House Rules

House bill 1491. So members who were here. Couple months ago, ran this bill out, got it to the floor and. We heard from Some folks in the community that the bill wasn't inclusive enough to gather everyone in the industry that was using rice as an ingredient. She went back, threw members on, were able to apply those amendments to make sure that we were as inclusive as possible to make sure we gather the whole industry. In that process we were able to get the impact statement from DFNA. I'm here to tell you this impact statement is completely wrong and most time people sit here and tell you their impact statements are wrong because they're too high. This impact statement is wrong because it's too low, um, and in no way, form or fashion, I want you to think that I mislead you and what I tell you in impact statement when I was here a couple months ago I told you 3 to 4 million, the actual price tag is somewhere between 980,000 and 1.3 million is what we think it will be. The other thing that happened was there was a lot of misconception about who gets the tax credit from this bill. It doesn't go to manufacturers. It goes to the wholesalers. So this money that we are giving back does not leave the state of Arkansas, and I think that's very important to be noted. So with that, Mr. Chairman, I'll be glad to take any questions. Members are, are there any questions for Representative Wardlaw? Represent McKenzie, recognize her question. That my question would be for them, not for the representatives. So that's it. I think, I think I can answer your question though. I think I'm pretty good at. figuring out what your question is. The reason their impact was so low because they only took the impact of the manufacturers within the state and that impact is correct. They didn't take into effect, uh, the other manufacturers in the US that use Arkansas rice as an ingredient. And I called those manufacturers and got a true estimate from them of what they think the ingredient versus the, the credit equals, and that's how I got to the number that I gave you in committee. All right, so you no other questions. We don't have anyone signed up to speak for or against this bill. Uh, Representative Wardlaw, you recognize the close for your bill. Um, Mr. Chair, I'm closed and I make a motion to pass. All right, members, we have a motion to pass. Any discussion on the motion. Seeing none, all in favor say aye, oppose nay. Merchant is adopt. Mr. Chair, I'm also running Senate bill 252. Do you want me to run it while I'm at the table or come back? No, that's fine. You can go ahead and present 252 right now. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So members, we've been through this vape thing a couple times in here, um. We went through, uh, the bill with Representative Duffield. What this bill does is it requires all the sellers of vape to either be registered as FDA or have applied to be registered at the FDA to be able to sell vape products in, in Arkansas and what that does is it prevents these Companies from overseas changing their method of delivery with a product that is Proven to be very bad for consumption, uh, it was very refreshing to see the testimony the other day from Representative Duffield's bill when the lady said she had sent that off and had those ingredients come back and showed those heavy metals in there by banning that particular delivery, which is a great thing, and I supported the bill and I'll support it again. All they're going to do is change to a different delivery method, so instead of a single time you they'll come up with a multi-time use by doing it the way Senate Bill 252 does it, if they don't register with the FDA where those ingredients are tested, it doesn't matter what delivery method they have, it's banned and it's taken care of and it's off the market, um, and I know that's bad for some of the folks that sell it because they'll be stuck with it on the shelf, but I'm sorry, being stuck with that on the shelf is better than being in my kid's lungs. So with that, Mr. Chair, I'd be happy to take. questions. Members, is there any questions? but I'd seen none. We do not have anyone signed up to speak for or against this bill. Is there anyone in the audience want to speak for or against this bill? Seeing none, represented Wardlaw, you recognize the clothes for your bill. Mr. Chair, I can close my bill and I make a motion do pass. We have a motion do pass. Any discussion on the motion? Hearing none, all in favor say aye, oppose nay. Motion passes. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank the committee. Represent Brown And you have an amendment. If you come to the table and identify yourself for the record. We'll get this amendment. Get out. You got it. Uh, the amendment's already been passed out. Matt Brown, District 55, and with the uh committee's indulgence. Can I ask Mr. Langley to join me at the table, answer any questions the committee might have here in just a minute. Um This amendment, uh, The original bill, let's lifts the moratorium on the issuance of new wholesale permits. The amendment puts a staggered date effect for that lifting to take place. My understanding is, is that there may be some permits that are currently being transferred to that bill as originally filed would mess up. And so this just puts a, has that kick in a little bit later to give those permits time to work through the system. Members any questions with regard to the amendment. What's the will of the. We have a motion to adopt the amendment. Any discussion on the motion? Hearing none all in favor, say I. Opposenay. Representative Brown, you recognized to present your bill as amended. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you committee. Committee in 2013, the General Assembly passed, uh, art code and 3-4-609, which put a moratorium on the ABC board being able to issue any new wholesaleer permits. What has happened in the now 12 years since that moratorium was placed in, we've had population growth and things of that nature. Uh, this bill would simply give the ABC board back the discretion to decide the number of wholesale permits out there and be able to issue new permits. I'd be glad to try to take any questions the committee may have. Members any questions, seeing none, we don't have anyone signed up. We do. Robbie Bogle. If you'll identify yourself for the record and who you who you represent. You're speaking for the bill, correct? Yes, sir. My name is Robbie Vogel. I'm a permittee, wholesale permittee for Arkansas Wine and Spirits wholesale. So I want to thank the representative for allowing the staggered start to these permits, um, not afraid of competition, so this does allow competition back into the wholesale. Marketplace. So I just wanted to say appreciate working with us. Any questions? Saying none. Thank you, sir. I'm closed, Mr. Chair, I appreciate a good vote. What's the will of the committee? We have a motion due pass as amended. Any discussion on the motion. Seeing none all in favor, say I. Bona. Congratulations, your, your bill's passed. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you committee. As amended. Is anyone here? To run SB 365. Alright, uh, Representative Moore, are you ready to present? OK. Represent McKenzie, if you'll go to the table and identify yourself, you'll be, uh, recognized to present SB 365. Sorry, I wasn't familiar with the number. Britt McKenzie, Rogers, Arkansas District 7, Here to present House Bill 365 or bills for 365. It's a very simple bill. It takes the number of tap rooms as associated to the Small brewery from 2 to 3. Uh, there's been a, um, development in our, our region where, uh, and I think it's again, I've made comments about the small breweries and I've run bills relevant to that. Um. It's kind of the natural, uh, the natural increase on scale. We, you know, we set out a determination several years ago, uh, for, hey, we're gonna, you know, start a license as what counties become wet, um, these small breweries, uh, they have begun to scale their operations and then they have tap rooms that facilitate the sale of their own product in their taproom with the exclusive right to their product and no other products. So it's a good sign, uh, we're seeing our economies grow, we're seeing people enjoy the products that are made in our state, um, all this simply does. is take it from 2 to 3. That's it. I'd be happy to take any questions. Saying no questions, uh, we have no one signed up to speak for or against this bill. Representative McKenzie, you recognize the clothes for your bill. I, I close and make a motion to pass. We have a motion to pass. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all in favor, say aye, oppose nay. Congratulations. Thank you. Your bill's passed. over there All right, members, uh, we're going to pass over HB 722. Has anyone here To run SB 305. Representative Pilkington, if you'll go to the, uh, table and identify yourself. You recognize to present SB 305. Uh, Representative Aaron Pilkington, District 45, Johnson, and Pope County. Uh, Committee, thank you for letting me be here today to present SB 305, um, here's essentially what this bill does. Uh, this addresses an issue with testing requirements for new products. Uh, the industry is always evolving and when rules aren't clear on wind processing products are tested, some products like infuse flowers are comprised of different ingredients that can be tested at different times. This requires that the final product is tested as a whole. The Department of Health sets testing requirements, but this bill sets basic standards. These have been recommended by AR Testing labs. It also clarifies that marijuana products and drug paraphernalia are different things. There was some confusion with that, uh, as a result of a 2017 bill, but this bill is only clarification. It does not overrule that earlier bill. It does not authorize any new products. ABC still has full discretion on that and, uh, we amended this in the Senate to make that even more clear. ABC is being consulted on this and they have provided input on the language, and that essentially is what this bill does, uh, appreciate it, good folk. Thank you. I have a question, who's in, uh, Responsible for testing the, the product. Uh, is that the Department of Health? Can I have Bill Pasco we have somebody from the Department of Health come to the table. Please identify yourself for the record. Thank you Mr. Chair Charles Thompson, Arkansas Department of Health. Thank you, members. Um, the Department of Health sets the, um, we set the testing standards through rule this uh legislation, um, as representatives, uh, Pilkington said we'll, uh, we'll, uh, more clarify those standards when it comes to the actual testing, we approve labs. Labs are done, the third party labs that are approved by us that meet certain criteria, and then, uh, the, um, members of the industry go ahead and send their product to those labs. So the Department of Health is in agreement with the, the purpose of this bill. The Department of Health is neutral on this bill, but we understand and, and, and understand the purpose behind it. OK, thank you. Any other questions? Thank you, sir. You're, you're excused. All right, we have no one signed up to speak for against this bill. Representative Pilkington, you're recognized to close for your bill. Thank you, Chairman. I just appreciate a good vote on this bill. I think it's always good that we're testing these products and uh I think it's, you know, we want to make sure as things get into our, out into the marketplace that we're always updating these standards, and I appreciate everyone's work and getting this bill where it is today, but that asks for a good vote. What's the will of the committee? We have a motion to pass any discussion on the motion? Seeing none all in favor, say I. Opposed Congratulations, your bill's passed. Thank you. Thank you. While I'm down here, would you like me to run HB 1889. I can come back. It's no big deal. So you're skipping over HB 1192 today? Yes, yes, go ahead while you're there. Go ahead and run HB 1889. Thank you, Chairman. Appreciate the, the latitude on that, um, HB 1892 is a common sense patient focused bill. Uh, it simply does three things. It permits scheduled tours or dispensaries for invited guests. It authorizes drive-through dispensing of pre-order medical marijuana via banks style secure window, and it lowers the delivery requirements from 2 to 1 when the vehicle has Electronic tracking, and allows deliveries to a residential address. Uh, the key benefits of this bill is it increases transparency by allowing key stakeholders and policymakers to tour dispensaries and better understand operations, and improves patient access, uh, helps control business costs and strengthens the medical cannabis program with practical, compassionate reforms based on real world patient needs. Um, that's essentially what this bill does. We're just trying to modernize this, um, you know, I actually toured a dispensary as part of a uh program with. Uh, council state governments, uh, during my first term, and it was a very eye-opening experience kind of helped me understand why, uh, things were done a certain way and how these operated, and I just think it's good that we opened this up to allow us to, uh, to, to tour these dispensaries. Uh, there's a whole process that's already, um, that's already available and that we're just, uh, recommending that and then of course, obviously I can understand some hesitation with the drive-through window, but anyone who's ever used a drive-through pharmacy, uh, it's a very similar process. They're checking. IDs, they're making sure it's the right person. And if you have patience with certain mobility issues, like they're in a wheelchair and getting in and out of a car may be difficult for them, especially if they're an elderly patient. This is just a more convenient way for them to, to get the medical marijuana they need, um, and so that's, well. Take any questions if anyone has any. Representative McKenzie, you recognize her question question out of ignorance, but people with a medical marijuana card. They have a kind of writ large. Uh, prescription for the use of medical marijuana for whatever ailment. It's not specific to, so when I use the analogy of pharmacy. I'm gonna go pick up amoxicillin. It's pre-bagged with my name on it. I go get my information, they hand me that pill bottle. Will customers be able to shop through the window like I would like a tincture or I would like a gummy or I'd like flour. Uh, no, I, I, I believe, um, sorry, I, I went away. My understanding is these are, um, pre-ordered medical marijuana. So it's not, they can't go and say, yeah, give me some gummies, give me some of this, it's no, they are like, like when you pick up a, like a bottle of pills, you're going in, you've got an order uh bottle of pharmaceuticals. Uh, you go in, you've got an order, you show them your medical marijuana card. Do you show them their ID card, they run it, they make sure everything matches up. and they give it and, and there you go. Represent McAloon, you're recognized for a question. Thank you, Chairman. Uh, thank you, Representative. I'm just curious, do you know by chance, kind of the distribution, age distribution of who has medical marijuana cards and how many there are just out of curiosity that is not something I know off the top of my head. I'm sorry. I can get that information for you, but I'm, I, I don't know the age breakdowns, sorry. I'd appreciate that. Representative Dabby, you recognize for the question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think Representative McKenzie asked a number of the questions I was. Uh, wondering, but I was curious. I, I didn't realize and is in this bill or in other already in law about the online ordering because in this bill it talks about. Online ordering. And I'm just curious as to how. How that works. I wasn't aware of that, that it could be done over. Online. Yes, uh, I, like I said, uh, there's that pre-ordered. I'm not exactly sure on the mechanics of how that works. That's not what this bill is trying to address, but if there's someone from the industry who could come and explain it, I'd be more than happy to invite because you know, it talks about when you drive through on an online order. And so I just wondered how that was working on the drive-through part if somebody could just address that, I'm curious to know. identify yourself for the record you're recognized to answer the question. Representative Dalby, I'm Bill. Pascal, I'm here in the capacity as executive director of the Arkansas cannabis Industry Association. Uh, we have currently online ordering now. It's just the same. They'd order online, the, the order would be fulfilled, and then when they pull up to the, uh, window, which will be a bank style security window. They'll show their patient card and transact the money and get their medicine, but we've had online uh orders for, um, Since the industry was conceived. Yeah. I've got a question also, uh, when I go to the pharmacy, I can pick up prescriptions for family members, I guess for anybody as long as I ask for it and pay for it, but, uh, No, no, sir, a caregiver could get um uh designated caregiver could get the, uh, medicine, but, uh, it can only be dispensed to that, uh, patient with the card unless it, unless there's a designated caregiver. across with the pharmacy. You don't have a designated. No, sir. This is rules that were adopted in 2017, you could have a designated caregiver that is, uh, authorized to pick up. Yes, sir. OK. Yes, sir. But that already exists currently. Yes, it already exists. OK. And, um, representative McAlinden's, uh, question. There's 110,000 patients, uh, in Arkansas now. I, uh, no, but they're, you know, like you would expect, they're mostly in the populated areas, but all 75 counties have patients. Thank you. I meant by 8, like, do you know, is it mostly young people, old people, like, do you have a feel for how that breaks down, I think if, if you look at the, the Department of Health keeps, keeps those statistics, so maybe somebody back there can be, uh, a little more conversational, but if I recall, uh, 45 plus, there's about 55% of the population is 45+. I haven't looked at that in some time. I might be off a little bit, but somebody from Department of Health might be a little more precise, but it's, it's, it doesn't skew as young as some folks think it does. Thank you. Thank you, sir. You're excused. Thank you. All right, so no other questions, uh, we have no one signed up to speak for or against this bill. Uh, representative, Pilkington, you recognized to close for you, Bill. Thank you, Chairman. Uh, just one last thing I forgot to mention was, uh, during COVID, we had drive-throughs and so there was no issue when that happened. And so we've actually been able to show that throughout the experiment of COVID that we were able to do this successfully without any issue. So, um, I think it's a good bill and I appreciate a good vote. Thank you committee. Thank you for the time and the questions today. What's the will of the committee? Have a motion to pass any discussion on the motion? Seeing none all in favor, say I, I suppose nay. Congratulations to bill's passed. Representative McAlinden, are you prepared? If you'll go to the table and identify yourself. You'll be recognized. I believe you have an amendment. You'll be recognized to explain the amendment. Thank you. Representative Mindy McAlinden, House District 10, Bentonville, Bella Vista. So I have an amendment to my bill. I've made a couple of changes after talking to some of the casinos just to make sure that, uh, they are properly protected through this bill as well. Nothing super major. Happy to answer any questions if you have it on the amendment. Would you like to make a motion? I would love to adopt the amendment. We have a motion to adopt the amendment. They need discussion on the motion. Seeing none all in favor, say aye. I suppose nay, congratulations, we have adopted them and now you're recognized to explain the bill as amended. Thank you. Thank you committee. So this is House Bill 1847. It's aimed at enhancing responsible gaming practices in Arkansas. It authorizes the Arkansas Racing Commission to establish and maintain a statewide self-exclusion list for individuals seeking to voluntarily exclude themselves from casino facilities. And so right now we have it where you can go to a single facility, um, you, you have to be there, present your ID. and you can ask to be excluded from that casino. But if you want to be excluded from more than one casino in our state, you have to go and visit each individual state. Um, gambling addiction is a serious issue that affects individuals and families across our state, uh, by centralizing the self-exclusion list, we are providing a, a vital tool for those that are struggling with the gambling problems to take proactive steps towards recovery. This initiative aligns with responsible gaming practices and demonstrates our commitment to the well-being of our citizens, um, under this. Proposed bill, the Arkansas Racing Commission can maintain the comprehensive list, um, they can also, if it happens, they can collaborate with interest or intrastate lists and intrastate lists. And so if, if Oklahoma, for example, has a list as well, you have the ability to opt in to share that across state lines. Um, it also protects the. Confidential confidentiality of individuals and we do have a FOIA statement that is in the amendment we just adopted, uh, which did go through the FOIA task force for approval, um, and then the costs that are associated with this are going to be implemented and maintained either by assessments paid by the casinos or by, um, any forfeited. Winnings that they have. So they will not be hitting our tax revenue. And with that, I'd be happy to answer any questions. Seeing no questions, is there, uh, we don't have anyone signed up to speak for or against the bill with somebody like OK. If you'll come to the table and identify yourself and who you're with. You recognize to speak for the bill. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. My name is Carlton Safa from the Saracen Casino Resort. I'll be very brief. Um, I just want to tell you all I think Representative McClennon has brought a great bill, and I want to applaud her work, especially being proactive and going to the Freedom of Information Act task force, which she did on her vacation, which is pretty awesome. Uh, many states, they keep a central list and that was our goal and this is a priority to the problem gambling council we work very closely with them. I can tell you at our business and I assume it's the same with every casino in the country. No one wants problem gambler business and um we believe very strongly that if you have banned yourself from a facility, but you haven't banned yourself from other facilities in the state, the nature of addiction is such that you will find the path of least resistance. So for example, if you have banned yourself from our property, um, and you get that itch, which is what comes with addiction, um, you may go somewhere you have not been banned, and it's the response. thing to do, to have a centralized list and so very simple, but um I can only speak on behalf of Saracen, but I will tell you we. We think this makes sense and. Um, I'm grateful that you did the work, especially on the FOIA part to keep this secretive because no one, no one deserves to get this information. Thank you, sir. We don't have any questions, so you're excused. I see no other questions and no one else, uh, To speak for or against. Representative, you recognize the clothes for your bill. Thank you. Um, I just want to close by saying I think that House Bill 1847 represents a proactive and compassionate approach to addressing gambling addiction, and with that, I closed my bill and I'm. Make a motion. Do pass as amended. Alright, we have a motion to pass as amended as any discussion on the motion, uh, seeing none all in favor, say aye, oppose nay. Congratulations, your bill's passed as amended. Representative Duffield, are you going to run any one of these bills? No?