once they realized there was this deficiency in their coverage they start thinking about all the different ways to help veterans spurred by this whether that's the Arkansas Works replacement assuming that something is put in place we have the waiver I mean they they were almost on fire about all the different ways I can help veterans moving forward so I think you're right I appreciate you as one of the key members of that committee help me get this through. Either senator. Seventy three okay all right the revision to the you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr senator garner it is is only available to nonprofits because. And then I ask you why Senate because. As you know the state of coordinates the county veterans service offices in there is woefully under funded being that I know in full disclosure I have a county veterans service officer in my department at the county in. In the end that. That project that program needs to be strengthened throughout the state because our county veteran service officers are pretty much the frontline of veterans service offices for our counties in so is this funding only available to to non profits or is it available to the county so that we can kind of Boston Boston that it should be available to counties we're originally passed the cures act during Committee the original five million dollars that included the BSO that the county levels for receiving training and some other services they could get that money for now I don't I know there's been some talk about how that would move with their remaining three million but I'm pretty sure right now there's accessibility to that three million dollars funds even for a BSO it was VSO it was the crisis stabilization units weeds having some unit and then was the non profits as a major part of it divided I can't remove the exact number of top my head my intent with this is to have that available for the BSO's and other places will cause nonprofits have a big big. Five foot print in many of our districts but you can't be to be SO I know as a veteran in the first place place most people call is the guy who they go to VFW with use of BSO in that county special rule counties like mine so my intent with this is to have that available to BSO's with the cabbie out that they don't eat the whole amount you know we got to make sure the nonprofits and the others get that as well so I would say yes for sure okay all right thank you yes Sir. Any other question for the senator. Share your clothes we either make a motion. All right have a motion the second any discussion. All in favor say aye. All opposed your minute is adopted thank you Mr chairman thank you. All right members we're going to item three Senate bill two oh five by Senator Hickey Sir if you want to go down the front. I don't think a lot of. As this is on page eleven page eleven. And identify yourself. Jimmy Hickey thank you Mr chair of members what this is is a reporting only bill and is for budgetary purposes and Transparency purposes and I can go through the whole bill but if you will look at section one which is on page one what this relates to is the rainy day funds. What were in regular fiscal extraordinary session although it'll just be for this session because there is an expiration at the end of it. And then if you will go to page two this is going to be the important language which will be on the Page nineteen it says that any eggs in a parking about out of the rainy day fund that any expenditures transfers or agreed upon commitments that come out of that will be reported to the Joint Budget or. It would be reported Dale C. because it does expire like I say after this session thirty one days after that so if it if that was just transpired during that period it have to be reported Dale C.. Mr Chirala try to taking questions all right you've got some questions of. The Speaker Shepherd you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman think I just got a couple questions one how does this compare with what's currently in existence right now. What's what's currently in existence right now. With the rainy day is this if a rainy day request is made it either has to come before the way that it was originally set up it would have to come before Pierre If we were were not in session so would come before peer and then it would come before A. L. C. and that would be approved by A. L. C. however there is also another Avenue that was inserted in a in a bill that if there's a what's called a death fund appropriation as developmental enhancement fund appropriation the money can be transferred out. Out of the rainy day. Without it coming before this body And report would be would be done afterwards through like a OC and I believe that also comes before peer. So what this does is it just makes it during the session of that we will know about it. Upon that happening because it has to be sent down here one sec commitment is made it has to be given to the jurors within one day and then the chairs will disperse it out to to this body. All follow up I guess my bigger question just in terms of the the language here the term agreed upon commitments I'm just just for clarity what do you envision there because. I just from a legal stuff sense a commitment is one thing an agreement is another so what what exactly are we referring to there thank you. Well. I would I would just say that if somebody if somebody goes to the governor's office and there's an agreement that says that I'm on a dispersant then for Some colleges their condition. And that we're going to do that on a rainy day that that would be it thank you a commitment and or an agreement but I would call that a commitment. Thank you Mr Speaker. Revenue pain you're recognized. Thank you Mr Senator Hickey at the top of page two of the bill Page twelve or practice. We're talking about distribution of the report number one I love the idea and I I like to be informed as much as possible and I'm a member of both committees but met most members are not a member of both committees and I'm just wondering if we could get to end in there instead of an order and distribute that to both committees and it may be that were not in session and budgets not going to hear that institutional knowledge and memory and and no one what's transpired before something's lane front of you can be very helpful so I just appreciate if that could be distributed to both committees yes Sir course as kind of our standard language as you just said whether or not we were in session or not of. Course if we're if we're in session and is distributed this body then we're going to know that all the membership would to would know for sure the issue would be is as you've pointed out you know what this was language that we anticipated was going to carry on through if this was language is going to be carried on through the net and that might be appropriate in all season however like I said there is an expiration there is an expiration on this particular bill so literally and. About can I continue Mr and the reason the reason that's going to that we have that ending is that we have some we have some of the legislation that's coming that's going to try to re work like the rainy day itself so that those funds will be put into a restricted reserve will will have all that coming out we're working on that legislation now so this the reason that it doesn't continue is that if that bill does pass than we would anticipate it would not be needed any longer thank you Mr terrified of all up again well thank you all again I like your amendment and I wouldn't want that a hurdle in the way and I'm sure that the chairs of both committees would be willing and nothing would prevent them from circulating that so I look forward to seeing thank you thank you Sir. Any other questions for senator. Of seven hundred you're recognized thank you Mr chairman yeah I guess kind of a long line of Speaker Shepherd I'm I'm I know that it's going to surprise members to know that throughout the course of the session. It's not uncommon for there to be negotiation about to Allocation of resources horse trading. that that's happened on almost every major piece of legislation that we've ever passed sometimes those are. I'll try to do what I can to help with this project in your area we're all trying to make the budget make those areas of priority I guess what I'm trying to get clear here is are those type of discussions now reportable from anybody in the administration would it be somebody asking about something for education somebody asking about something for senior centers all of those type of discussions are because I don't understand where the line is between commitment and agreement. Well the answer Senator would have to be no because this is only as it relates to the disbursements or commitments of the rainy day funds and I would say a trial would not be a commitment I think there has to be a some of. Character aspect that the you know that people with people with this body or not just going to use the tried no one that is exit really going to happen and I would hope hope not so I don't think that that would be the case but again from your standpoint it would not because again this is just for the rainy day okay thanks thank you Sir. Senator Hickey referring back to two why this just happens for this session only yesterday you touched on the plan that you all been working on I think you'd be good to have just kind of tell the members of or or were. Are you in and some members looking to just do away with the rainy day fund altogether that is that's all proposals were. To do away with rainy day fund is not correct okay well let me say whenever I say do away with it as in as in the way that it would be called the rainy day yes what we're looking to do is the amount that the governor had requested which I believe is twenty five million we're looking to still put that that money into an account but we're looking to put it in what's called under strict the unrestricted reserve account. So our skews me the restricted reserve account of which is different than the long term reserve account and so the money would still be would still be in that account and we're also looking to sweep whatever other funds were left in that rainy day account into the into that restricted reserve account so if I were what we're trying to do is any type of special project we need to come before council. What a three fifths vote and and the governor would not have any money at his discretion it would be his discretion and then the vote of the three fifths of the council that be correct. Well that's the way it's supposed to be in anyway because even with the current rainy day is the Speaker it asked me with the current rainy day what was supposed to transpire is exposed to come before Pierre and then supposed to come before A. L. C. there has been a way to get around that again if there was what was called the development enhancement fund appropriation then we then that part of it could be superseded and we could work around it that way where that language got added in a bill I don't know I don't know how to guide entity and it really doesn't matter I just know that that's what's been transpiring okay. Make your way and I'll touch on that real quick and so what with co chairs talking about there's been discussion in the Senate regards to how we utilize the two hundred forty million dollars surplus this is a conversation that we've had with the you know the thirty five members of the Senate in in something that we're we're looking to to put forward at some point we've I talked to the house leadership about you know the plan I'm assuming you all are in communication with leadership about what that's going to look like however I'll say again we touch base with all of our members and if there are House members that would like to kind of go through and and discuss what we're looking at even prior to us you know filing of the legislation I'd be happy to do that just shoot me a text commute call we can go through what that looks like. Representa vive you're recognized. Yes center this might be a little bit off topic but if if what you're talking about it and I know we've had discussions with senator Dismang about you know the DF Fund but the governor's access to emergency fund has ever any any talked about increasing that particular account that he may have access to the case you know of a levee breaks or a tornado blows through town you know is there any. Anything about increasing that particular account for him there's been there's been as far as good as going into the restricted reserve that would be up to this body because a restricted reserve account what we've what we've been discussing is is that there would be an unallocated port which would be what the governors of usually what is rainy day would be. But if there's something else that this body and this is I actually hate username that it's spoken to or talk to a Speaker Shepherd about this if there's something that this body wants to look at that they think should statewide project or something that's beneficial than what we would do is put that in restricted reserve would have to have a vote and it would have its own sub category so that we could delve into that of course during the offseason I think what I'm I'm really. Trying to understand is that the know if if if we have a earthquake or tornado is there a phone to the governor can access pretty quick for or levee breaks or whatever I know we keep use that analogy but Is that the governor does have an emergency fund that we that is if I remember right it's a million dollars a year it's supposed to be used for civil unrest however there's a cut there is a section at the bottom of that that actually allows for a It allows for that money to be used in another way it actually just requires that the the chair it didn't do it but we changed it requires that the cheers of the ALC and they go out and if I remember correctly so that's the one that you're saying is a million dollars is there been any talk about this is we're going to remove some of the other potentially remove DF to increase that amount on the emergency. Not not on that phone no Sir not at all All right that's fine thank you to his or all right Sir Billy you got sponsors Rep entities I mean you Mr bleed yeah you look like a senator together with senator thank you Sir take we DFA office of budget the Senator Hickey is correct there is the the governor's has five hundred thousand dollars a year in his emergency proclamation fund which requires approval by the committee that he mentioned in addition to that we have the the disaster declaration process which exists in the if a disbursing officer that provides currently about thirteen million dollars a year an appropriation to respond to emergencies there's legislation on the process to actually increase that and kind of restructure some of that because I was written now is kind of a clunky process funding from that comes out of budget stabilization trust fund and the way the law is written there are mechanisms in place that would allow us with legislative approval or otherwise to go ahead and respond if you know of an earthquake hits or something big happens. Representing either. I guess so George Michael's. All right rear Speaker Shepherd you're recognized thank you Mr chairman just follow up I'm fine with I'm fine with this the Bill from Senator Hickey my question was just as to the specific language and just a follow up. This is as I understand it this is a report only from the executive branch to the extent that mean the Senate has has some of centers of reference discussions about what they might propose to do with the rainy day fund that that would not be subject to this report in my correct. Not at all no Sir this is about actual expenditures currently or in agreement with the governor's office and that there's no obligation on the legislature to report among itself this would this would be a report coming from the executive branch to us because they'll ultimately have kind of the initial oversight of the rainy day fund yes Sir in in the and in the end they would have they would have to give that report anyway are they would have to send that request to your one hundred percent for and that and that was the that was my initial question about what's going on now and to the extent that there's this discussion about the Senate now with this proposal. That that discussion I'm sure the house will review what those proposals may be but I I just wanna be clear I will I just want clarity on this particular bill I'm fine with the bill and thank you for answering those questions thank you Sir. Senator when you're recognized for a question. Thank you I think Mr bleed answered most of my questions however just and I believe we had the rainy day fund reports in here who do this week so that might be beneficial just sent that members can reference. The center right to this is reported even though it may be after the fact that this is always been reported General Assembly. That I was making that point when you agree Senator yes ma'am thank you thank you Senator any other questions for the Senator Hickey. Like to make a motion yes Sir I'm a do pass okay do pass on his Senate bill two oh five we have a second I have a second any discussion. All in favor say aye opposed. The regulation center. Okay we've got an amendment or Senate bill one fifty six from Senator Irvin if you go to the table and said when you get there identify yourself and we're going to. Mr Anderson first go ahead explain your moment. Yes Sir thank you Mister chairman we're on page fifteen on page fifteen items C. for member center every to Senate bill one fifty six part of parks and tourism to clean up some special language. Senator you're recognized to identify yourself thank you Senator Missy Irvin. Of members and Mister chair and section twenty three of SB one fifty six is a special language section it regards the Mississippi River domestic international marketing plan as this is written the language specifies that the spending authority as appropriated to the division of Arkansas state parks however the agency is requesting that this language be amended because the Division now responsible for this program is a division of Arkansas tourism so what this does is changes the name of the division responsible for the preparation and this is a request by the agency. Any questions for the central this amendment. I have a motion to adopt the amendment I have a motion and a second any discussion. All in favor say aye. Any oppose regulation senator your members adopted members we don't have any bills ready to go out of. Senator Dismang and I have talked look like we're not going to meet usually we will be back in here Wednesday at eight thirty appreciate the good work we are adjourned.