Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee - Senate and House
Video
Transcript
12 documents
Machine transcript
May contain errors. Verify important quotations against the official video.
About transcript accuracy
- Source
- SliQ live captions
- Model
- SliQ live ASR
- Processing date
- October 2, 2026
OK if everybody can take their seats good afternoon everyone everybody
Speaker 4
1:18
will take their seats so will go ahead and call
the meeting to order welcome everyone to the senate and Houseittee on public health welfare and laborbor glad to have you all I know it's July it's very hot outside but we have business to do and we're here to get started on that business for the interim as we get started we have some guests in the audience we want to welcome you to the committee
meeting. we have with us some law clerks clerks with Mitchell Williams law firm if you'll please stand. thank you all for being here we appreciate you can all stand thank you some gas and then I think we have a few kiddos with uspresentative rey do you have a special guest? she's going to she's going to church camp this afternoon and she's
Representative David Ray
Unverified
2:14
just here with us until that we have to
Speaker 9
2:18
leave for thatlrlotte right anybody any other
Representative OK all right well thank you we're glad to have you Charlotte. hope you have a wonderful church camp and welcome to our guest before we get started as I just want to call some attention obviously over the weekend there was a ho horrible tragedy and um, I know it hit all of us very hard we all have sent
children to camp and we're doing so today so if you'll please
Speaker 13
3:08
in prayer Representative Bentley, will you lead us in prayer wrap your arms around them as only you can
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
3:29
amen amen right do you have a
motion to approve the minutes from the last previous two meetings so moved second all those in favor say aye and opposed I have it the meeting minutes will be approved. right we will start with item C. we do have interim study proposals you see those on your list. I'm going to
invite anyone that wants to come and discuss their ISp to come to the front and do so it's not completely necessary but what we plan to do for these ISPs I've spoken with representativewarddlaw who cannot be here today because of an entry so keep him in your prayers. he's but so but we we will assign these
ISps to subcommittees some of these ISPs as you look through here there's probably going to be some work that's going to be done through the interim on several of these issues you know some of these are I would say holdover issues that we didn't didn't get to a resolution on from the session and so you know, I hope that the subcommittees will really meet and take their time and discuss these interim study proposals
and try to get us you know, moving down the road on any of these issues so we will send those out Miss Steele will send those out to you if you're on that subcommittee and then if you're the ISP author then you can schedule with that chair of that subcommittee as to when you want to have your meetings if that's the way you want to proceed with it. So and then the the last note that would say before we get started and while everybody is still here we are having a
meeting wednesday at the Arkansas state hospitalspital. it'll be a tour, but you will have information that will be emailed to you if you're a member of public health it'll also be on the website as to where to meet and we will gavel in and then we will take the tour of the state hospital. there's some work being done there.lourri Mcdonald is here but I think her and Miss Stille are going to get together and and finalize that agenda so it'll be Wednesday at 2 p.m
right so let's go ahead and move down item C number 1 Senator Boyd is anyone here on behalf of Senator Boyd? OK, Senatoreyton has the next, let's see 23. right and then number7 representative Grahamlet see here Representative ladyman there you are
Thank you manld on just one moment let me recognize this. OK. What's right you're
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
6:42
recognized thank you madam chairman. Well real quick this ISP this is a bill that I filed during the session and we didn't get around to running that it has to do with screening for type one diabetes for young children had an a constituent who was found that they had this problem in an older age and it was much more difficult to treat so it's something that I think
needs a lot of study what's the cost what age group and so forth so
that's why I want to put it in an interim study OK and not sure if that's listed. I would add a primary care physicians as well as well as pediatricians just Fy any other any questions from any members all right seeing none without objection that's ISp will be adopted
number 9 Representative Torres you're recognized yes ma'am thank you madam chair and members of
Representative Randy Torres
Unverified
7:45
proposal to conduct an interim study on a matter that impacts every community in Arkansas the mental health and wellness of our first responders when when we hear the word public health and safety the first that should come to mind or our first responders and this is what this is about ran this bill
late in session and wasn't able to get it off its off the it's tires and going so I'm going to present this as an interim study but it's the James ofarre Act is designed to build a framework of support leadership and resiliency for those who run towards crisis when the rest of us are running away Wi is the study needed first responders law enforcement firefighters EMTs 911 dispatchers correctional officers face trauma daily. the
toll is real and growing we witnessed that this weekend in Kerrville Texas. rates of PTSD burnout depression and even suicide are significantly higher among first responders compared to the general population National research supports what we're seeing locally47% of US officers screened positive for PTSD0 times the national average 19% are in severe burnout showing signs of emotional
detachment and depersonalization this leads to declining performance increased mistakes and growing threats to public safety so let's see this as it really is I mean really trauma is the job for these folks and according to cops the average American faces6 to10 major traumas in a lifetime The average police officer will experience600 to1,000 over a career that is incomprehensible load of emotional injury left untreated that trauma doesn't just go away
to accumulates and it breaks people yet many departments especially in rural areas lack access to trained mental health professionals or peer support resources This study will examine current gaps in mental health and wellness support across the state, county and local agencies it will assess best practices from other states and evaluate the feasibility of statewide peer to peer support networks standard resiliency training
mental health certification programs to the department of public safety will also identify barriers such as stigma funding and staffing and how to overcome them So the long term goal is to create a sustainable statewide system that offers leadership and resilient training certified peer support specialists mental wellness education and resources and regional access to trauma informed services So ask for your support to move this forward with this interim
study let's do the work now gather the data hear from those in the field and be ready to pass informed effective legislation in the next regular
session OK thank you. Are there questions Representativech Richardson thank you
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
10:57
and uhpresentative Torres I I applaud what you're trying to do. My question is we've passed a bill very similar to this a couple of sessions ago that was for members or individuals that were impacted through a traumatic event that they had to go through this peer
counseling and all of that it sounds like that's the same thing that you're trying to do now just opens it up to more people
Representative Randy Torres
Unverified
11:22
other than just police officers and firefighters. is that correct it does yes sirpresentative the the thing the difference is is the counseling that we offer in the past legislation was post traumatic right this is to prepare our people before during and after across the state of Arkansas thank you bet any other questions from members
of the committee ce ne no well
without objection we will adopt this ISP both these ISPs will go to the health services subcommittees Uhpresentative Mark Schultz is the chair on the house side and on the senate side I can't remember who's health services peyton is Yeah health services OK.
right is anybody else here for any of the other ISps My the way I really like to handle these ISps is I'd like to have the the the member here to explain them and then if there's any controversial or whatever if members want to stop an they have the ability to do that obviously you know these two I didn't hear any questions or objections so without objection we adopted these two so we'll
just carry it over these other ISps to the next agenda meeting item not Wednesday but the next regular and then give those members opportunities to come and discuss and then and ask for adoption. any questions from members of the committee betty? OK. right, any other so is there anybody have any want to present any of these others right now OK.
is there any other business to come before the committee No? OK but then we are adjourned and we will see everybody on wednesday hopefully. thank you
Agenda
A. Call to Order
B. Consideration to Approve the June 3, 2025, and June 4, 2025, Meeting Minutes [Exhibits B1-B2]
C. Consideration for Adoption of Interim Study Proposals (ISP) [Exhibits C1-C9]
D. Other Business
E. Adjournment
Documents
Speakers
Senator Missy Irvin Chair
Unverified
Speaker 4
Representative David Ray
Unverified
Speaker 9
Speaker 12
Speaker 13
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
Representative Jack Ladyman
Unverified
Speaker 28
Representative Randy Torres
Unverified
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified