Education Committee- House
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Transcript
1 document
Bills discussed (46)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
SB183
Act 724
· 8 mentions in agenda, chapter, transcript
Matched: “…y'. DURING THE ARKANSAS ACADEMIC STANDARDS REVISION CYCLE. SB183 J. Dotson TO AMEND THE UNIVERSAL ACT ASSESSMENT PROGRAM ACT…”
|
TO AMEND THE UNIVERSAL ACT ASSESSMENT PROGRAM ACT; AND TO AMEND THE TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS … | J. Dotson | Notification that SB183 is now Act 724 |
|
SB504
Act 727
· 6 mentions in chapter, transcript, agenda
Matched: “SB504 Irvin TO ESTABLISH THE ARKANSAS RURAL PRECEPTORSHIP PROGRAM…”
|
TO ESTABLISH THE ARKANSAS RURAL PRECEPTORSHIP PROGRAM ACT. | Irvin | Notification that SB504 is now Act 727 |
|
SB618
Act 731
· 6 mentions in agenda, transcript, chapter
Matched: “…S OF THE ARKANSAS CODE REGARDING THE COURSE CHOICE PROGRAM. SB618 Irvin TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS STUDENT DUE PROCESS AND PROTECT…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS STUDENT DUE PROCESS AND PROTECTION ACT. | Irvin | Notification that SB618 is now Act 731 |
|
SB619
Act 919
· 6 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “SB619 Irvin CONCERNING THE FORMATION OF AN ISOLATED SCHOOL DISTRI…”
|
CONCERNING THE FORMATION OF AN ISOLATED SCHOOL DISTRICT. | Irvin | Notification that SB619 is now Act 919 |
|
HB1020
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1020 A. Collins TO REPEAL THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FR…”
|
TO REPEAL THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT PROGRAM; TO CREATE A NEW EDUCATION FUNDING … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1023
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS. HB1023 A. Collins TO AMEND THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM; AN…”
|
TO AMEND THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM; AND TO AMEND THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR LOAN … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1025
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1025 McGruder TO CREATE THE TEACHER FAIR DISMISSAL ACT OF 2025.”
|
TO CREATE THE TEACHER FAIR DISMISSAL ACT OF 2025. | McGruder | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1027
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1027 D. Garner TO CREATE THE BRIGHTER START ACT OF 2025; AND TO…”
|
TO CREATE THE BRIGHTER START ACT OF 2025; AND TO REQUIRE THE TREASURER OF STATE … | D. Garner | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1030
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…TING AND FUTURE ARKANSAS BRIGHTER FUTURE FUND PLAN ACCOUNT. HB1030 T. Shephard TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OR LAW ENF…”
|
TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OR LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL TO OBTAIN CERTIFICATION IN YOUTH … | T. Shephard | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1031
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…OUNSELOR TO RECEIVE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING. HB1031 D. Garner TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE EDUCATIO…”
|
TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE EDUCATION ACT OF 2025; AND TO ENSURE THE HEALTH … | D. Garner | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1081
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…D THE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO ADULT EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOLS. HB1081 B. McKenzie TO REPEAL ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE DEVELOPMEN…”
|
TO REPEAL ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES. | B. McKenzie | WITHDRAWN BY AUTHOR |
|
HB1139
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1139 B. McKenzie TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT.”
|
TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT. | B. McKenzie | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1144
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…McGruder TO CREATE THE TEACHER FAIR DISMISSAL ACT OF 2025. HB1144 Wooten TO REQUIRE A PARTICIPATING SCHOOL UNDER THE ARKANSAS…”
|
TO REQUIRE A PARTICIPATING SCHOOL UNDER THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT PROGRAM TO COMPLY … | Wooten | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1197
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1197 S. Meeks TO PROHIBIT SCHEDULING, HOSTING, OR REQUIRING AN O…”
|
TO PROHIBIT SCHEDULING, HOSTING, OR REQUIRING AN OUTDOOR PRACTICE, SCRIMMAGE, GAME, OR ACTIVITY FOR AN … | S. Meeks | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1239
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1239 A. Collins TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003;…”
|
TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL CATEGORY … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1482
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1482 Gramlich TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE RE…”
|
TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO TAKES A … | Gramlich | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1490
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1490 Wardlaw TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT A PUBLIC SCHOOL STUD…”
|
TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT A PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT RETURN TEMPORARILY ISSUED ITEMS, RESOURCES, MATERIALS, … | Wardlaw | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1492
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1492 Gramlich TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OPEN-EN…”
|
TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL TO IMPLEMENT A MOBILE … | Gramlich | Recommended for study in the Interim by the … |
|
HB1528
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…DITIONAL CATEGORY OF FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING. HB1528 McGruder TO REQUIRE A REPORT CARD TO INCLUDE A STUDENT'S CU…”
|
TO REQUIRE A REPORT CARD TO INCLUDE A STUDENT'S CURRENT READING GRADE LEVEL. | McGruder | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1539
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…RT CARD TO INCLUDE A STUDENT'S CURRENT READING GRADE LEVEL. HB1539 A. Collins TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003;…”
|
TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL EDUCATION … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1541
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1541 Wooten TO REQUIRE A PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT ACCEPTS STATE FUNDI…”
|
TO REQUIRE A PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT ACCEPTS STATE FUNDING OF ANY TYPE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION … | Wooten | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1542
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…TRANSPORTATION TO CERTAIN STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOL. HB1542 Wooten TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL S…”
|
TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL STATEWIDE STUDENT ASSESSMENT; AND TO REQUIRE PRIVATE … | Wooten | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1709
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1709 Steele TO AMEND THE HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS IN THE SCHOOLS P…”
|
TO AMEND THE HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM; AND TO INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH … | Steele | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1727
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1727 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO ADULT EDUCATIO…”
|
TO AMEND THE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO ADULT EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOLS. | L. Johnson | WITHDRAWN BY AUTHOR |
|
HB1755
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1755 T. Shephard TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL TO PARTICIPATE IN…”
|
TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ARKANSAS PREVENTION NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY. | T. Shephard | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1761
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1761 D. Garner TO INCREASE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH THE EST…”
|
TO INCREASE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INCOME LIMITS FOR STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR EDUCATIONAL … | D. Garner | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1924
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…ICIPATE IN THE ARKANSAS PREVENTION NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY. HB1924 Puryear TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE STATE BOARD OF E…”
|
TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION ESTABLISH RULES REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION … | Puryear | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1940
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1940 Walker TO ESTABLISH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A PUBLIC SCHOOL DI…”
|
TO ESTABLISH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT INITIATES AND MAINTAINS A FOUR-DAY … | Walker | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1962
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1962 Vaught TO PROHIBIT A SCHOOL FROM SERVING OR SELLING ULTRA-P…”
|
TO PROHIBIT A SCHOOL FROM SERVING OR SELLING ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD ON THE SCHOOL CAMPUS DURING … | Vaught | Recommended for study in the Interim by the … |
|
HB1990
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1990 McAlindon TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HIGHER EDUCATION.”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HIGHER EDUCATION. | McAlindon | Recommended for study in the Interim by the … |
|
HB1999
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…ACT OF 2003. PENDING FISCAL IMPACT Number Sponsor Subtitle HB1999 D. Garner TO REQUIRE THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDU…”
|
TO REQUIRE THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THE SUPPLEMENTAL … | D. Garner | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB2000
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB2000 Wardlaw TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EDUCATION SERVICE COOPE…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EDUCATION SERVICE COOPERATIVES, PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER … | Wardlaw | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB149
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “AGENDA (Revised 4/10/25 @ 5:50 AM) Added SB149 to Regular Agenda House Committee on Education Thursday, Ap…”
|
TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003. | J. English | Died in House at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB352
Act 721
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB352 Stone TO PROHIBIT ANTISEMITISM IN PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SEC…”
|
TO PROHIBIT ANTISEMITISM IN PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS; AND TO PROHIBIT ANTISEMITISM IN STATE-SUPPORTED … | Stone | Notification that SB352 is now Act 721 |
|
SB373
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB373 Irvin TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS FINANCIAL EDUCATION COMMISSION.”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS FINANCIAL EDUCATION COMMISSION. | Irvin | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB402
Act 725
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB402 C. Penzo TO PROHIBIT A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AND AN EDUCAT…”
|
TO PROHIBIT A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AND AN EDUCATIONAL SERVICE COOPERATIVE FROM REQUIRING OR TAKING … | C. Penzo | Notification that SB402 is now Act 725 |
|
SB425
Act 722
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…MITISM IN STATE-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. SB425 J. English TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE…”
|
TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING ENHANCED TRANSPORTATION; AND TO DECLARE AN … | J. English | Notification that SB425 is now Act 722 |
|
SB450
Act 915
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…THE ARKANSAS MILITARY CHILD SCHOOL TRANSITIONS ACT OF 2021. SB450 B. Davis TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO INCLUDE…”
|
TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO INCLUDE A HUMAN FETAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION … | B. Davis | Notification that SB450 is now Act 915 |
|
SB451
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…HOOL DISTRICTS, AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS. SB451 Hester TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND THE…”
|
TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH REGIONAL … | Hester | Died in Senate at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB547
Act 728
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB547 D. Sullivan TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT A HOMESCHOOLED S…”
|
TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT A HOMESCHOOLED STUDENT LIVE WITHIN A CERTAIN RADIUS OF A … | D. Sullivan | Notification that SB547 is now Act 728 |
|
SB604
Act 730
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB604 B. Davis TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE REGARDING…”
|
TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE REGARDING THE COURSE CHOICE PROGRAM. | B. Davis | Notification that SB604 is now Act 730 |
|
SB624
Act 732
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…in CONCERNING THE FORMATION OF AN ISOLATED SCHOOL DISTRICT. SB624 B. Davis TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CH…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT; TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE … | B. Davis | Notification that SB624 is now Act 732 |
|
HB1022
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1022 A. Collins TO REPEAL PERFORMANCE-BASED INCENTIVE AWARDS FOR…”
|
TO REPEAL PERFORMANCE-BASED INCENTIVE AWARDS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS. | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1747
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1747 Vaught TO CREATE THE BABIES AT SCHOOL ACT; AND TO ALLOW SCH…”
|
TO CREATE THE BABIES AT SCHOOL ACT; AND TO ALLOW SCHOOLS TO PERMIT EMPLOYEES WHO … | Vaught | Recommended for study in the Interim by the … |
|
SB484
Act 726
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB484 Irvin TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS WHEREBY A VACANCY IS FILLED ON…”
|
TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS WHEREBY A VACANCY IS FILLED ON A SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF … | Irvin | Notification that SB484 is now Act 726 |
|
SB559
Act 729
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB559 J. English TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS MILITARY CHILD SCHOOL TRAN…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS MILITARY CHILD SCHOOL TRANSITIONS ACT OF 2021. | J. English | Notification that SB559 is now Act 729 |
Machine transcript
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- October 2, 2026
welcome guests. Thanks for being here, uh, members, we will start off, uh, this
morning I'm gonna recognize Representative Barker to start us off in prayer. If you would please stand.
Thank you, Representative. So members without objection is the favorite thing you ever hear from me. We're going to move around on the agenda so primarily we're gonna
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
0:55
have Senate bills. Yes, uh, so before we do that, I'm gonna recognize uh uh one person that I'm recognized Representative Duke for a point of personal privilege, uh, members
this morning, we, we often have lots of guests who come in and out of here from schools and all the places, but this morning we have a very special guest, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Justice Dan Kemp is in the room with us. If you would please
recognize uh former Chief Justice Ki. And I'll recognize Representative Duke for a point of personal privilege. Uh, thank you, Mr.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:26
Chair. I just wanted to thank my committee members and all the folks, um, I had to step out on Monday or Tuesday or whatever day it
was, I don't even remember. Um, as many of you all know, and I just appreciate all the texts my mom is doing well. I'm very thankful for that and I just thank you for all the prayers and everyone that reached out. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
1:42
Thank you hope we continue to pray for your mom and your family, uh, so without objection
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
1:47
we're going to move to Representative Meeks who's presenting Senate bill
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:52
something exactly 5 547. All right. Thank you, colleagues. Uh, this is actually a very special moment for
me. I've been on this committee for 7 years, and this is actually the last time I will be before you to present a bill. So, uh I'm hoping you can send me out with, with, with the, that, that, that's true, that's true. I could, I could be back. So, uh, this is actually a pretty simple straightforward bill under current Arkansas law for homeschool student wants to uh
uh participate in sports at a private school. They're allowed to if they're within a 25 mile limit that 2. 5 mile limit's kind of arbitrary. If a student wanted to uh go to uh a private school that was 25.2 miles away, they, they couldn't. And so what Senator Sullivan is asking for us to do is just do away with that, uh, 25 mile limit, uh, you know, if a parent wants to drive their student 150 miles across the state to attend, uh, you know, attend a school, then uh
this would allow him. It doesn't require the private school to do any transportation or anything like that. It just, uh, opens it up. For students who want to go beyond that 25 mile limit to, uh, to do so. Uh, it is supported by family counsel for whatever that might bring to the table. I'm happy to try to answer any questions. Other questions for members? See no questions
from members. No one has signed up to speak for
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
3:13
or against the bill. Would anyone like speak for against the bill, seeing none, Representative Meek, would you like to close your your bill?
I'm closed to make a motion to pass. He makes his clothes for his bill with a motion to pass on the table. Is there discussion on that motion, see no discussion.
Iavor say aye. I'll post. Congratulations to represent Meeks. You have passed your last bill through
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
3:33
house said. Members without objection, I'm going to uh turn the chair over to Representative Meeks while I present a bill.
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
3:53
OK. Uh, Chairman, when you get settled, um, I might have lost, you know, the, the bill number? I do, yes, sir. Uh, it's Senate Bill 183. Senate Bill 183. OK, when you get settled, then you are
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
4:06
recognized to present Senatorstrict 78 members I'm going to present Senate Bill 183 this morning. So we've actually already presented this bill. Uh, we just did not,
uh, finalize discussion on it because it showed a fiscal impact, but there actually is uh revenue neutral, and so I wanna bring up, if I could, Mr. Chair, with your permission, bring Greg
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
4:28
Rogers from the department up. Sure, Mr. Rogers. And when you get seated, sir, just introduce yourself to the committee,
not that you're a stranger by any means, and then you're recognized.
Thank you, Greg Rogers, Department of Education. So again, Senate Bill 183, as we looked at it several weeks ago, uh, it just simply broadens the tests, so
we've got the ACT that's been the, the primary test that's been out there but just broadens it uh to allow a couple of tests primary CLT classic learning test, which is
utilized by a number of institutions to just allows that to be a test that's paid for. So when we talk about the fiscal impact of the bill, uh, there's money that's already allocated within the department so it shows an impact, but there is, there's not new general revenue because it's money that's already within the department. I'll like. address that. Uh, yes,
Speaker 37
5:17
that's correct. So currently we have an assessment a line out in public school fund that has an appropriation funded at $20.1 million and that is used for current assessment tests right now and with this bill we'll just be getting new
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
5:31
contracts to do different assessments, but it will come out of that exist. And with that, I'd be happy to take any questions. So, so with this, um, would this be, you know, each school kind of deciding which way they want to go on this, or would this be a
statewide kind of decision on which way we want to go with
this test. So this is, is up to the students, so it'll it gives the student the flexibility to choose because different institutions of higher education accept different exams, and there are a number that are, are now taking the CLT classic learning test, uh, just because of, of the, uh, the curriculum
that's that the kids have gone through in in in high school and so
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
6:08
it just allows them to be a little more clear, uh, that's close
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
6:14
to that curriculum, right, uh, committee, any other questions?
OK, uh, Representative Gonzalez Wortham. Yes, um, I was wondering just out of curiosity, um, are there opportunities for, um, schools to have prep classes. That the state can pay for for any of these prep.
preparatory pre-college program assessments. Just curious. I don't believe that bears
and you feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I don't believe there's a specific line item in the funding that that designates funding specifically for prep classes, however, I mean that point being made, it's probably a pretty good idea that, um, that those could be options certainly, you know, the schools have uh discretionary authority with, with some types of funds, uh, that they could certainly choose to do that if they wanted to. OK, any other questions?
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
7:04
Saying none from committee, no one signed up to speak for or against anybody in the audience likes to speak for or against this bill, saying uh none, Mr. Chairman, you're closed for your bell. Thank you, Mr. Chair and thank you committee. I am closed for the bill and I make a motion to pass. OK, colleagues, we've got a motion to pass on the table. Any discussion on the motion? Saying none all in favor, please say aye. In your post? All right, congratulations, Mr. Chairman. You. Thank you.
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
7:46
Ipresentative Meeks committee without objection we're going to move to Senate Bill
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
7:49
373 with Senator Irvin, uh, Senator Irvin has a number of bill bills on our calendar today and so I'm gonna let her roll right through all
of them if uh if the committee wills. Senator, if you would please introduce yourself and you're recognized. Good morning. Thank you,
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
8:04
Senator Missy Irvin, would it be OK if I do 6:19 1st? Uh, I'm, I'm happy for you to do whichever you want
to as long as there's no objection from the committee. All right, thank you
so much. Uh, actually we do not have the amendment yet on that. It's on the way
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
8:21
over. Oh, I thought it was engrossed. No. Give me just a second
to check with staff if you would please. Senators, it has not been engrossed, so we're OK, it is, it is on the way over but it was not engrossed.
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
8:46
I'll just go ahead and do
618 1st. Without objection you recognize. Thank you. Senator Missy Irvin, District 24. Thank you. Uh, Senate Bill 618 is to amend the Arkansas student due process and Protection Act in 2023, I wrote the Arkansas student, um, due process and protection right to ensure that our students that are on institutions of higher ed campuses, uh, are aware of and that their 7th Amendment US
Constitutional due process rights. protected. Um, there are investigations that are are occurring on our campuses, um, and I just wanted to make sure that these institutions would advise these students of their due process rights and follow due process throughout that investigation so that they have the right to be represented by an attorney, uh, worked with all of the folks of higher ed, um, we have one change in amendment, but that's
before you in 618, and what this amendment does. is make sure that the institution advises those students, um, who are both the subject or the ones that are bringing the complaints of the investigation or disciplinary proceeding so that they may seek representation of an attorney from the onset of the investigation, um, and then we are limiting the time frame on when you can file an appeal from 25 days to 7 days. The reason why is because, uh, we want to make sure these things are
wrapped up as quickly as we can and not extend into the next. semester, um, that is a model, uh, policy from fire, which is the organization that supported me in writing this bill, but that's the foundation for individual rights and expression, um, they do a lot of great work in this arena, and, um, I actually wrote
the bill and then discovered them, but, uh, I appreciate, um, our institutions engaging with that organization as well. So that is what the bill does, and I'm
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
10:48
happy to take any questions. Are there questions from the committee? See no questions. We do not have anyone sign up to speak for or against the bill. Would anyone like to
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
11:04
speak for or against the bill? See non Senator Irvin, would you like to close for your bill? Thank you. I want to thank Melissa Rust and Rebecca Haley with
you at A Systems. They're here, uh, for working with me on this legislation with that I'm
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
11:13
closed, I'd ask for a good vote. Senator Irving is closed for Bill SB 618. What's committee. We have a motion to pass. Is there a discussion on that
motion? See no discussion. All in favor say aye. All pose. Congratulations, Senator, you've passed
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
11:25
your bill. Thank you. Um, I'll go to Senate Bill 504.
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
11:29
Members without objection, go back to the first page, I believe, of the calendar, Senate Bill 504, you're recognized.
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
11:35
OK, and actually we have some folks in the room that are also supportive of this legislation, and I appreciate their advocacy for this. This is to create the Arkansas Rural Preceptorship Program, um, working with Secretary Leva and the division of higher ed. What we wanted to
do is create this rule preceptorship statewide, uh, currently UIMS does this with their medical students to where you can do a preceptorship between your like freshman year and your sophomore year, um, during those years and what it is, it's like. a 2 to 3 week kind of introduction where um our medical students go out and work in clinics, hospitals, whatever, out into these communities. This is actually they get a stipend. It's not much money, um, and they are able to get introduced
into a rural part of the state of Arkansas. In fact, this is how, uh, Missy Irvin and Dawson Irvin got to Mountain View, Arkansas was my husband, Doctor Irvin, um Dawson. He came to Mountain View, Stone County, and did a rural. receptor ship, uh, with Doctor Simpson and Doctor Sutterfield. Um, he loved it, fell in love with the community and everybody in it who wouldn't, um, and, uh, so he was like, you know, and that was before we got married or even started dating, um, but it was just a great opportunity
for him to kind of get into the community, see what it's like, um, and then that ended up to us beginning a rural residency program for UAMS in Mountain View, which was highly successful and kept those uh doctors in the area in Izard County, Stone County, and Baxter County, um, so this, this is really just to have a statewide coordinated effort, uh, Department of Commerce has already identified funding for this, which I'm thrilled about, because this is a workforce development issue, um, and it's
not much money to really get our professionals out into rural parts of the state of Arkansas. So I'm really excited about this. This would coordinate with all 4 of our medical schools. Uh, the Alice Walton School of Medicine, which I think is the first time this has
appeared in legislation, which I'm really excited about, um, and then also our two osteopathic schools in Jonesboro Fort Smith and UAMS. Happy to take any questions.
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
13:50
Thank you, Senator Irvin, for the presentation. So my question would be relative to the fiscal
impact on it. So fiscal impact statement shows half a million dollars, uh, but you indicated there are
funding sources outside of an increase in general revenue. Could you go
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
14:05
into that a little bit more? is it just sets up the program, so there's really no funding attached to it right now at all. Um, that's just an estimate of probably what it would be, um, but the Department of Commerce and Secretary McDonald. reached out to me and said we love this, we love your bill, uh, and we've found some funding internally without any increase
to state GR to be able to fund it. So, I was really
excited to hear that. Representative Gonzalez worth
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
14:33
and you recognize for a question. Yes. Um, so this would be within the medical school, um within there. program of study. Yes, yes, OK,
Speaker 72
14:42
while they're on a break while they're on,
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
14:44
OK, and so. I think it's a wonderful, wonderful idea for that, for that to happen and I was wondering if this would be, um,
Once this gets off the ground, um. Medical students from from other medical schools. Serving in that capacity just rural medicine, uh, wondering, I mean, yes, I mean, I think this just this
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
15:13
takes care of our four medical schools that are in our state, and I want to keep, we are spending a ton of money educating those people and we want to retain them because if not, we're kind of like
exporting our talent and I want to stop that from happening. So this is one really good inexpensive way and a tool to kind of go, hey, It's really great down in Magnolia. It's really great in Melbourne. You should think about practicing here. You know, we've got great public schools there, uh, and we've got great quality of life and so it's really just a great way. I, I'm a big fan of rural residency programs as well, but those are harder and more expensive to stand up. But yes, it's a, it's a, it's a great recruiting tool. Thank you.
I also would say, I, I'm created this to where it can be a public and private partnership, so it's not just public money that could be used, private institutions could also put money towards this, and I know that like Saint Bernard's healthcare systems would contribute into the program so that they could host people. Um, in fact, the community in Stone County when, um, my husband came, they offered free housing for him. Um, I don't think he ever paid for a meal because they were so kind to him. So, you know, community could actually also participate
in this with any of their funding. If they wanted to bring a medical student into their community, they could be also part of the program. Thank you
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
16:49
for the question. Are there additional questions from the committee? Seeing no additional questions, we do not have anyone signed up to speak for or against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for or against the bill? See none. Senator Irvin, would you like
Speaker 63
16:59
to close for your bill? I'm good. Thank you Senator Irvin is
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
17:01
closed your bill. We have a motion to pass. On the table is a discussion on that motion?
See no discussion, all in favor say aye. All opposed. Congratulations Senator Irvin, you've passed your bill. Thank you, uh, without objection, we will move on and and members, I just want to congratulate you. We've done a really good job in the 1st 20 minutes of this, uh, we've knocked out like 4 or 5 bills which I
don't want to get too optimistic but this, it's going really well. Um, I know, I just felt, I felt I should say it out loud. I still have like 3 more bills. Sorry about that, uh, Senator Irwin, you're recognized to present whichever bill is next.
OK, I really appreciate it. OK, I think the amendment is here. I this is this 619? OK, so members, this is Senate Bill 619. It's on the second page, if you would please, uh, staff is gonna
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
17:50
pass out an amendment and give us just a moment to review that and then we will discuss adoption of the amendment.
OK, that's pass out the amendment if you would please, uh, review that
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
18:28
for us and then we'll, uh, adopt it. Sure,
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
18:32
Senator Missy Irvin, District 24. Stephen
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
18:35
Walker, District 27. Thank you, members. This, um, this amendment actually clarifies some language as to, uh, the electors who would be voting in the process, so that's good cleanup language. And then the second language is actually from House legislation to mirror some house legislation that's already been passed as it
referred to, um, school board members and terms, so, uh, we're, it's kind of tricky because we were tracking legislation hasn't been signed by the governor yet. We fully anticipate that it probably will. So we were just trying to track that, um, at the same time and make sure that it matched. So that's what the amendment does, and I'd appreciate a vote to adopt the amendment. Senator Ervin has presented the amendment.
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
19:14
We have a motion to adopt. Is there a discussion on that motion? See, no discussion. All favor say aye. All opposed. Congratulations, you've adopted your
amendment. Now you're recognized to present Senate Bill 619 as amended.
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
19:27
Thank you so much, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Senate Bill 619. Follows in the vein, I think, of everything that this legislature has embraced, um, as it comes
to, uh, preserving, uh, the students' rights to get educated where they want to be educated and, uh, and, and so our community is struggling with this right
now in Stone County, but this is one of the most significant pieces of legislation. I really think that
we could pass as a general assembly because in my opinion, and Of course, when you look at, oh, sorry, dogs barking, uh. Railroads for the bill too. Roosevelt. Uh, anyway, when you look at the impact of a school, um, any size of a school. It's a tremendous economic impact that they have, but it's not just an economic impact that they have in that community. It's also About the spirit and uh of, of
that community, um, and so this bill is very well crafted in my opinion, and I had a lot of help from a lot of folks that are in this room on writing this legislation, I really want to appreciate the Department of Education also that helped on this bill, um, but this bill creates an isolated school district and what it does, it's about local governance.
It's about allowing people to stand on their own 2 ft. And be able to support that community. And so, and support that school. I can't tell you
how important a school is to a community. It is a cornerstone of their economy, of their survival. It is critically important for these people to have the ability to dig in and support that school. They are loyal to it. I could go on and on and on about these people and these students that graduate from these very small schools. I've got 2, I've got many actually in my district. And this would affect any isolated school that's already designated as an isolated school, which are about 11 of
them and so there is no fiscal impact to the state of Arkansas because we're already funding these schools. What this bill does, it just allows the creation for them to stand on their own 2 ft, govern themselves. We as a legislature have supported the idea of home schools of education freedom of micro schools of the parents and the kids. choosing how they want to be educated, the same should apply for our public schools. Absolutely should, and so that's what we're here advocating for
in this bill is to allow them to create their own isolated school district and and to stand on their own 2 ft and to support that school and that community. And so we've outlined a process for that to occur. Uh, and I think that it's a very clear process that's that's in the legislation and we can answer questions about that, but I wanna talk about the kids that graduate from some of the. schools and over in the Senate committee, I talked about, uh, these two young men, Dustin and Dylan Stewart, and yeah, they got great parents. I mean, they
were raised right, OK, but these kids graduated and they're graduating class with 6 people. A class of 6. Dylan works for Arkansas telephone Company. He has been on the forefront of helping to bring broadband to all of our rural communities in Van Buren County and Cercy County and Stone County and Cleburne County in Fairfield Bay. He understands that broadband policy better than anybody else. He lives in Clinton, Arkansas. He's a fabulous, fabulous young man. He
works with Lauren Fries, who also graduated from Ru Special. He's also a fabulous young man. These kids. have been on the forefront working with the federal government, getting that bead money, writing these huge applications for broadband funding. They graduated from rural special school. His he's now the preacher at his church in Rushing, Arkansas. That's awesome. Dustin, his older brother's a shelter insurance agent that lives in Mountain View, a community leader, an investor, an entrepreneur, a
developer, not just a shelter insurance agent but also owns several small businesses of his own is an emerging emerging as a community leader, graduated from rural special school. It is a fabulous school. It operates efficiently and effectively with their fiscal fiscal situations. I've had Greg Rogers run the numbers. These small campuses actually operate more efficiently sometimes in our larger campuses. When you look at the numbers and you look at their spend, but they're also academically excellent schools.
So why, why would we put these school districts in a fiscally where these small schools are constantly threatened to be shut down. It's unnecessary. So what this bill does is just creates that pathway to let these schools come out and then there's last one more example I want to give you. This kid right now, sit next to me. He's not a kid. But Representative Stephen Walker graduated from Izer County Consolidated School. It is a really small school and a
really, really far place to reach. I used to represent it. And where is he now? He's sitting next to me. That is a testimony to these small schools, y'all. So let us support them. Let's give them the pathway to get this
done. That's what the bill does, and I'll let Representative Walker talk. I can't really top Senator Irvin on it, but
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
25:00
the only thing I want to add is they
put in a lot of work to make this possible, and they were able to figure out a way to do it to where it has,
um, basically no physical impact on our state. And we're
Chair
Unverified
25:16
open for questions. Thank you. Uh, any questions from committee, uh, Representative Gardner, you're
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
25:21
recognized for you, Mr. Chair. Um, Steven, you may know this
better than Missy just because you've been in this committee and gone through, how does this differ from Representative Barnett's legislation. To um to start at a school. I know part of what's in this and
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
25:41
Senator Irvin correct me if I'm wrong,
but I think there's right now there's a deal that needs a waiver or something to where
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
25:50
is it 2300 kids, it's a, it's
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
25:53
a big number and that's what kills, um, this being a possibility for our isolated school districts, um, I, I absolutely agree
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
26:01
with this I'm just wondering that'll be a big difference and the bills will coordinate. Yeah, as far as I know it will.
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
26:14
isolated schools too. That are already designated by the
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
26:17
department. OK, perfect. Uh, are there
any other questions from committee? Uh, Representative Watts, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr.
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
26:30
Chair. Um, I want to thank y'all for this legislation, as you know, I've got a school that's actually not in my district, but everybody calls me as their state representative, um, probably because they've known
me for so long, um, so, um, and I have watched them fight tooth and nail, um, seeing them raise their taxes on themselves to keep their school and still be told they're not good enough to be a part of another school district. Um, they get called the kids across the river or across the bridge and, and it's hard for those kids to go to school or be mixed into another big school that doesn't already appreciate them, doesn't really want them to be there. Um, so I appreciate, uh, this bill and
the hard work put in into it. I, you know, the governor helped us out with the umpire, uh, last year she even flew down there and listened to the concerns of the people, that's how
Speaker 109
27:26
important these small isolated schools are. And, uh, I appreciate the legislation. Wouldn't you agree that's a
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
27:32
great deal. I, I would agree and, um, and there are folks here, uh, in support of this bill, and from the Empire Kingston School District or school, uh, and I appreciate them being here. And then of course from our, our school
district, um, our Stone County Judge, Stacy Ay is here in support of it, uh, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Dank Kent is here in support of it as well, um, his wife. I was a teacher, one of the best home ec teachers, hands down, um, in, in the state of Arkansas, but she taught at these rural schools. They're very passionate to seeing these rural schools stay open, and I just really appreciate him, uh, everybody, Renee Carr, Mr. Rush is also here. He's our
superintendent of our Mountain View School District. He's also supportive of the legislation becau and so both sides of this very intense issue right now. are supportive of this legislation because it just gives everybody a clean pathway of being able to, uh, separate if they want to separate. And so I, I just feel like it's a policy makers, we should allow
them the opportunity to do so. Thank you for the question. Representative Cozart, you recognized for a
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
28:43
question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I remember back when I first came here.
Wiener, Arkansas. Yeah. We lost that school because of the same time, you know, we, we've done some legislation and I'm, I'm, I'll ask you a question at the end so we can get this right, but, uh, we've done some legislation to, to help those small schools under that then actually Payton came back and done some more legislation to take that number completely away to make that more possible, but um, when you agree that those small schools that are doing everything perfect and have the people
very supportive of what. They're doing should stay in place.
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
29:26
100% agree with that, yeah. And what we've need to keep in mind too is every time a school district closes in these rural area or a school building closes in these rural areas, bus routes get longer and we're already get in a rural area, we're already getting to where we're too spread out, um, I'm pretty sure we can all agree. No good learning happens on a school bus. So we would much rather them be at home playing outside or being in school learning and have less time on the school bus if it's possible.
So just keep that in mind. Um, we've got bus routes that are. At late for some kids will experience a, a school bus ride for about 2 hours one way, um, because I've got to hit all the other kids along the way.
Usually if you're picked up first, you're dropped off last, and so just keep that in mind. Thank you. Representative Beck, you're recognized for a question? It's not so much
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
30:20
a question as it is as a statement. I'll just ask you if you would agree. I thought, I, I'll never the first
term I was down here, I, I, I, we all get a lot of mail through our phones and all this stuff I got. There were 2, there were 2 schools in Arkansas that were recognized as uh for the for their academic achievements and I remember because we were arguing over this 350 thing and all that and both of those schools that the only two schools in Arkansas that got wreck. recognized by this national group for their excellence and in education were below 400 students and I thought, you know, it's like.
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
31:01
They do a good job, wouldn't you agree? absolutely thank you for pointing that out.
Absolutely agree. And, and to to represent coars, it's a travesty to me that that these schools have closed, and we could go down the list. Weiner was kind of one
of the biggest ones. I mean, that that kind of started the domino effect, but it doesn't matter where they're located in the state of Arkansas. They're vital to these communities, and we as a
state, we could do everything we want to try to increase economic development. Keep your schools. That's your economic development, folks.
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
31:37
Thanks. Represent McGruder, you recognize her question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, uh. For the legislation, I truly appreciate it, uh. All of this started, uh, where I grew up at and uh Phillips County in Lakeview, Arkansas. Uh, which was the first case brought forth. Uh, my question. On page 1 line 30 to 36, uh, uh, well, actually 32 to 36. Are we, is that putting a number on it. It's A and B.
I'm trying to get clarification, a better
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
32:13
understanding of that. So the reason why that is in there is because that is how uh these isolated school districts are determined by the Department of Education. So that's the way that we identify these schools that are, that would be, uh, allowed to do this under how they are currently funded to the Department of Education. That's
Speaker 131
32:33
how they're defined what it does and a number to the equation.
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
32:41
OK. But the number is great for, for me because it would've kept. That school district opened, but I was just trying to get a
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
32:48
better understanding of you. Thank you and I wish we could
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
32:52
turn back the clock. Man, do I wish we could turn back the clock, maybe we can figure that out as we move forward as a group. We should have, we, we should have never let that happen in the state of Arkansas. And I'm sorry. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
33:12
Are there additional questions about the committee? See no additional questions we do have a number of people signed up to speak on the bill. First we have Danielle Kitchens. Danielle's good. Thank you. Uh, next up, speaking for the bill we have former Chief Justice Kemp. Even the audience is making it easy on us today.
Thank you, Mr. Judge. So he's yielding his time, uh, next on the agenda we have Renee Carr. I don't know
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
34:31
what's happening right now. Uh I'm not, I'm gonna, I'm gonna keep my mouth shut, uh, uh, next
sign up speak we have Martin Sims. Final, final person signed up to speak for the bill, um, you got a lot of pressure on you, uh, Mark Rush. Uh, if you would please come and introduce yourself for the record and you're recognized to
Mark Rush
Unverified
35:13
speak for the bill. My name is Mark Rush. I'm the current superintendent of the Mountain View School District and uh. We currently. Uh, we are, I'll start from the beginning here.
We are a very unique school. Uh, in that we are in a rural county as Judge Avey stated. But we operate 3 separate K-12 campuses in Stone County. Due to Act 60, I believe it was, of 2003, 2004. Two of those schools real special, which Senator Irvin spoke of and Timbo, which Judge Avey spoke of.
Uh, we're forced to either consolidate. Or annex. Because they were under the 350 number. This is my thirty-fifth year and I'm gonna kind of bounce around here. This is my thirty-fifth year in education. Uh, the 1st 22 of the first schools I worked at. In fact, the first school I worked at is closed because of Act 60 now. Uh, Oak Ridge Central up in northeast Arkansas is closed because of that. Uh, I taught it.
Uh, and coached at Concord when Act 60 was being debated. It would greatly have would have affected us there because we were under the initial number which was 500 students, I believe at the time. Initially, and then, then it got cut down to 350 students. Before you could stay open. So Concord got to stay open, but we had to annex or consolidate the Wilburn district. So I know well from my job over 35 years that
Act 60 greatly affected some schools. It's greatly affecting us now in Stone County. Real special in Timbo our outer campuses, uh, they are. Separate K-12 entities operating under the Mountain View School District. They have their own bus routes. They have their own uh athletic teams they have their own extracurriculars, uh, they are acting as independent entities. Under Our umbrella at Mountain View.
However, We are facing some financial. Questions. We operate. Those 3 separate campuses. Under the lowest or 2nd lowest. Milage rate in the state of Arkansas, 28.91. Our district has Tried in the past several on several occasions to pass a village increase. And failed due to whatever reasons. This is my first year
as superintendent there. I've been there 6 years as assistant superintendent and now superintendent. And we can't pass a village. rate increase. So We are facing Some difficult financial decisions. Of having to start look at closing. Two schools One school initially. Uh If something doesn't
Ha. This act Would provide those campuses. Of Timbo and real special, who both have around 200 students, great schools, great communities, uh, they will fight tooth and nail for their communities and their schools, uh, Mr. Stewart, who. Senator Irvin spoke of one of the Stewart. boys. took the initiative back last
year or 2 years ago to, uh, Redo. Uh, the real special gym. In a matter of 2 weeks he had raised over $250,000 from that community to Renovate their gym. If something needs to be done in those two communities, they get done. However We can't come together on a village. This
Act and the reason I'm down here supporting it. Would allow those schools. To go back In time. I wish we could go back in time. I think she said a while ago. It would allow those districts to be. Re-established if you will, they have their own bus routes. They have their own, uh, like I said, they're, their activities, their athletics, uh. They would get to create their own village.
They would get to elect their own board. And they would go back to operating as independent entities, they would get the financial uh foundation funding for those students, they would get the isolating funding for those students and uh I'll uh I'm trying to keep this as brief as possible. But Um Acts 60. Of 2003, 2004, cut a lot of throats. Due to a number
That number was 350. I don't think that was right. Don't think it should ever happen. And this bill, this law, would allow us to maybe Put a band-aid Over some scars of Act 60. The Timbo School District. And the special school district deserve an opportunity. To stay alive, basically.
So with that, I'll. In my Speech and hope for a good vote. Thank you for your comments. Are there any
questions from committee? Seeing none. Thank you for your testimony. Thank you. Thank the committee. was the last one. that's all those who have signed up to speak for or against the bill, anyone in the audience wished to speak for or against the bill. Senator Irving, you recognize the close for your bill. Thank you so much,
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
41:35
Mr. Chair and members of the committee, really, really thank you.
I wish we could turn back the clock. Man, I wish we could. And I'm sorry that we can't. But we're here today. And let's just Hopefully let these schools stay alive. And uh with that. It's been an honor to be able to work and see my community come together in support of this legislation. But a lot of communities all across the state that have reached out. I, I am floored by the people of the state of Arkansas that are fighting for their communities and, and I, I
couldn't be more proud of this bill, and I just appreciate a
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
42:16
good vote. We're we're closed, and I make
a motion to pass. If a motion to pass on the table. Is there any discussion on that motion? I got a bunch of discussion. Representative McGruder.
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
42:28
You recognized. Um, thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, I just want to say as a individual who is an educator and uh finally serving in the legislature. I have uh observed
from afar for years, and I have watched uh. These hearings where people be. On their hands and knees for their school districts. This is a problem. And I want to thank you. I wanna thank Representative Barnett for the work that you all have done to get us to this point. I am so blessed to be serving in my first term as a legislator, and I'm doing something that I know is going to impact my community. So, you have my
support 100%. I will be voting yes. I have one request that we can take a photo when this is done. Of us working across party lines to do what's best for
all of our districts, and I thank you. Represent McGruder, uh, discussed the uh Representative Barnett, you recognized discussed the
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
43:34
motion. Yes, I just want to um. Publicly thank you for this bill, um.
I was listening to uh the presentation prior to that representative Walker related community, and I can relate to isolated community, um, that face school consolidation and Legislation like this, and what we passed out of committee the other day so often.
People that reside in those small rural left out and ignored, and so I just thank you for seeing. Thank you, Representative Barnett, Representative Duke, you're recognized to discuss the
motion. Thank you, Mr. Chair. um, thank you, Senator. Thank you, Representative
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
44:35
for bringing this bill. I remember, um, when I was at 2003, 2004, whenever some of that consolidation
happened and I had a The one of the little towns in my district, I think my dad was
representing in some way, shape or form at that time, this area, but they missed because the number dropped enough. I think it was to 350 and they missed, but they were going to be consolidated and that little town now because years have passed in Northwest Arkansas has changed and now it is growing and you can just kind of feel it on the edge of all that growth happening on in our county now that nobody thought was going to happen like that. And it's changed and because that little school is there, it's not going to be a little school. And, you know, it's gonna start growing and that, but that sense of community and
that sense of pride and all of those things that go around those small towns was remained intact and so I, I echo the same. I wish we could unring the bell and who knows, maybe there'll be a way to do that someday, but I am so supportive of this and I'm so thankful that y'all did this and I'm excited for those doors. It's going to open back up and allow communities to stay intact and keep their. schools and keep their community. Thank you. I will absolutely be voting for this bill. painter you recognize for discussion.
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
45:50
Thank you. Uh, Senator Ervin, uh, and, and Representative Walker, I appreciate this bill. Um, I've been to Timmbo. I've actually worked with, uh, Judge Ay for many years, a graduate of Timbo and Fox area, and I'll tell you what, there's just as much passion, if not more, in those small rural districts and Being there and watching the kids getting an adequate education. And like the gentleman from the Kingston area, they are in the top. And so, thank you very much, Representative Barnett. Thank you for your bill previous
earlier. It's about time that we take care of rural education. Thank
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
46:32
you. you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um I've seen little towns go to nothing. Like there's literally nothing there and you see those buildings standing there. And you're sad for those towns. That, uh Lost all that camaraderie. Because that town does need that
school to have that connection. I, I know that sounds so weird, but I think they have to have the school to have the the community connection that they need. You can say what you want to say about Friday Night Lights. But it is big time in rural Arkansas. It's something that every single person looks forward to. It doesn't matter if your team is winning or losing. It's not like the Razorbacks. It doesn't matter. They just want to be there to support
their, their children, their grandchildren, their nieces, their nephews, whatever it might be. Um And, and, you know, we're in the swing of baseball and softball. That would be like, you know, the next rule, big rule thing. They love them some baseball and softball and being out there with their kids and their kids running around watching Big Brother, Big Sister play ball. And when kids from a rural community gets shoved into a bigger school. I think it causes a lot of angst.
Between two towns that never was meant to be. I think it really does. I think it pits people against each other, because my mascot was a line and now you're wanting me to be an eagle or whatever it is. Um And I really didn't have a say. What I love about this is it is up to the people. If they want to keep their school, it's up to them. And I think a lot of rural schools are gonna do whatever they gotta do. To keep their schools up and
running because they want to do it for their kids. And, and I truly appreciate that so much and I do too, like you, wish we could rewind the clock. Because I've seen the devastation. firsthand. So thank y'all.
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
48:45
Repent Gonzalez were you recognize for discussion. Thank you. I grew up in a rural school district in Texas and had that opportunity and had a chance to serve on the board of um. Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
and we were um doing a tour and I had the chance to go to Elaine. And it hurt my heart to see the empty school buildings as a teacher, even more so, um, because they had to consolidate and how devastating that was for the community because communities, rural communities, they as uh representative Vaut said they rally around their, their, their schools, their students, you know, whoever is, and it doesn't matter who wins or loses, but every and if there's a need, somebody in the community is gonna figure it
out. And so I applaud you, um, both of you for bringing this and also, yay for. R. Seeing no additional discussion. We have a motion on the
table of do pass as amended. All in favor CI. All opposed. Congratulations,
Representative Walker and Senator, you passed your bill.
Thank you so much, Senator Ervin without objection, I believe we'll move to another bill on the agenda. 8484 McCollum, you recognized, if you would please introduce
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
50:16
yourself. So clarify Senator Irvin, so we've got 484 and then 373, is that the last one? OK.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you committee. Today we have SB 484 in front of you.
And of course we have uh lovely senator next to me. Representative McCollum, uh, would make a request since we're on camera to have your jacket on. Good idea. Trying to, trying to keep within our rules. But we do all appreciate how fit
Representative Austin McCollum
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51:03
you are. Thank you Mr. Chair, for a tight ship. It's good. I wanna be within the decorum. So we've talked a little bit, uh, I think it was yesterday about school boards and um. A few things before we kind of go into maybe a little more detail, um. You know, this is going to retain the power of remaining members of school district boards of directors to fill those vacancies, which we discussed yesterday. followed by the quorum court at the school board fails to act,
um, this is gonna establish a transparent process to fill vacancies on school boards, you recall earlier in the session, um, representative Britt McK McKenzie had that HB 1724, I believe, uh, that moves the school board elections to those even years and. You know, allow for potential of 2-year vacancies rather than the current maximum of one year. Um, depending on the timing of the vacancy. Um
So SB 484, we're gonna allow for transparency and the reason we're saying transparency is by forcing all the aspects of this process to be done in public. Uh, furthermore, we're going to require schools to announce the vacancy using the existing communication systems that they already have and posting information on their website. Uh, we believe that would be major innovation in the name of transparency. So overall, we, we believe this is a big improvement from the
existing law and fixes some of those problems and makes a good faith attempt at
Senator Missy Irvin
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52:43
creating a better process. I, I will just also state, I really appreciate Ms. Renee Carr. She also helped me, uh, helped with this legislation, um, as did, uh, Mr. Rush and actually folks of our school board when there's a vacancy. You just got to make sure, hey, it's open. Who wants to apply for it? Here's the process. Here's how we're
going to do this. So, uh, it just creates more buy-in from the community
and, uh, let them be aware and be a part of the process, so I'm happy
Representative Austin McCollum
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53:13
to answer any questions. And as you mentioned, uh, represented, uh, Representative Meeks isn't here, but there were and even you represented Beck yesterday on this discussion of um trying to deal with the topic of making sure more community involvement with the school board, uh, that we have quality candidates, so in the spirit of that as well. Are there any questions from committee?
Representative Hope Duke
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53:38
Well Representative Duke, you're recognized for your question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, my question is on page 3 lines 1 and 2, and it's just on the qualified electors. Who is, where is it? where are they being submitted and who verifies their qualified
electors. counted the count, it should be
Senator Missy Irvin
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54:01
the county clerk. We'd be able to qualify, you know, if they live in the district, just like you would
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
54:10
with like a, a JPorm court they'll submit it to the county clerk. I'm just trying to make sure the process is all buttoned up. I don't have a problem with it. It just so they will submit it to the county clerk and the county clerk will verify it and let them know. All your, you're, you're good like we do with. Yeah is it in there? Representative
Vau, you're recognized for your. OK. Are there any other questions from committee, Representative McGruder, you're recognized for a question. Thank you, thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, page 3. Uh
Representative Jessie McGruder
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54:45
9:15 and a little bit of clarification on that, uh, school district uh board of directors or county corn Court may fill a vacancy. Only with a candidate who has submitted a timely valid and sufficient petition on this section. Um, I'm understanding the word of the uh county court, uh, being involved in this, trying to understand that language.
Speaker 182
55:06
I think that is the the current process, um, of, uh. Kind of directionally if.
Representative Austin McCollum
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55:16
You know, step Borum Court is allowed to be involved in that process. I
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
55:21
don't think that's actually a change. So basically, The school district. This appoints the vacancy and they just forward it to the
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
55:31
quote unquote is what we're doing. They're the backstop. Like if, if something, if the, the school district for some reason can't fill the vacancy, then we'd go to the corm court as like the second alternative. So, because, as the backstop, you kind of always have to have
like, first this, then this if they can't get it done. Kind of a thing. So that's,
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
55:53
that's just what it does. I'd say furthermore, you know, the. And
I probably should have said like, the main goal of this, the problem we're trying to solve. We don't want to go 10 amount of time without representation, so we're trying to standardize expectations of how to get these, these filled. 90 days or so without having someone in that position, I think is problematic, so. Um Trying to find some reasonable
alternative here. And for it to remain at local. Thank you. Thank you, motion to pass at the proper time. At the proper time. Any other questions from committee? See down anyone signed up to speak for or against anyone wishing to speak for or against. Um, you recognize the close. I'm closed. We have a motion to pass any discussion on the motion? Seeing none. All those in favor say aye. I'll oppose nay
Senator Missy Irvin
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56:50
Congratulations, you've passed your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Um, I'm gonna come back on 373 and uh, I'm not sure if Ms. Jansen is in the room, Fran, Janson. Uh, she's with the treasurer's office and she would probably need to be here to answer the questions. It's just a technical that's fine. Would you like to do 618 our bill? Yes.
No, I'll just sit down here I don't want
Speaker 197
57:37
to sit down there. I know that, I know it's surprising to
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
57:44
the members of the committee that we have run through so many bills so fast, so it's
just kind of, I think we're assuming we just should do
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
57:54
more multiple bills, same time it is a blur. Can I do SP 624 while I'm here. It's the same, same
exact bill that we already passed. Senator Irvin done with all of her bills? OK, so, uh, thank you, senator. We'll, uh, we'll take you when you
Representative Denise Garner
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58:11
get back and then Representative McCollum, uh, since you're down there, and yes, please, you're recognized for Senate Bill 624, is that right? Yes sir,
Representative Austin McCollum
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58:18
so thank you Mr. Chair. Thank you committee um SB 624 is
the same exact wording, um, same exact sponsors of the bill that we passed on the floor yesterday as well as uh we already passed that of this committee. And uh I'd appreciate a good vote the proper time. Other
questions for Representative McCollum? Reim Duke, who recognized her question. Thank
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
58:44
you, uh, Mr. Chair, and thank you, RepresentativeCollum, um, along the lines of the same question I had yesterday and maybe if we could have the department come up and help with that, have clarity on it, on
the, the 95% cap, and the choice piece. Miss Salisford. If
Speaker 62
59:04
you would please introduce Jeff for the record. While she's making her way up here, um, I'm sure
Representative Austin McCollum
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59:09
you've seen us do this before on other bills having companion bills, so just near the end of the session, but. Courtney Saissfod, Department of Education. um, thank you. So my
Representative Hope Duke
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59:24
question just because we have several questions yesterday, as you know, before we went into the chamber. And so I just want
clarity today before we, uh, go through this one again, so I know exactly what, what happened, what's going on with the two different choice programs and the cap before, cap after, whatever, just Claire, I think you know what I'm trying to understand. So if you could give that clear, I
Speaker 206
59:45
would sure appreciate it, right? OK. So, um, there are 22 school choice programs currently in statute. Opportunity school. Choice and public school choice, and I won't go into the details of those unless you need me to, but, um, There were existing code sections that that talked about
capacity in 2023, Act 790 was passed, which amended both of the school choice sections. Specifically on public school choice, it amended 618, 1903C. To change the ability of a school district to deny based on capacity to say that they had to meet the maximum capacity. So for easy reference, I'm going to refer to that as 100%. So they had to be at 100% of capacity.
However, they did not repeal the 90% language that was already in statute. So we ended up with a conflict of 1903C, said maximum 100%, 1903D said 90%. And as a lawyer, I would give anything in the world for, for Chief Justice Kemp to walk back in right now, but Because of the principles of statutory construction and jurisprudence that by the courts, we have to apply the
lighter enacted law, which would be the maximum. And if it's possible, we have to harmonize both sections so that a district could comply with both. And so if you are complying with the 100%, you are also thereby complying with the 90%. You could not do the reverse. So there's my little legal presentation for the day. Um, but, so again, so in, in, uh, Representative McCollum's bill. He is now fixing that, that conflict by saying that for both
of them, it will be 95%. So he is actually reducing from the current maximum of 100% down to 95% for both school choice programs. Follow up, so. As a Before we had
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:01:53
all the conflicts, what was the general practice of the schools? Do you know? Before the
Speaker 206
1:02:02
conflict became up in 23. Um, well, it was actually different. It was 90% for school
choice. It was 95% for opportunity school choice.
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:02:12
OK, I think that's good. I just. One of that confusion, or at least the confusion
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
1:02:17
some of us had. Yes, I will, I will express appreciation for, for his cleaning that up because
Speaker 206
1:02:22
school districts have been in a quandary for the last 2 years, um, of which one do we apply? We've had to answer that question a lot of times, um, so this brings some much needed clarification. Thank you. Appreciate that. Are there additional questions
Chair
Unverified
1:02:35
from the committee, Representative Garner, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr.
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
1:02:39
Chair. I just have a quick question, um, I think it's a quick question. So in any of the codes, does it suggest that the folks who live in the district have priority over someone who's
Representative Lincoln Barnett
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1:02:52
trying to transfer. So are you, uh, so a student who is a resident of the school district has obviously priority to
Speaker 206
1:02:58
stay in their district, but they, uh, the school district can still require them to go to their zoned school. Some school districts allow students and parents to apply to go to an own school, um, that's
completely up to the, the school district under Opportunity school choice if that school is an F school, then they do have the right and priority to choose to go to another school and then that capacity language kicks in if you can only deny it if you're at that capacity in the school
Representative Denise Garner
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1:03:26
itself, not just the district, in the school itself. If you're a resident of that school, you have priority over those folks coming in. OK, I just want to make sure that was in there.
Yes, yes, it still is. Are there additional questions on
Representative Denise Garner
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1:03:47
the committee? Thank you, Miss Osford. See no additional questions. We do not have anyone signed up to speak for or against this bill. Would anyone like to speak for or against the bill? See none
Representative Austin McCollum
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1:03:56
represent M column. Would you like to close for your bill? Thank you for your patience. Thanks for that question too. Hopefully it's good
Representative Denise Garner
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1:04:03
clarification. Appreciate a good vote. Thanks. McCollum is closed for his bill and has made a motion. Motion to pass.
Is there a discussion on the motion? And I'll just brief offer a little brief discussion. I appreciate you McCollum for bringing this, uh, for providing some clarity, uh, I think it's been helpful for everybody. This discussion has been very good. So thank you for doing that. Any additional discussion? See no I if
I ever say I, I opposed. Congratulations are some column. You've passed your bill. Uh, committee, I'm
Representative Denise Garner
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1:04:32
going to yield the chair to Vice Chair McKenzie and present a couple of bills.
Would you let us know who you are, then you
Representative Austin McCollum
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1:04:58
can be recognized to present your bill. I Mr. Chair, Keith Brooks, uh, state state representative district 78, uh, without
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
1:05:06
objection, I'm going to be the first bill on the agenda, which is Senate Bill 402, uh, Senator Penzo's bill. This, uh,
this bill is actually quite simple. Uh, it basically just bans captive audiences and
so uh bill just allows or or or uh prescribes it be illegal for associations, unions, co-ops to to recruit members on school campuses during the work day, so basically just uh forcing people to uh to be recruited for certain things. This is an agreed upon bill, AAEA, um, was helpful with the language on it and there's no opposition and with that I I would be happy to take any questions. Are there
any questions from committee? Doctor Hernandez, would you, I'm just kidding, um, he has not been to the table enough,
so you weren't here when we tormented him the other day, yeah, um, anyone want to speak for or
against the bill? Seeing then you recognized clothes for your bill. I'm closed for the bill. I make a motion to pass. A motion to pass on the table. Any discussion on
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
1:06:08
the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor say aye all opposed. Congratulations, you've passed your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you committee. uh, Mr. Chair,
without objection, I'm going to move to Senate Bill 425. 425. Yes, sir.
And with your permission like to bring Mr. Greg Rogers to the table? Absolutely. Is it
Doctor or Mr. Rogers? Call him the great Mr. Greg Rogers. So once you let us know who you
Representative Austin McCollum
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1:06:42
are, you'll be recognized. Greg Rogers Department of Education. I recognize. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair,
committee. So Senate Bill 425 come to us from or from Senator English. This is just another portion of adequacy. This is the
enhanced transportation funding portion of adequacy, so it's something that came out of our adequacy recommendations for the uh uh the 10 month process. This is just the, the clarifying what the dollars are for the school districts that have a that haven't have enhanced transportation portions and the amounts and with that, uh, Mr. Rogers will be happy to answer any questions. Representative Cozart, you're recognized for a question, Mr.
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
1:07:17
Rogers. So why do these numbers changed so much every 2 years.
Speaker 228
1:07:26
loaded question. Yeah, well, as, as, you know, this is a formula that's done by BLR where they
Speaker 37
1:07:32
look at the uh route miles number of students on the buses and the cost that districts had as compared to the revenues they received through, uh, transportation, other transportation sources including foundation funding, and they reshuffle it to make sure that within the, I think it's $8.5 million that was the adequacy recommendation they stayed within. So let it go, uh, I got plenty for
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
1:07:57
him, uh, no, not really. So when you, uh, say that the American rescue funds kind of hindered this process for a couple of sessions when they were getting those and they weren't spending their transportation, uh, enhanced transportation dollars in the right place or the transportation money they use that and that kind of put them in a different category for a while or we kind of coming out
Speaker 232
1:08:15
of that's what I guess my question is. Yeah, I, yes, they,
Speaker 37
1:08:19
when they had the, the Eser funds that they could utilize for those different things with the expiration date on those. They
Speaker 228
1:08:27
were having to utilize those first. OK. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Representative Duke,
you're recognized for a question. answer the question Oh How about that? 2 for 1. any other questions from committee? Seeing none, no one is here to speak for or against the bill. Anyone wish to speak for or against the bill? Seeing none, Chairman Brooks, you recognized close for your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm closed for the bill. I make a motion to pass. I have a motion to pass on the table. Any discussion on the motion?
Seeing none, all those in favor say aye, I'll oppose nay. Congratulations, you
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
1:09:02
passed your bill. Thank you. Thank you committee and without objection, I'm going to run one other bill on behalf of Senator English. It's on the second page it's Senate Bill 149, number 149.
Representative Denise Garner
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1:09:12
Senate Bill 149, uh, members, this is the Senate version of adequacy, so we passed out House Bill 1312 last week. We'll pass it off of the floor today. This is just a
Senate version of the adequacy bill. I do want to
highlight one difference, uh, so ultimately, uh, we're planning to utilize the House bill to be the one that that finalizes it through the process and is signed by the governor because the House bill had one difference from this bill, which was striking the language relative to PLCs of $16.5 million which we struck in the. House bill, it is not stricken within this, and so, uh, that, that portion is, is relative to representative uh McKenzie's bill 1874 that uh gives the department the uh flexibility to
utilize those funds, but again this is kind of part of the whole solution tree discussion that that took place last fall, uh, which is why we removed it from our house bill to give the authority to utilize those funds for implementation of learns and so, but I do want, I would ask the um committee for the um um. Uh, the approval to to pass this bill out, uh, just so we can have it sitting there should there be any hiccups, quite frankly, because we want to make sure that our public schools are funded. So with that, I'd be happy to take any questions. question Are there any questions from committee? Represent McCul, have you got one?
Representative Austin McCollum
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1:10:36
You're recognized for a question. Today. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and my apologies. I was up. Doing all kinds of stuff, but um, can you say the part that you said
again regarding solution tree, please. So obviously we know that there were discussions last fall, surrounding a sole source contract for $6.5 million for Solution Tree that did not continue forward, uh, and so those funds are, uh, have, have been in statute again we removed them from the adequacy, adequacy
portion of statute in the House bill Represent McKenzie ran in 1874, which came through this committee, which takes that same Uh, bucket of funds and gives the department the uh leniency to utilize it for Les implementation, which this committee was agreeable to, uh, and so that is, that is just a discussion on those funds, yes, sir. Peggy, you were just referenced as a background
Representative Austin McCollum
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1:11:24
how we got here. Yeah, thanks. Thank you. Are there any other
questions from committee? No one signed up to speak I'm sorry, Representative MacGruder, I don't do it on purpose. I know, I know, Mr.
Representative Jessie McGruder
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1:11:40
Chair. Thank you so much. Uh, page 2, line 3. Uh And Maybe able to answer this question, uh, gradually phasing out the teacher's salary equalization funding. To increase the average teacher's salary in Arkansas public schools. Uh So, and I think Mr. Rogers would you like
to come to table, uh, with the chair's permission. We, we addressed that, yeah, so we, we addressed satellite
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
1:12:03
and introduced himself. Greg Rogers, Department of Education. So we addressed that
when we talked about 1312 last week,
but, but I'll let him kind of go and explain again so that teacher teacher, the history of the teacher's hourly equalization portion uh was with Governor Hutchinson, um, several years ago, bringing people from 32 up to 36 as a minimum salary, uh, so that was part of it, however, with Learns uh implementation and money being out there that brought everybody up to 50 or if you're above that $2000 raise, uh, those funds have kind of been offset and so. The agreement within the adequacy process was to phase out the teacher salary
equalization, uh, because it's being spent on the other side there, so I'll let Greg explain that further.
Speaker 36
1:12:48
Yes, we're phasing out the teacher organization, but that is going to go over into what we call the learned salary where that's
Speaker 37
1:12:53
where we got everybody up to the 50 or the $2000 raise so that funds aren't going away, that $60 million is changing from this bucket to this bucket. So it's still going to be there for, to be given out to districts to
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
1:13:05
use for salaries. OK, so was the equalization fund, the steps. Or that was just the the the salary of 36, right? That was
Speaker 36
1:13:13
just under previous administration to get to his districts, get up to the minimum of 36 back
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
1:13:19
then. All right. Thank you. Representative Cozart, you're recognized for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So remind me the 16 million that we pulled out of
the PLC money. Where is that going to be used at so that that's reallocated in House Bill 1874, which represent McKenzie is running on the floor today. Uh, it gives the department the flexibility
Speaker 245
1:13:38
to utilize that for Les implementation. So it's not gonna go for
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
1:13:44
anything in PD or it could be PD through learns. It could be, yes sir, we still have the other 16.5 million shark say that
I'm out correctly, that's, that's directed 4 PD within the matrix that's still there. This is just the additional PLC money that was dedicated
for Solution Tree. I understand that. OK, now, now I understand exactly what you're saying. Thank you. Representative
Representative Hope Duke
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1:14:06
Duke, you're recognized for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So in line with the teacher's salary equalization fund, you're phasing that out, those districts that were not
receiving that money before that we're kind of in that gap, and we kind of tried to, I guess the governor tried to address that and help them. How does that fit all here with this and with the districts that are. See if I can say this correctly. That were adding new teachers. Like up this cycle and are they gonna receive money to get them up to the $50,000 that were not originally in that, or are they doing that with district dollars. So the
Speaker 36
1:14:42
$60 million is going into the learn spot and it is being reset to make eligible for all
Speaker 37
1:14:48
districts and then how we're looking at that is is it phases out looking at it like a, a, the number of poverty students that you have free and reduced lunch. I'm sorry, that will be a multiplier that that will be given to them as well. So all districts receive that 60 million, part of that $60 million as far as the new teachers going into, that is something that y'all do address each time with adequacy study where I think this past time you added an FTE. Into the foundation funding to help get that increased costs as well as increase the line item in the salary line on about
2.5%, 2.4%. So each one of those steps that y'all went through during the adequacy process should be there to help those those school districts that are having to bring in those two teachers at the 50,000. Are
there any other questions from committee? Garner. Would you
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
1:15:46
mind turning your mic on? Sorry, I still have a concern about the. Especially the small
Trying to make that happen, so that money will be for merit pay then or it'll go into
Speaker 35
1:15:57
the salary line item for for all districts to be, yes ma'am. With
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
1:16:01
an emphasis on our priority on free and reduced ones, thank you. The mayor pay is a a separate
Speaker 245
1:16:08
line of learn yet. OK, so you know other questions, no
one signed up to speak for or against anyone in the audience, uh, wish to speak for or against. See none, Chairman Brookshire
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
1:16:23
recognized to close. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank the committee, and again, the purpose of running this bill out of the committee is to make sure that it is there
just in case we had issues relative to to what we already passed out of this committee, uh, because again, our commitment to make sure we fund school so uh with that I'm close to the bill make
a motion to pass and motion to pass any discussion on that motion? Seeing none, all those in favor say aye. All those oppose
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
1:16:46
nay. Congratulations, you've passed your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, committee, uh, Mr. Chair, with your, um, blessing. I'm going to go to Senate Bill
604604 and would like to bring uh Senator Davis and Ms. Sala Ford to the table.
If she is around, Senator Davis obviously is around. Senator Davis,
if you just recognize yourself for the record. Brian Davis, state Senate District
Senator Breanne Davis
Unverified
1:17:15
25. Glad to have you down on this side.
Uh, so Mr. Chair, committee, thank you. We are
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
1:17:25
presenting Senate Bill 604. There is the superstar Miss Salford. We'd like to welcome you to the table
if you don't mind. Courtney Saliford, Department of Education committee. Senate Bill 604 is, um basically just a a pausing or extending out of the course choice of course choice program was part of Learns and uh to
this point we don't have um all the rules promulgated for it through the department and so we had several school districts approach us and asked to move the date, the implementation date and it's just moving that date out to the 26, 27 school year and what that happy to answer any questions. Are there
any questions from committee? Seeing none, no one signed up to speak
for or against anyone in the audience wished to speak for or against. Seeing none you recognized clothes for your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm closed for the bill. I'll make a motion to pass. I have a motion to pass on
the table. Any discussion on that motion? Seeing none, all those in favor indicate by saying aye, I oppose nay.
Con Congratulations, you've passed your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you committee, uh, and without objection, I'll come back up there and we're gonna recognize Senator Davis.
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
1:19:04
Our members again without objection we're gonna move to uh Senate Bill 450 with uh Senator Davis,
Senator Breanne Davis
Unverified
1:19:11
if you would please introduce yourself and you're recognized Brianne Davis, State Senate District 25. All right, members, this is uh Senate Bill 450, um, the human growth and development, um, discussion, um, so we're just putting human fetal growth and development discussion, um, to be put into classes, um, as determined by the Department of Education.
Um, they already work relevant standards, um, every couple of years into when they're updating curriculum, so we put it in there and left it up to them to determine the appropriate grade levels for students to receive this education and um the only thing mandated in it is that they shall show a high definition ultrasound that just shows brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development and have discussion around that. Happy to take any questions. Herbsim Nazarenko, you recognize
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
1:20:06
for a question. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just to uh appreciate the bill, I think it's a great just, just for
clarification, this is really just a companion bill for Representative Bentley had brought one and I think it was the same. Is that, is that correct? OK, it's not they are two
different bills. OK, good. I, because I know we had some questions on, on the, uh, on the video that was here, so I, I was thinking it was really close, but I like this one as well, so I like them both, uh, and proper time I have a motion to pass.
Senator Breanne Davis
Unverified
1:20:37
So this, this omits the video part, uh, but they are still allowed to use any videos or anything like that they would like in the curriculum as tools. Follow up, Mr. Chair. You're recognized and you said
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
1:20:48
it was an ultrasound that was an actual ultrasound, I think you'd mentioned that. Yes, that's I remember that from the last one, so. I still hold with that motion you pass. Orson Gonzalezor, you recognize for a question. Thank you, Chair. Um, yes, quick question,
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:21:09
and it's related to, um, so the Department of Ed. In consultation, I'm looking at. Uh, page one. Lines 36 and then the top of page 2, in consultation with the Department of Health. will determine the grade level. Um For the human fetal growth and development discussion. I guess I'm wondering Um, will the department.
Are we leaving it up to the schools on which to show or will there be Um, we are, will these videos or information during the course. Um Will they be vetted or it's just up
to the teacher in the school district what to show. That's just, yeah,
Senator Breanne Davis
Unverified
1:22:00
so, um, it, it will be vetted this, this group, it says um on at the bottom of page one, that's the department shall include this human fetal growth and development discussion and the relevant standards during
the Arkansas academic standards revision cycle, which I believe is every 2 years that they are updating curriculum and what can be used, you know, what isn't on the list to be used and so the department. That's all of that. And then the schools, um, and teachers can can choose from that. So it's, it won't be like a, you know, a rogue thing, it'll be vetted and that's why we put in consultation with the Department of Health, um, because they do some work in our schools as well in these health classes, um, and we just, I just wanted to leave
it to the experts to determine when was age appropriate for these students to have these conversations because there is human growth and development standards K through 12 already. So. I just wanted to leave it to them to determine where this part, this standard fits in with the standards that we currently have. OK, so
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:23:01
if I'm a I'm a biology teacher. I actually am a biology teacher and, and, um, and also, um, if, if a teacher is in um Um
um, what is it? Family and consumer science, I believe, and there's several different classes where this could. This, this would be relevant and so, so as a teacher I would be able to go to the um Department of Ed's website or somewhere to find which videos are appropriate for my grade level, whether it's elementary science or middle school or high school and those would be appropriate and they've already
been vetted and so I wouldn't be able to select one on my own
Senator Breanne Davis
Unverified
1:23:50
to show to my students, correct, and I can't even imagine that this part of the standard would fit into elementary. Um, I
imagine it'd be, you know, much farther up in secondary. I don't know that, uh, you know, like I said, we'll let them determine that, uh, but yes, if it, if they put this within a standard that you are meeting in your class, um, then you will have the resources that you know are approved by the Department
of Ed to be able to utilize to teach that curriculum in your class. Thank you. Thank
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
1:24:31
you. Garner, you recognized for a question? See no additional questions. We do not have anyone signed up to speak for or against this bill wouldn't like to speak for or against the bill, seeing none, Senator Davis, would you like to close for your bill? I'm closed and ask for a good vote. Thank you, committee, Senator Davis is closed for a bill. We have a motion to pass on the table. It's a discussion on that motion, see no discussion, all
in favor say aye. All post. Congratulations, Senator W
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
1:24:49
you Pastor Bill. Members without objection, we will move now to Senate bill. 451 and we do have a fiscal impact that's just come across on that, so, uh, we're gonna let the staff pass out that fiscal impact.
Some members, uh, I always take a look at the fiscal impact, we'll recognize uh Representative Richardson. If
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
1:26:05
you will please introduce yourself and then you recognize. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, committee. uh, Scott Richardson, I represent, uh, District 13 in the house. Ready? Off we go. So, um, I am presenting for your consideration, Senate Bill 451, um, as you guys remember, I've
been in this committee a few times. One of the bills that I committed here was the uh teacher and Student Protection Act, um, providing some, um, uh, help to our teachers, giving them a seat at the table to have conversations around violent students, um, in the classroom and how we uh how we deal with those, um, this is another bill along that line really. trying to help us address this epidemic that we have going on across our state and across the nation with violent students in the classroom. Um, this bill, um, is a wonderful step in the
right direction, in my opinion, and probably one of the most um at least for me, the most impactful bills that I've had opportunity to be a part of, um, this bill provides that the Department of Education along with uh the Department of Health uh work together. To create mental health crisis response teams, uh, specifically for these uh violent students, um, and that they would respond to and create um uh for those students, uh, appropriate action
plans to help them deal with the violent tendencies, as most of us in this room are very aware, well aware violent tendencies, uh. Often if not always, have underlying root causes until we're able to address those, uh, in, in from a mental health um perspective, we're always going to be challenged, uh, with the violence or or inappropriate actions in our classrooms. This is a, this bill, um, is that first step, um, getting us to a point that we can start to
really work together, um, to try to bring these kids back around to where they can uh um function effectively. Um, and eventually, hopefully overcome some of the challenges that they have to be productive members of society, um, the, um, fiscal impact statement that
Speaker 280
1:28:18
you have in front of you, um, was, uh, kind of a cooperative effort, uh, back and forth, um, this is a, um, a conversation
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
1:28:26
that's ongoing around the cost, and I know that uh the community
may have heard, um, different reports around what this is going to cost us, um, I would. I would suggest to you that. Um, the cost is worth it, um, it, it is going to be expensive. There's no question about it. Uh, this is the first step as a pilot program we're going to limit it to 500 students, uh, at the end it's gonna cost about 4 million um annually for these 500 students, um. And uh they need the help, and we have an obligation to provide
that help, um, so let's get the pilot program out. Let's see if we can make it work, make adjustments as as necessary and keep this moving in the right direction and with that, I, I'm happy to try to field, uh, your questions.
Chair
Unverified
1:29:16
Uh, Representative Walker, you're recognized for a question.
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
1:29:20
So looking at the fiscal impact statement, it shows that it's going to pull 12 million out of a 35.7 million pot and alternative learning fund, which is a 33% hint. If I'm doing the math correct,
so what will that do to our current alternative learning programs that are in
Speaker 280
1:29:37
our school districts. I'll let the department speak to the specific uh impacts of that if that's
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
1:29:52
OK. OK. That's yeah. Courtney Sais for Department of Education, uh, CFO walked out, but I think I
Speaker 206
1:29:58
can try to manage, um, so, uh, we've said this before. When, when our fiscal impacts are developed, um, we
kind of do a worst case scenario. If, if every student, if we filled every seat, um, how, how would this fiscally impact the state. And so because these students would be eligible for ALE funding, that's the amount of money that would be being distributed, but that doesn't affect the funding for any other. LE because it's a per student funding. And so if If your school district had 100 kids in ALE, they're still going to get that funding for their 100 kids. But if 10 of your kids go to these new programs and
they're ALE eligible, they would then that the funding for those teen kids would follow them. So it's not taking away from existing. It's just the money is going to follow the student Without objection, I'm gonna
recognize Greg Rogers just so he can get into the question. They were asking about
Speaker 37
1:30:51
the fiscal impact. Greg Rogers, Department of Education. Um, so I don't, I don't know where we were, but yeah, on the ALE funding that we have the first of all ALE is paid on a reimbursement, so they would have had to be in in this and gone through that and that
amount that we have for ALE is set and by adequacy, but we do have times where an ALE has increased more than we projected during that process, and we will go to ALC at that time and do a reallocation of resources and appropriation around there to make sure that the funding was not there. Follow up. You
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
1:31:26
recognize. So let's just take the worst case scenario then since that's a calculations we have on the sheet. Um, again, if we're taking 12 million out of the 35 million and we're putting
Additional students in this new program that may not have been an ALE in the first place, um, I'm assuming. If this increase takes away from that 35 million, we're not putting in additional funds. It's a $35.7 million max and If we're taking 12 million out of that. What's that going to leave with our current expenditure through our ALA programs throughout the state now, like when I, when I
Speaker 35
1:32:05
first came in and, uh, Courtney was talking about that, that's the
Speaker 37
1:32:11
worst case scenario on that. So I had to look, I have to take the, the percentage of how many kids I think will be in this and how much I think it'll cost, and that's why I'm saying that this is, we do have 37 point uh $35.7 million for that line item right now. We haven't utilized all of it in the past, so there is some room. in there, but that is what I do budget and likewise, of course, this, since this is adequacy if there is something that we do have a this big number and it does come out, we would go to AOC and move the appropriation
around, and then take that as part of our adequacy funding to make sure that it was completely funded, so there wouldn't be any ALE program shorted, we would just come to ALC to make sure that we had enough appropriation to fund all the ALs necessary.
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
1:32:54
How, how big is the gap that we have right now, the cushion that you're talking about just ballpark it don't have to be spot on. Gosh,
Speaker 37
1:33:01
I, I'd be scared to say I know that uh there, there's always because like I said, it is in reimbursement. It is based off the number of kids that have been identified from ALE, so it varies year to year, but I
Speaker 228
1:33:15
would, there's usually 345 million maybe in there, and I may be really underneath that, but it did, that's
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
1:33:23
about where it is. OK, last question. Yeah, you're fine. Um, so you, you said if we went above the 35.7 million. We would go to ALC A to put more in the pot. Where, what would that money take away from if we pull from something, or I'm assuming we're pulling from something to move into the 35.7, so where will that hit come from? That would depend on what
Speaker 288
1:33:42
other line items I have at that time, what
Speaker 37
1:33:46
other savings I had another line. I just got a message that last year we spent $28 million out of the total 35.7. So we should be good there uh to cover all that, but If there's another one, since we do these projections on 2 years, there's usually
Speaker 228
1:34:00
some places I can, I can move from different pots to make sure if I have to increase that appropriation that I
Speaker 206
1:34:06
can cover it, OK, thank you, Mr. Chair. If I could just reiterate that, and that per student, um, funding is set in in statute as a per student amount. So, so as to Mr. what
what Mr. Rogers said, no school district is going to lose money because of this. If we have to, um, shift money around as we often have to and. get a more appropriation. The money's already there. It's we would have to come and get that appropriation to be able to spend it for those ALE students, um, but we're not asking for any additional funding for this. OK, thank
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
1:34:38
you. That basically answered my question. I just wanted to be sure that we weren't going to penalize kids that are currently in the program forward. OK, thank you
to that end, I'm being led to
believe now that this fiscal note accomplishes what we're, what we're required to do
as we run anything that affects K-12, but there's also an additional DHS level of support, um. anyone speak to that? Oh, hi. Hi, secretary.
Would you mind coming to the table? Can we get the
Speaker 294
1:35:08
department to do that. Good morning, Christy Putnam, Secretary DHS. Um, yes, there is a fiscal note, um, again, you know, we're anticipating running this as a pilot. We'll have to get a baseline, um, but you know,
anticipating that we have about 500 students who need the highest level of care, uh, for a 3 month period. It is a $4 million Medicaid state share cost, um, there's a range and I believe we are going to get you guys the updated um fiscal impact from DHS as well, um, but most of these students would be Medicaid eligible for those students who are not, there are commercial insurance companies who also would cover some of the services that we are going to put together in conjunction in
partnership with ADE, um, but we, um, you know, we do think that, um, providing services earlier again while this is not our bill, you know, we've worked on the concept behind it. We've helped develop some of the a lot of the information about the programs and services, and we are very hopeful that taking the preventive approach earlier in the schools will provide um will mean that there are fewer students later on who need a higher acuity level of service. OK. Well, thank
you for that. Um, I think just to that end,
obviously we have Mr. Rogers mentioned, we have carryover savings in this Aly account because we're not expending all of it on a reimbursement basis, so there's a slower bleed also great questions from Representative Walker. He also just passed a bill out of here that has changed the essential nature of ALE to May,
so um. Either the sponsor or Miss South Ford we could reasonably deduce that because it's turned to a May, we may see. Districts, um, offer different services, thus creating a savings for the state,
Speaker 206
1:36:52
correct. And, and I would say very much that this works in, in companion to, to represent Walker's bill that, um, students who may have previously been served in ALE because that's no longer a required service if it's more appropriate for them to be in these programs or for an in-school, more of an in-school type, um, yes, we, we feel like it will
balance out. Very good. So in reality, we have a $12 million and then a $4 million. So it's 12 million ADE $4 million DHS fiscal impact out of
a $37.5 million 35.5 million dollar ALE fund, um, so. Terms of sufficiency, we should
feel comfortable with where we are. Yes, we do. Great. Are there any other questions
from committee? Uh, yes, Representative Duke. Oh, represented Brown's first, sorry.
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
1:37:44
Thank you. Mr. Chair. I, do you know a known opposition to this bill.
I do not. Well, I, I got a text this morning and so I just want to ask a couple questions.
Who, who will be making the determination. To That the student has
Speaker 206
1:38:15
the potential to cause others. So, under, under Laws, um, the requirement was put into law that all school districts have behavioral threat assessment teams. And so if the school's team determines that that
student, um, is exhibiting those types of behaviors, then they would reach out to the DHS team, um, and work in collaboration to determine if this is an appropriate
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
1:38:33
option for that student. OK, one other question, where did it go? Um I want to waste time, um, no more questions. Representative
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
1:38:42
Duke, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Representative Richardson, and I
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:38:57
appreciate the senator bringing this bill as well. I
think it's something that needed to be addressed. Can you speak to a little bit of what got this ball rolling, uh, was this a specific issues, constituent problem, um, what got you in this lane and maybe Senator Hester as well, what are we, I know what we're kind of trying to fix, but
it's not just a Can you speak a little bit about the, the people who drove it
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
1:39:22
a little bit of this is being driven, of course, by superintendent of schools, um, uh, Debbie Jones, um, looking
for opportunities along with several others. I, uh, you participated in a meeting this last summer, um, unfortunately, I was not there, but that meeting was focused on how do we address this? Escalating problem coming out of our school districts across the board, um with the violence in the classroom, so that's really kind of been the the crux of this that started this, this ball rolling, um, and that started, uh, us moving toward uh
trying to find some sort of opportunity that we can impact these lives earlier on, uh, so they become less of a problem and get a better education
Speaker 206
1:40:08
as I move forward. If you don't mind, um, just because again, I know you weren't at this meeting, but last summer, Governor Sanders met with a room full of superintendents. went and, you know, ask questions about mental health and the supports that students needs in school, um, and out of that came several initiatives, the phone free school initiative, um, and in addition, she was, you know, she charged all of us with what can we do to
support schools? And so, uh, I, I know Doctor Jones was, was in that meeting, but we had superintendents from every corner of the state talking about some of the severely aggressive and violent behaviors that they are seeing in students these days that they are just not equipped to handle. Um, you know, education is important, of course, we want all of our kids to be educated, um, but sometimes it's hard to educate them when they can't even get them to, you know, pay attention or listen to them. Um, and that's not what I'm saying that any student who's not listening, but we started
looking at and working with Senator Hester, and he met with us and he met with DHS and said, what can we do? How can we support our school districts and so I think that was just one of the catalysts that led to
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:41:13
this. Follow up. So, thank you. So, um, And I'm asking you this question, I already know the answer to it, but because it is a public hearing and I have been surprised at how many people, not really surprised. A lot of people don't realize some of the challenges that are being Um, they're taking place in the classrooms and in the schools,
and we're not shocked as a committee, because we, we know if you're on this committee, you're probably engaged in education, right? Um, would you all mind referencing or saying some of the things, the behaviors, and, um, situations that they are dealing with in the schools that do need this added support just so that people can have a broader idea of what the challenges are. It's not just, as you said, it's not, it's not something small. These are big challenges that affect Not just teachers, but the students in the classroom as well and that these kids need, um,
A lot more assistance and help. So if you all could give a few examples, general, not to have to be
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
1:42:10
specific, but I think, you know, I'll start and then I'll I'll let the department speak a little bit, but, uh, that they probably have more broad definition. I can speak specifically to my district. I have, uh, I'm friends with several teachers, um, and this is an ongoing problem that they bring up on the regular, and, and it's not just the impact associated with the student being violent or disruptive in the classrooms. It is the reality that it, it disrupts the entire class and
all of the students, uh, most of the time during a violent event, the students have to exit, um, so now the entire body of the uh uh that you're trying to accomplish some sort of learning activity with has to be out of the classroom waiting on an event to uh calm down, to refocus, and then, um, that student leaves and it disrupts the entire day. It's not just, it's one and done. Now you bring all the students back in, you've got to get them refocused, you gotta get them going back in the right direction. They're still dealing with the violent event that occurred and, and it's it's.
It's an ongoing disruptive thing that happens. On the normal in these classrooms and, and teachers do not know how to deal with it. They, they, there's no way for, for them to address it in the normal scheme of things and so we need, we need to find opportunities, and these students, uh, in almost all cases the teachers continued to to reiterate these are, these are good kids that have very difficult backgrounds and they're they're, they're just not equipped to be able to give them the sport that they need to be able to provide them the right kinds of outcomes.
So that's perspective from me talking with the teachers in my district, um, you
Speaker 206
1:43:39
may have something to add. Yeah, well, and again, I don't want to speak for all superintendents, but we have heard stories of, again, broken bones, um, I think you've even told a story about, you know, a teacher with a black guy, um, this is not. Minor behaviors. These are severely violent, aggressive behaviors that we are seeing with some students, um, and we know it's, it's not because the kids aren't good kids. They have severe behavioral and mental
health issues sometimes um and I wanted to add that, you know, again, this is not intended to be a, a long-term setting for the student. This is so that they can get the supports and services that they need so we can get them back into school so that they can be served at school with their peers, um, just need often some short term, more intensive services than they can get at the school and that hopefully, and Secretary, um Putnam spoke to this so that they don't end up in a more, um, long-term residential setting. This is preventative, this is
addressing in an acute center where we can hopefully then get them back into school as
quickly as possible. Uh, Representative Gonzalez Worthen, you're recognized for a question.
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:44:50
Thank you. Um, so you mentioned, um, I just wanted to be clarify the response team well there's a response team at, I think that's what you, behavioral threat assessment team. Thank you, thank you. Behavioral threat assessment team, and so then they would be the ones, uh, this
initial, they're the initial people that would see the students or, you know, begin the process of identifying and then once they, uh, they get to a particular point then they're working. In tandem with DHS and then and then at that point what intervention needs to take place is determined and that might be at. At an ALE. OK, but. If it's not enough at the ALE then it could go further into
residential uh treatment. That's what I just wanted to ask.
Speaker 294
1:45:44
So, so that's part of the purpose of running the pilot, and I, I want to clarify I didn't note that there's a graded range for fiscal impact depending on the length of time that a student needs services. It's 4 million to 8 million, so I apologize I didn't provide both ends of that range. Um, and that's based on 3 months or 6 months of potential services and clearly we don't know yet what the need would be for the number of students for higher level services, but to your, to your question, um, there could be any
range of services from services provided in the home with the student and their family. Um, we have a pilot going on right now with DHS called Family Centered Treatment, where we do interventions in the home to help with behavior management, um, and that's a more lower level intervention and service, it could go to the, the higher end to a psychiatric residential treatment facility if there is a need for a student to be placed in a, a much higher level, um, while they are are de-escalated, receive services, receive treatment, and then hopefully eventually step back down, um,
gradually through different services. and supports so that they can return to the school, but part of the conversation has centered around, um, students are being returned to schools. Without having the the appropriate step down to be able to reintegrate successfully, um, so I hope that answers your question. There's a range of services and supports we are part of what this bill does is it requires us to work
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:47:07
together to develop what that range of service looks like. OK. Thank, thank you. That clarifies
so. What if a parent, um, Recognizes at home, definitely are carrying,
they're the initial. Person that I think my child needs some intervent, you know, more intervention, more support. So how would that parent just in a regular school, you know,
going to public school and recognizing this is going on. How would,
Speaker 206
1:47:44
what would that look like? So absolutely anytime a parent has concerns, they can go to the counselor at the school. Many of our schools have, um, mental health professionals, behavior certified or board certified behavioral analysts, um, you know, that, that can provide supports and services, um, help that, that parent determine, is that the appropriate, or do they need to get their behavioral threat assessment team involved or is there another option for them, um, so yes, anytime a parent has concerns, they can, they can go to the school district and they
will help them navigate that. OK. Thank you. Any other questions from committee? Uh, just for the sake of posterity, we got the
DHS fiscal note. You're going to get a screenshot from my phone on a piece of paper, so I wanna make sure we have this before we vote on it so that we're not, you know, we are looking at current information, um. So we might just take just a quick beat.
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
1:48:48
Um, any other thoughts from the bill sponsor or I am always open to um ad lib for a while, you know, they, there is a, a number of, there's a number of uh things in this world that um that uh we spend money on, uh, try to address, um, and try to deal with, uh, this is one of those things that uh in in my, from my opinion that we can't afford not to, uh, spend money on. We can't afford not to invest in our children and find opportunities uh to to better them and earlier that Uh, we make intervention, um,
the more likely we will have successful outcomes and, and that's what we're looking for here is to find an opportunity to really make an impact and these children's lives and and turn their lives in the in the direction that best benefits them in the long term, so um. Yeah. I see another question. Representative Meeks, you're recognized for
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:49:43
a question. Sorry, I came in late to the uh discussion, just got back from a pilgrimage down to the Senate. Um, so, uh, that, that, I, I
appreciate. I, I think I understand where we're going here. I really like the concept. This is obviously been an issue in the schools only question that um I had was in uh, but this pull the student out of the public school and I have them attending like, uh, uh, an alternative school or a different school, while this treatment was going on. I saw the, the goal is to try to get them back into the school at some point, but while they're out of the school, what, uh, what, what, what's happening with the student. So they will receive educational services
there at that, at that facility. OK, so they would be at a different, they would be at the, the behavioral health facility away from the school and then the
Speaker 206
1:50:32
school would support them or they would be at home. depends. Um, obviously, these are not established yet, so one of the things we discussed, um, now that ALEs are optional is to repurpose some existing AOEs and some of those buildings are on a school campus, um, so I don't want to say like they're just completely taken away. They, but they are in a, a safe environment, um, where they will be getting the services that
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:50:53
they need and education, OK, so they, so they, they, they could still be on the campus. They would just be isolated from other students or in their area, uh, and, and potentially. Other school districts would also be sending schools. To, to that, you know, special location. OK, all right. Representative Representative Duke, you're recognized for a question. Thank you,
Mr. Chair. I think this is along the
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:51:13
lines of what Representative Meeks was talking about. I was looking at this and listening at the same time. So I know a lot of schools do, um,
day treatments. I can escapes me the name of the one I know of in Northwest Arkansas is this along that vein because that's those are not necessarily on. On campus. I mean, I, I, I think that's from DHS answer that question. Yes, I'm going
Speaker 294
1:51:38
to ask Melissa Weatherton to come to the
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:51:41
table. I think that's kind of a process that schools utilize to some degree right now. We just recognize yourself
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
1:51:48
quickly. Absolutely, Melissa Weatherton, director of Medicaid Specialty Population Divisions.
Speaker 323
1:51:54
So we actually got rid of day treatment, um, back in 2017 when we launched the past program. So we only reimburse for day treatment right now for adults. There's 3 in existence that we have learned through working with ADE that have kind of been lingering, and they are in their, um, they're doing mental health services, but we don't pay them under a day treatment code, but you're exactly right. I mean some of the concepts from that program are what we are using um under the.
model, um, concepts from that program, what worked, what didn't work, and concepts from the pilots that were already um running, um, is what we're trying to put together here for this new
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
1:52:35
service. Follow up, um, my understanding, and it's limited, is that I at least have heard very general, um, of Students coming back into the coming back into the public schools, which I know is the goal, right, as they get the help they need, everybody's safe and learning, and then they eventually reintegrate back into
the public school system. Is that correct? Yes ma'am. on Representative Nazarenko,
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
1:53:05
you're recognized for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. um, I like the view and I like the, the idea, and I know that
that that this is needed. So I do have a couple of questions. You mentioned 33 facilities. Where are they located? Cause I guess where my, where my ultimate question is gonna go so that you understand is like I'm looking at 8 months because January and I just wanna
like curious realistically, like, do, do we think realistically January, that's my ultimate question. So then 3 facilities, locations where they are, so kind of what have we done to, have we already started to move to this direction to be able to meet that January 2026. It's tight. It's yeah,
Speaker 329
1:53:48
it's it's, yeah, no, it's a little scary, but we, we, I think we can do it. We've been piloting
Speaker 323
1:53:55
um these programs for over a year. We're not, um, starting
from scratch, right? We already have a lot of the, the groundwork in place for what we want the service to look like. We had a great conversation yesterday, um, with a charter school up in Northwest Arkansas, um, who is 100% on board with, um, joining forces with us to move forward on this. They have been, um, doing. a, a specialized, um, school for behavior kids for the last 5 years, have a lot of good data, um, and we are all on the same page with that. Um, our next
Speaker 206
1:54:32
meeting is next week, so we are going to hit the ground running on this. Great. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I just want to echo, I think, education and, and is absolutely committed to working with DHS. It's a tight timeline, but working together with our school districts using existing facilities if we can, um, and working with other programs that are already in place. We're, we'll make it happen. Um, any other questions from committee? Um,
I guess I'll just say this. I appreciate this is a good discussion because this is a new function that we're trying to
get right, um, it's gonna cost money that and that's just the, the, the bottom line of it all, and I wanted to make sure we had enough time with this secondary DHS fiscal note, um. I feel comfortable with the direction that we're trying to go. I just, you know, it's a trust but verify situation, um, so, um, I appreciate you guys doing this and Doing the whole car
wash of everyone from our executive well. Um, any other questions from committee? Representative Barnett, you're recognized. Thank you, Chair.
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
1:55:34
I had questions about um the alternative learning environment on page 2. Uh, lines 25, it talks about if an alternative learning environment is not available in a region, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Education shall identify location within that region, and I guess my question. With that is how are students going to get back and forth. To That alternative location, uh,
we'll transportation be provided and I'm just thinking, man. One you have working family. I had lack of transportation. And so my concern is how, how those students going to be able to get to those facilities, the school district would provide transportation just like they
do now for an ALE or before with
Speaker 206
1:56:31
a day treatment, so the district would provide that transportation because, because
I, I think that's another important clarification, um. There's still a student of their resident school district. They're still counted on that student's role. That school district is still responsible for that student. They are just being educated and served in a different location so that they can get the intensive services that they need, the education that they need in that alternate setting. So, so. So all school districts can hear me. They're still responsible. They're not off the hook. And, and so, um,
You know, again, I want to rest assured that these kids are not being pushed to the side or pushed out. They are getting the services that they need at the location where we can provide those so that they can get back into their school with their peers as soon as possible. Representative Painter he recognized.
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
1:57:30
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think there was a statement or something that, uh, we ended these programs in 2017.
Do we know why did we? We moved from an old system, um, we met from a system that was referred
Speaker 323
1:57:49
to as RSPMI. We and we put, um, the IDD population and the behavioral health population in the past. Um, and a lot of the um or like TDTs that had popped up, um, we, some of, some of it just wasn't working, right? So that's why I'd mentioned, we'll take the good pieces from that program and intertwine it
back into the service. Just a question for whatever reason was, was there, um,
savings generated or noticeable or appreciable savings generated by putting them into a managed care pro uh program. Yes, sir. Ballpark by how much? You asked me
Speaker 323
1:58:29
past savings numbers, um. Um, we, we ran a scorecard on this for a number of years, and I, I can get that and send it to you. All right, any other questions?
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
1:58:41
Representative Barnett back up. Thank you, chair. On page 2 lines 5 through 9. Um, it talks about. Developing a behavior managed plan, management plan for a student who demonstrates behavior that is substantially likely to cause injury to the student or other students, and I guess my question around that is will students be targeted that
have not, but because staff or faculty feel like they have the potential to, I guess I have a concern there because I don't. I have a problem if students are gonna be kind of targeted in a subjective manner and they have not caused harm to. Sorry. No, they will not be
Speaker 206
1:59:34
targeted. Again, the, the, the referral would come from the school district's behavioral threat assessment team. Those teams go through extensive
training on what it is that you look for in a student, and I would go so far as to say, I don't know how you could say that someone is substantially likely if they haven't already exhibited behaviors, and that's part of the training that they go through. I will also add from a legal standpoint that that is the, the terminology that we have seen used by courts in making a determination, um, I'm probably answering way more than you wanted to know, but under IDEA there's, uh, um, Severe and physical risk to
others. Anyway, that has a very high standard and so by using this language we're using the standard that the courts have put in place two things again, like biting, breaking bones. This is not just, oh, this kid's acting out. We think he might hurt someone. This is, they've attempted to attack someone. Um, we've seen teachers and students stabbed with pencils and scissors, and so, no, this is not to target kids. This is to help the, uh, get services for the students. who have exhibited those behaviors. Thank you.
All right. Everyone got him out. Um, we have no one signed up to speak for or against
the bill. would anyone from the audience wishes Representative Richardson I recognize. Well, I think we've said
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
2:01:01
just about everything that can be said on this, um, again, this is, uh, this is a bill that's targeted to help those that are most vulnerable, um, and, and, and most likely to um cause impact and damages and,
and, and uh injury in the classroom, um, and we desperately need to do something, and this is a great step in the right direction to find out um. What it's going to take for us to make this uh a much safer place for students and faculty to work in our schools, so I would appreciate a good vote. Uh, motion to pass. Any discussion
on the motion? Representative McGruder, you're recognized for discussion on the motion. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, thank you, Representative,
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
2:01:43
uh, Richardson. I know how hard you work on your bills.
You've done a phenomenal job with this, but as a As an athletics coach, uh, and a young man who, uh, Grew up in an environment where we competed constantly and uh had to earn every position on the field. I am very Concerned about some of the language in this bill. Uh, I'm concerned because I, I am an individual who goes to a teachers at the beginning of the school year and I said any kid that you have real problems with. Send them to me.
I want them on my team, uh, and I work with those kids. I try my best to develop them. Uh, I, I'm a father to those children and uh some of them come out of some extremely harsh situations, but I take that extra time and by the, by the end of the school year or the end of their career plan for and they turn into a completely different individuals. I'm always complimented by high school coaches about the kids that play for me. And so the language of this bill scares me, uh, because I, I, I don't understand where we're going with the children, and I don't think it gives us enough time.
For one to be prepared for this situation. So I appreciate the work you've done, but I will, uh, not be voting, uh, supporting this bill, so it's a hard no for
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
2:03:07
me, uh, Representative Duke, you're recognized for discussion. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, Representative McGruder, I appreciate, um, your ability and I don't question it at all. I've learned a little
bit about you over the last several months and your heart for Kids, and I, I can imagine the impact that you're making on those students. So I, I really appreciate it and thank you for your work you do with kids.
I we talk a lot about up here that our every district's different. My understanding of this is we're not requiring anybody to do it. It is giving options and I know at least in our area, this has become a really significant problem and it may be everywhere. But I know it isn't ours, and I know teachers. I hear about them every weekend I go home. That they're not leaving the profession over pay and they're not leaving the profession over so many of the other issues, but a lot of them are walking away because of what is going on in the classroom.
And whenever they're going in that classroom and there are kindergartners and 1st graders and 2nd graders. God bless them, they need help. But so do those teachers and so do those other students who are getting cleared out of their classroom. To protect those other little ones, because the one who is, is having a problem. Or the teacher is happened to be very careful what's gonna happen to this other student in my class because this child is acting out. That is real. It is happening. I hear about it every weekend.
From parents, from teachers, and these kids need to get help, these schools need to have options. These teachers need to know. I think we've done a good job of letting them know that we hear them and we know that there's a problem and we're trying to address it. This is a good first step, and um, I, I, I firmly believe that this is going to help everybody. It's gonna help the teachers, it's gonna help the students and most importantly, it's gonna help. The little ones cause it's not just 1415, 16 year olds. It is
5678 year olds that are having these issues and struggles in the classroom and our teachers shouldn't have to worry about this, our parents, the kids in that classroom, it learning is suffering. Kids are struggling and teachers are struggling. So I really appreciate you bringing this bill. I appreciate Senator Hester and his work on this, all the parties involved in it. I completely support it. I think that our It's gonna be well received, the pilot program. I don't know where it's gonna land and how it's going to work, but I think it's a great way to
get us moving back in the direction for help for everybody. So I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill and um let's see if we can start getting a little bit more help and support for our all
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
2:05:43
of our kids. Thank you. Representative Meeks recognized to discuss. Thank you. uh, again, I appreciate you bringing this bill just like Representative Duke, um, I've had meetings with uh people from my district and it's the same concern and there have been no good solutions brought forward and how to handle this, and, um, you know,
these students the schools are not designed to meet the needs of these students, and so unless we do what we need to do to meet the needs of these students, these problems are going to persist. Our school's going to pay the price and it's not just the schools. And the teachers, but it's also the other students in those classrooms who are trying to learn who can't because the teacher is trying to deal something that she may not be fully trained and equipped to be able to handle. So I appreciate
all the work here. I think this is a great step in the right direction and look forward to supporting this. Uh, Representative Nazarenko,
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
2:06:32
you recognize to discuss. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for bringing the bill and,
uh, you know, I definitely, you know, had or still have, you know, and I think time will tell whether it can be done in 8 months and for, uh, Representative McGruder, I truly do appreciate yours and just like when what uh Representative Duke said, um, I wish that we could, we could, you know, replicate you. We, we clone you and put you in every school, and we've got somebody who really, not saying that we don't have people who care, but we've got somebody. who can make a huge impact, but I'm, I'm concerned about those
schools that don't have someone like you and I know there's a lot of them, uh, because we just constantly hear it, um, and I'm concerned about not only the the the children that are struggling that are in this, uh, category, the ones that are suffering that way, but I'm concerned about the children that aren't even in that category, but they lose out or miss out because of disruptions caused by those other students that aren't being able to get what they need truly to to succeed and I think with us always looking at what we need to do for these children so that they
can succeed. I think this is a good step, yes, there's a fiscal impact. Yes, it costs money and yes, we always look at that, um, but if we can make a positive impact. It's money well spent, so I will be supporting it and I hope to see in
8 months it up and running, and I know things will be a challenge, but, uh, I will be a yes. Thank you. Representative Beck, you
recognized to discuss the motion. Thank you Mr.
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
2:08:00
Chair. I will be supporting this and, and I, I
think it's a good program. I think there's some gaps. I think it's gonna be a little bit. Um, maybe. Working on the plane while we got it up in the air just a little bit because there's, there's gonna be some moving parts here that, that, that, that I, I don't think we've considered, but my biggest concern and, and I, I will support this because I think the potential for this to be, I it it has the potential to be absolutely a great, great thing for our schools and, and, and get all the other student bodies
were part of the the rest of Students and student body, you know, some tranquility for lack of a better word there where they can learn, a better learning environment for them. My, my concern is this. Whenever we have to start pulling someone out, um, or, you know, we, we identify someone, you know there, there's, you know, you have the potential for targeting and then you have the potential for for that individual to start
saying, well, that's this, I've been targeted, so this is who I am, so yeah, you, you can almost feed what you're trying to stop. And so, uh, my, my point to that is like certainly going forward, make sure. That the targeting aspects of this are not. I, I remember I went to a school and I never had thought about it, although I'd heard it lots, I never had thought about it, but I had a young student come up to me and it was totally different. It wasn't a disciplinary thing, but they talked about the walk
of shame and you know being pulled out and and and and that walk of shame every day in, in the, in the case so. Please pay attention to that. Please pay attention to the anti-targeting and make sure that we're not feeding, uh, some of the, the issues with a student that's having struggling. From very possibly, um, not great home environment. I will be supporting this.
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
2:10:07
Representative Brown, you're recognized to discuss the motion. Thank
you, it's been a while since I did some substitute teaching and I never was struck, but I know that the last time I taught, I mean some one, it only takes one. Um, but I thought I have so much that I could offer them, and I wasn't allowed to resolve the disruption in the class. Um
What I would like is I hope we can come back with a report and and. Uh, Representative Gonzalezor and
you're recognized to discuss. Thank you. There's a
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
2:10:55
couple of things that still kind of, uh, that I'm that I'm concerned about, um. Representative Magruder brought up one of those points and um. And also it was mentioned, you
know, hopefully we can, this is a good start on the bill and maybe we could continue to work on it. What I'm, what I'm wondering is. OK, let's say that um I It's been stated that the teachers are, you know, having these violent students, etc. um. And I'm wondering. Why there, to me, I think there's already a process in
place without doing this, and let me just explain. Um You already have the. Behavioral, um, A threat response teams, those are that was. Right? That's And like um, Representative MacGruder, whenever. I've had counselors come to me and. Class and will you take this student because there may have
been some challenge, and for me, I'm not gonna ever as a teacher, you know, I'm gonna give me the students that But Other teachers may not necessarily want to work with because they may have a few challenges, additional challenges. Fortunately for me, I had a lot of training and talking with students who may have that, um. uh, what, and maybe some emotional trauma that had not been identified.
I had a student, um, and I had mentioned this to Representative Richardson, um, I had a student, um, I was asking at the beginning of class had asked the students to take out their homework because I was gonna come by and just check their homework. This is high school. And as soon as I said that, one of my students that sat at the back, he got up and took his desk and he slammed it against the wall. OK, now, um, when you have something like that that happens, of course you have to remove the student from the classroom because that was, that was, um.
Necessary for safety of the other students, a teacher, and of course he left. I, I asked him to go to the principal's office. He left and when he left, he slammed the door almost shattering the glass on the door, OK, as he left, I thought it was going to break and it did not. He was, um, he was asked to be in in school suspension, I believe, for 3 days or, you know, moving. When he came back, I had not ever had a her, but I
also tried to get to know my students, um, on a one on one level. Uh, when he returned, I had a heart to heart talk with him and I said, look, um, I've never seen this behavior in you. You've never done this before. All I asked was for you to take out your homework, you know, what is going on and as it turned out, He was he was re-experiencing trauma from his country of Afghanistan and basically told me, you don't know what it's like to see your cousins shot on
the street. You don't know what it's like, so this was something that he was going through and something triggered, you know, in the classroom, I told them, you know, if you, you're safe here, if you feel that way again, we can have a signal for one another to maybe go get a drink. of water come back just to kind of de-escalate. I, I never had to worry about the student ever again, but I would not have been able to do that without my training that was through my professional
development training, um. Later, a couple of years later, um, I saw him down the hall of the local community college and he yelled at me and he says, Can you believe I'm here? I'm, I'm in, I'm in college now and, and I knew that he would end up there, but he also needed that addressed and that that what he was going through, um, and about it. I'm mentioning this to you because I really feel that that
our teachers may not have enough training when it comes to For example, mental health first aid training so that they can identify and do some things before moving on, and I know that there had been a bill previously, um, that was where it. school resource officers and, and school counselors would receive this training and so I guess what I'm saying is that. I think that we need, we need more on the teacher's side with
professional development and we do have these isolate because I think teachers can help to de-escalate and help to pinpoint, um, of what's going on with the child. Um, if, if, if, for example, my student, this would have happened again. He would have gone to the office and counselor would intervene and then, and then if he needed um then they would make a plan, OK, but that was everybody did that, you know, we even had a.
Uh, we had a. A checklist of behaviors of concern that we would document prior to just sending, you know, somebody out, so, um. I, I know that we need direction in this, and I, I know that we need, uh, more professional development in this, but I just would, I would prefer that we had, we have additional information for our teachers and our parents for them to be that
proactive voice before moving to, to all of this. That's, that's what I'm, that's, that's my concern, and then the other part is if this continues will now maybe the behavioral response team, uh, or the school counselor, they can still. Couldn't they still communicate with DHS and, and, um, and then if an inpatient facility is necessary, the only thing is if the inpatient facility is necessary for a student. Then
If that student is eligible for Medicaid, more than likely that would be paid for, or at least some of it, but what about the student that's not? Um, that's not on Medicaid. So I guess I'm asking do we maybe we need more structure just in the process, but starting at the ground level with our teachers. That's That's what I'm, that's what I'm leaning towards. Thank you. All right. Thank
you. Um, so, concluding discussion on the motion, we have a motion of due pass, um, all those in favor
indicate by saying I. Opposed nay. The eyes have it. Congratulations, you've passed your bill. We're
gonna call up uh Senate Bill 352, um, Leader Beatty's been sitting patiently in the corner with his adorable
bow ties, so I think it's only appropriate we call him up and let him, uh, Senate Bill 352. No, 352.
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
2:18:38
Once you let us know who you are, I'd be happy to recognize. Representative Howard Beatty District 95. You're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Members of committee, I'm here today to present Senate Bill 352. Uh, this bill aims to prohibit anti-Semitism in public elementary and secondary schools as well as state uh supported institutions of higher education in Arkansas, um, you may be asking why this bill and why
now, uh, since, uh, October 7th of 2023 anti-Semitism is exploded and plagued our schools, college campuses, Jewish communities in our country. Uh, as many Jewish students, uh, feel, um, don't feel safe on their key, uh, K through 12 and college campuses. This bill provides state legislators the basis to address anti-Semitism in these, in these public institutions. It empower states
to take decisive and bold actions, uh, especially if, uh, Federal Department of Education, uh. becomes disbanded. The bill, um, the bill is somewhat based on Alec model policy and requires anti-Semitism on on institution on campuses to be addressed like other discriminate discriminations. It defines anti-Semitism, uh, with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance or IRA working definition of
anti-Semitism, including its contemporary examples. It requires college university codes of conduct. To include prohibitions against anti-Semitic. Uh, discrimination and harassment. It encourages but does not mandate anti-Semitism awareness and Jewish American heritage training and requires the Department of Education and higher education bodies to designate a Title 6 coordinator to investigate incidents and complaints.
Uh, an attempt to resolve those issues and submit an annual report to the state legislature. The bill is also consistent with President Trump's historic executive order on combating anti-Semitism from 2019 and 2025, as well as bipartisan federal legislation that passed the House of Representatives in the 118th Congress and was reintroduced in the 119th conference, uh, Congress. The other question is why do we need a definition for
anti-Semitism and why the IRA definition. Anti-Semitism is the world's oldest and most enduring form of hatred. Reinventing itself over the millennium. In order to investigate and combat anti-Semitism, 11 must understand and define it. Anti-Semitism is a unique form of hate. That is not easily understood and categorized by association with religion, national origin, race, or other protected categories.
Dire working definition, uh, including its contemporary example is the world's gold standard in understanding anti-Semitism. And it's overwhelmingly approved by the Jewish community. The definition is also included in the ALEC model policy. The ivory definition equips educators. Law enforcement officers, policy makers, educational institutions and many others with a framework to identify and respond to anti-Semitic acts.
As of November 1st of 2024, 37 US state governments have adopted this key definition. And so far 12 have codified the def definition in the state law, demonstrating the vast support. The definition consistent with the Obama State Department President Trump's historic executive orders in 2019. Uh And 2025. And the aforementioned bipartisan federal legislation. Desire a definition, stifle
freedom of speech that some may be concerned about and any First Amendment rights. critics of of the ivory definition say the definition risk. Uh, limiting constitutionally protected speech. And could create a chilling effect on free speech, especially regarding criticism of Israel. The ivory definition is non-legally binding and does not prohibit anyone. From exercising their First Amendment rights. The first minute of the United Constitution protects all free speech.
Including racist anti-Semitic, and xenophobic speech. Now our definition Uh, is it broad and does it label someone who criticizes Israel as anti-Semitic. This definition is not broad and it includes 11 specific examples to illustrate how anti-Semitism can manifest in contemporary society. The definition specifically says the criticism of Israeli government policies and politics
is not anti-Semitic. When similar to uh criticism of any other country. The definition is specific with regards to what behaviors associated with Israel or anti-Semitic, including comparing Israeli policy to Nazis holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel, denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination in Israel and accusing Israel of investing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
The title 6 coordinator position. Uh, kind of to go over some of that, uh, anti-Semitism requires immediate action through a Title 6 coordinator while President Trump's executive order gives the federal government more tools to protect Jews from anti-Semitism and adopts the IRA working definition. The definition itself has yet been be reintroduced in the 119th Congress and the bill passed the
House overwhelming in the 118th. If they choose, or if we choose, legislators may decide in the, in the current bill or future bills to have Title 6 coordinator investigate claims made by students and faculty and employees, uh, from other protected class. Uh, this legislation is worked such that the proper agency, our Department of Education, uh, should, uh, designate a Title 6 coordinator, uh, who's currently employed with the, with the agency, um, and, um,
Again, basically. Uh, the purpose of this bill is to promote an understanding, tolerance and respect for all individuals in our education settings and to combat anti-Semitism and with that I'll entertain any questions. Representative Meeks, you're recognized for a question. Thank you,
Mr. Chairman. Uh, I really appreciate the
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
2:25:45
bill and uh where it's going. I've got uh two quick questions. Uh, my, my first one is, I love the intent of the bill. We're going to prohibit anti-Semitism. Of
course, you know, we can pass every law under the sun. It's not gonna, kind of like the, the question you asked me about the, about the robots, right? This is not gonna stop people who are anti-Semitic from, from doing this. So, what mechanism in here or is there a mechanism here that would bring a penalty should someone violate this. Because if we just say no, don't do it. And then they do it and nothing happens. We all know it's going to happen again. It's just going
to empower and we're going to be doing it even more. I, I, I don't think in, in the
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
2:26:29
actual bill that it, it spells out a
penalty. I think what it does is it clearly communicates the expectation of the legislature that anti-Semitic comments and anti-Semitism is not to be tolerated in our K through 12 schools and our college and, and university campuses and, and provide some reassurance to those students that are attending, that is a safe, um, a safe environment protected from, from
those forms of discrimination, right? Again, the concern remains though.
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
2:26:59
Um, the, the, and this is kind of my follow up of course, a couple sessions ago we did that, did the hate speech to um what this Um, maybe allow Should someone be found guilty of this, allow for the hate speech law to kick in and allow those penalties to come through there. Do you know? Because my, my concern is if we do this, and I'm great, yeah, we need to tell everybody we don't want this to happen. It's wrong for this to happen, but if there's no teeth in it, then I'm afraid it's not necessarily going to stop it
like we want it to. And again, I, I support the bill. I'm going to vote for it, so I, I, I watch it. I'm not trying to be adversarial here. I just want to make sure that we're actually going to do something that's actually
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
2:27:43
gonna stop it should it happen. Representative Meeks always respect your comments and where you come from, and it is a concern. I think at some point this is a starting point, uh, and At least now we can get the information of how often this is occurring in Arkansas and start that point that could lead to
further legislation, uh, inquiring penalties and, and, and, and follow up on this bill is a starting point and you're, your concerns are, are those that I share.
All right. Thank you. Representative Nazarenko, you're recognized for a question. Thank
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
2:28:14
you, uh, Mr. Chair. Uh, so Representative, um, Brady, uh, would you agree over on page 4, and this kind of goes back to um Representative Meek's question over on
page 5. Line 7 starting in there, talks
about general assembly, consider reducing or eliminating any state funding provided to a school or state-supported institution of higher education is found inadequately to address discrimination, harassment complaints. So would you agree that To that point, you know, what the mechanism is, it's the general assembly coming together and addressing
a school that's not living up to that standard and then pulling funding. Yes, I, I would agree with that statement.
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
2:28:53
I, I thought the representative statements how we were going to prevent this, and I thought it was more about penalties and, and back on the individuals that would conduct
this type of activity, but you're correct that those, those conditions for the university
that does not adequately address this are provided for in the bill. Thank
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
2:29:16
you. Representative Beck, you're recognized for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I, I support this the only concern I had this morning when I was reading this thing is the reference to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance as it, as, as that was adopted in May of 26, uh, May 26th,
excuse me, uh, about 2016 and it's kind of like, although it locks it in place as as it was adopted there. It, it's almost like, you know, now we have a statute that kind of someone else is in charge of, you know, the definition is, and I know it says you can't change that, but uh you, you made a point or I didn't catch all of it, but you were saying that the, the federal government hasn't adopted this or was going to adopt this or something
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
2:30:08
in 2019, um, and, um, and even with the change in administration the Biden administration. didn't overturn that and then it was reaffirmed by President Trump in 2025. Uh, and that's
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
2:30:16
just my, I, I, when I was reading, I thought, well it would be nice if you just had that right here in there, so it kind of controlled
Speaker 359
2:30:24
a bit, but. If it's working so far, we won't fix what's not broke.
Uh, any other questions from committee? Yet representative Meeks, do you
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
2:30:38
recognize. Thank you. This is gonna be a don't you agree question. Let's try to answer Representative Beck's question, because I've ran into this before, so I went to Arkansas law whenever we whenever we are referencing a federal code section. We need to have that, uh, date requirement in there because if we don't do it, then basically what we're doing is we're allowing Congress to change our law. So if Congress were to change this, they would in effect be changing our laws without our knowledge or input. So, For us to make sure that that
doesn't happen, that as it existed on that date has to be
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
2:31:14
in there, wouldn't you agree? I, I, I would agree and I thought that we had that definition as of that date
Speaker 166
2:31:22
in the bill. OK Yeah. Also, when you agree that we've, we have a different IRA protection written into code, not specific to K-12 education that does reference the date, so yes, belt and suspenders wouldn't you agree,
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
2:31:34
we do, and I think that was, uh, legislation by Senator Dodson,
uh, a while back. I, I know, I know, but, uh, and, and he, he, he was instrumental in looking at this bill and agreeing with that language, so
thank you. Any other questions from committee? Seeing none, no one
is here signed up to speak for against the bill. Anyone from the committee or from the audience wish to speak
for or against the bill, seeing none. Leader Beatty, you are recognized to close for
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
2:32:02
your bill. Members of the committee, I want to tell you, after sitting here and and hearing the, the subject matter and, and the, and the things that you address, education is
very important. I have a, um, uh much respect for the issues that you've dealt with today just in the brief time that I've set in your committee, um, and, uh, appreciate you allowing. me to take the time to present this legislation, I would, I would entertain a motion to pass and appreciate a good vote. Thank you. Uh, we have a motion to pass
from Representative Meeks in discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor indicate by saying I. All those oppose nay? Congratulations, you've passed
your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you committee. Uh, we're gonna move swiftly to Senate Bill 559 with Representative Brown. Um, I'm going to quickly see the chair to representative Meeks. And I will be right back.
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
2:33:20
Yeah, Representative Brown, once you get settled in there. You are clear to
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
2:33:33
begin your testimony. Put your mic there. Thank
you, Mr. Chair, uh, Representative Carolyn Brown, District 67. to present Senate Bill 559 and I've got some notes here, um.
So I can keep it brief. All right, um, Senate Bill 559 corrects language that was omitted in the bill I passed previously, House Bill 1545 with regard to the Arkansas Military Child School Transitions Act there was some language. That was left out, it's in uh. It's, it's on page 5. Anyhow, the, the, the language that was deleted inadvertently was um.
May seek waivers from the state board of education to accommodate a student under this section, including without limitation required class ratios. It was just inadvertently deleted and then the other thing is we are and. And I know my My friend Representative Duke is gonna wonder why I'm changing a mate, a maid to a show, but that is to make the keep the language consistent. We've been using Shao throughout and if we don't, if it isn't a shall useless. I
mean, it's just not very, it has to be a show. And I would just, that's really about all there is to this, just a kind of a cleanup bill. OK. Representative Brown
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
2:35:05
has explained the bill. Any questions from committee? Going once, going twice, right, saying none.
Uh, we don't have anyone signed up to speak for or against the bill. Anybody from the audience like to speak for or against, saying none, uh, Representative Brown, you are clear to close for your bill. Thank you, and
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
2:35:21
I would Do pass motion do pass. All
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
2:35:26
right, we've got a do pass motion from Representative Brown. Any discussion on the motion? Hearing none all favor, please say aye. Any opposed? All right, congratulations, Representative. You have passed
your bill and you. Committee unless anyone's aware of another bill, I believe we're waiting on one
bill from uh Senator Irving, but, um, Chairman Brooks did ask that uh we uh recess until um after the floor, uh, we've cleared most of the bills off of our active
agenda, with the exception, like I mentioned, of Senator Irving. We do have some bills that are pending fiscal impact, um. So those may come back where I know that the committee staff is working feverishly to get those back. So again, we will recess until 15 minutes upon adjournment of the of the floor.
Agenda
RE-REFERRED TO COMMITTEE
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1709 Steele TO AMEND THE HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM; AND TO INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS IN THE HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM.
REGULAR AGENDA
Number Sponsor Subtitle
SB402 C. Penzo TO PROHIBIT A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AND AN EDUCATIONAL SERVICE COOPERATIVE FROM REQUIRING OR TAKING CERTAIN ACTIONS RELATED TO EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS.
SB373 Irvin TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS FINANCIAL EDUCATION COMMISSION.
HB1139 B. McKenzie TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT.
HB1747 Vaught TO CREATE THE BABIES AT SCHOOL ACT; AND TO ALLOW SCHOOLS TO PERMIT EMPLOYEES WHO ARE PARENTS TO BRING THEIR INFANTS SIX MONTHS OR YOUNGER TO WORK.
SB352 Stone TO PROHIBIT ANTISEMITISM IN PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS; AND TO PROHIBIT ANTISEMITISM IN STATE-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
SB425 J. English TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING ENHANCED TRANSPORTATION; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
SB547 D. Sullivan TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT A HOMESCHOOLED STUDENT LIVE WITHIN A CERTAIN RADIUS OF A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR PURPOSES OF PARTICIPATING IN AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY.
SB484 Irvin TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS WHEREBY A VACANCY IS FILLED ON A SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
SB504 Irvin TO ESTABLISH THE ARKANSAS RURAL PRECEPTORSHIP PROGRAM ACT.
SB559 J. English TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS MILITARY CHILD SCHOOL TRANSITIONS ACT OF 2021.
SB450 B. Davis TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO INCLUDE A HUMAN FETAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION IN THE RELEVANT STANDARDS DURING THE ARKANSAS ACADEMIC STANDARDS REVISION CYCLE.
SB183 J. Dotson TO AMEND THE UNIVERSAL ACT ASSESSMENT PROGRAM ACT; AND TO AMEND THE TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY PROVIDE TO STUDENTS.
SB604 B. Davis TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE REGARDING THE COURSE CHOICE PROGRAM.
SB618 Irvin TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS STUDENT DUE PROCESS AND PROTECTION ACT.
SB619 Irvin CONCERNING THE FORMATION OF AN ISOLATED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SB624 B. Davis TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT; TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015; AND TO ALLOW A STUDENT TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL WITHIN HIS OR HER RESIDENT DISTRICT.
SB149 J. English TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003.
PENDING FISCAL IMPACT
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1999 D. Garner TO REQUIRE THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO CERTAIN STUDENTS.
HB2000 Wardlaw TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EDUCATION SERVICE COOPERATIVES, PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS.
SB451 Hester TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH REGIONAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE EDUCATION OF CERTAIN STUDENTS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
DEFERRED BILLS
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1027 D. Garner TO CREATE THE BRIGHTER START ACT OF 2025; AND TO REQUIRE THE TREASURER OF STATE TO MAKE A ONE-TIME CONTRIBUTION TO EACH EXISTING AND FUTURE ARKANSAS BRIGHTER FUTURE FUND PLAN ACCOUNT.
HB1030 T. Shephard TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OR LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL TO OBTAIN CERTIFICATION IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID; AND TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL COUNSELOR TO RECEIVE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING.
HB1031 D. Garner TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE EDUCATION ACT OF 2025; AND TO ENSURE THE HEALTH CURRICULUM IN ARKANSAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ADDRESSES CERTAIN HEALTH ISSUES FACING STUDENTS.
HB1239 A. Collins TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL CATEGORY OF FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING.
HB1528 McGruder TO REQUIRE A REPORT CARD TO INCLUDE A STUDENT'S CURRENT READING GRADE LEVEL.
HB1539 A. Collins TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL EDUCATION CATEGORY OF FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.
HB1490 Wardlaw TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT A PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT RETURN TEMPORARILY ISSUED ITEMS, RESOURCES, MATERIALS, AND PROPERTY BELONGING TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO ENROLL IN A HOME SCHOOL.
HB1020 A. Collins TO REPEAL THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT PROGRAM; TO CREATE A NEW EDUCATION FUNDING CATEGORY FOR STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES; AND TO CREATE THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ACT FUND.
HB1022 A. Collins TO REPEAL PERFORMANCE-BASED INCENTIVE AWARDS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS.
HB1023 A. Collins TO AMEND THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM; AND TO AMEND THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR LOAN FORGIVENESS AND THE LOAN REPAYMENT AMOUNTS UNDER THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM.
HB1025 McGruder TO CREATE THE TEACHER FAIR DISMISSAL ACT OF 2025.
HB1144 Wooten TO REQUIRE A PARTICIPATING SCHOOL UNDER THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT PROGRAM TO COMPLY WITH THE SAME STATUTORY AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS TO WHICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE SUBJECT.
HB1197 S. Meeks TO PROHIBIT SCHEDULING, HOSTING, OR REQUIRING AN OUTDOOR PRACTICE, SCRIMMAGE, GAME, OR ACTIVITY FOR AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY DURING THE HOURS WHEN AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING HAS BEEN DECLARED.
HB1541 Wooten TO REQUIRE A PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT ACCEPTS STATE FUNDING OF ANY TYPE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO CERTAIN STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOL.
HB1542 Wooten TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL STATEWIDE STUDENT ASSESSMENT; AND TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMIT EACH STUDENT WHO APPLIES FOR ADMISSION AND INTENDS TO COVER PRIVATE SCHOOL COSTS WITH STATE FUNDING.
HB1755 T. Shephard TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ARKANSAS PREVENTION NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY.
HB1924 Puryear TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION ESTABLISH RULES REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEKS.
HB1962 Vaught TO PROHIBIT A SCHOOL FROM SERVING OR SELLING ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD ON THE SCHOOL CAMPUS DURING THE NORMAL SCHOOL DAY.
HB1990 McAlindon TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HIGHER EDUCATION.
HB1727 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO ADULT EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOLS.
HB1081 B. McKenzie TO REPEAL ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES.
HB1761 D. Garner TO INCREASE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INCOME LIMITS FOR STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNTS IN THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR AND THEREAFTER.
HB1482 Gramlich TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO TAKES A GED TEST AND RECEIVES A GED.
HB1492 Gramlich TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL TO IMPLEMENT A MOBILE PANIC ALERT SYSTEM.
HB1940 Walker TO ESTABLISH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT INITIATES AND MAINTAINS A FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
Documents
| Title | Type | Pages | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda — EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE, Apr 10, 2025 | Agenda | 3 | Official source ↗ |
Speakers
Representative Keith Brooks Chair
Unverified
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
Speaker 37
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
Speaker 72
Speaker 63
Representative Steven Walker
Unverified
Chair
Unverified
Speaker 103
Representative Brit McKenzie Chair
Unverified
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
Speaker 109
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
Speaker 131
Mark Rush
Unverified
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
Speaker 182
Speaker 197
Speaker 62
Speaker 206
Speaker 228
Speaker 232
Speaker 36
Speaker 245
Speaker 35
Senator Breanne Davis
Unverified
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
Speaker 280
Speaker 288
Speaker 294
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
Speaker 323
Speaker 329
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
Speaker 359
Speaker 166