Education Committee- House
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Transcript
1 document
Bills discussed (48)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
HB1633
Act 475
· 4 mentions in chapter, transcript, agenda
Matched: “HB1633 Brooks TO AMEND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING…”
|
TO AMEND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS WHO TRANSFER SCHOOLS; … | Brooks | Notification that HB1633 is now Act 475 |
|
HB1833
Act 806
· 4 mentions in agenda, chapter, transcript
Matched: “…PRIVATE TWO- YEAR AND FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. HB1833 M. Shepherd TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ADMISSIONS AT T…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ADMISSIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. | M. Shepherd | Notification that HB1833 is now Act 806 |
|
SB391
Act 472
· 3 mentions in transcript, chapter, agenda
Matched: “…l. You're recognized and we are here to speak in support of Senate Bill 391, um, robotics, as with all educational programs, has resour…”
|
TO CREATE THE ROBOTICS COMPETITION GRANT PROGRAM FOR ELIGIBLE ROBOTICS TEAMS IN PUBLIC OR PRIVATE … | J. Dismang | Notification that SB391 is now Act 472 |
|
HB1017
Act 904
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1017 A. Collins TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING PAID MATERNITY LEAVE…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING PAID MATERNITY LEAVE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES; AND TO REQUIRE … | A. Collins | Notification that HB1017 is now Act 904 |
|
HB1139
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…NT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES. HB1139 B. McKenzie TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT. HB18…”
|
TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT. | B. McKenzie | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1283
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1283 J. Mayberry TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECON…”
|
TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TO INCLUDE DIGITAL MEDIA STANDARDS IN … | J. Mayberry | Died in Senate 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. |
|
HB1710
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1710 Vaught TO PROHIBIT A SCHOOL FROM USING OR REFERENCING A PUB…”
|
TO PROHIBIT A SCHOOL FROM USING OR REFERENCING A PUBLIC SCHOOL RATING IN ANY ADVERTISING, … | Vaught | WITHDRAWN BY AUTHOR |
|
HB1719
Act 905
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1719 Vaught TO AMEND THE DAYS INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MA…”
|
TO AMEND THE DAYS INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MATERNITY LEAVE DAYS APPROVED BY … | Vaught | Notification that HB1719 is now Act 905 |
|
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 |
|
HB1747
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
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 … |
|
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 agenda, chapter
Matched: “…RENTS TO BRING THEIR INFANTS SIX MONTHS OR YOUNGER TO WORK. 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. |
|
HB1786
Act 826
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1786 Brooks TO PROVIDE ELIGIBILITY FOR A TUITION BENEFIT TO SOLD…”
|
TO PROVIDE ELIGIBILITY FOR A TUITION BENEFIT TO SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN OF THE ARKANSAS NATIONAL … | Brooks | Notification that HB1786 is now Act 826 |
|
HB1793
Act 804
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…EEDOM ACCOUNTS IN THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR AND THEREAFTER. HB1793 Duke TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE USE OF POSITIVE BEHAVI…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE USE OF POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL SUPPORTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS. | Duke | Notification that HB1793 is now Act 804 |
|
HB1806
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…MITISM IN STATE-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. HB1806 Vaught TO PROVIDE CURRICULUM TRANSPARENCY FOR PARENTS OF KI…”
|
TO PROVIDE CURRICULUM TRANSPARENCY FOR PARENTS OF KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVE STUDENTS; AND TO ALLOW … | Vaught | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1812
Act 918
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…HE SAME ALLEGATION OF BULLYING UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. HB1812 Gramlich TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND ACCO…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO ATTENDANCE … | Gramlich | Notification that HB1812 is now Act 918 |
|
HB1825
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…TEST; AND TO AMEND THE SCORE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GED TEST. HB1825 Wooldridge TO ALLOW A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL TO REQUIRE AN ENRO…”
|
TO ALLOW A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL TO REQUIRE AN ENROLLED STUDENT TO EARN ONE UNIT … | Wooldridge | Recommended for study in the Interim by the … |
|
HB1864
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1864 Andrews TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO IMPROVE…”
|
TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY IN STUDENT INSTRUCTION; AND TO … | Andrews | Recommended for study in the Interim by the … |
|
HB1866
Act 908
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1866 Brooks TO CREATE ELI'S LAW; AND TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHO…”
|
TO CREATE ELI'S LAW; AND TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL TO INSTALL AN AUDIO RECORDING … | Brooks | Notification that HB1866 is now Act 908 |
|
HB1874
Act 795
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…LOCKER ROOM AND DRESSING ROOM ON THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CAMPUS. HB1874 B. McKenzie AN ACT TO AMEND THE USE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOP…”
|
AN ACT TO AMEND THE USE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING THAT EXCEEDS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT … | B. McKenzie | Notification that HB1874 is now Act 795 |
|
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. |
|
SB390
Act 695
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB390 J. English TO ESTABLISH THE STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY ACT…”
|
TO ESTABLISH THE STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY ACT. | J. English | Notification that SB390 is now Act 695 |
|
SB402
Act 725
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…IELDS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS. 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 |
|
HB1027
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…THE STUDENT OBTAINS. DEFERRED BILLS Number Sponsor Subtitle 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
· 1 mention in agenda
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
· 1 mention in agenda
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
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “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 |
|
HB1239
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…IC SCHOOLS ADDRESSES CERTAIN HEALTH ISSUES FACING STUDENTS. 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. |
|
HB1242
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…NT AT EACH MEETING OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS. HB1242 J. Mayberry TO AMEND THE MECHANISM BY WHICH SCHOOL NURSES A…”
|
TO AMEND THE MECHANISM BY WHICH SCHOOL NURSES ARE COMPENSATED. | J. Mayberry | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1312
Act 909
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ACT OF 2003. PENDING FISCAL IMPACT Number Sponsor Subtitle HB1312 Brooks TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS UNDER THE PUB…”
|
TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003. | Brooks | Notification that HB1312 is now Act 909 |
|
HB1457
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…DER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO ENROLL IN A HOME SCHOOL. Page 3 of 4 HB1457 L. Johnson TO REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO SUBMIT DATA AND OTH…”
|
TO REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO SUBMIT DATA AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATED TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL … | L. Johnson | WITHDRAWN BY AUTHOR |
|
HB1482
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…RT CARD TO INCLUDE A STUDENT'S CURRENT READING GRADE LEVEL. 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. |
|
HB1483
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…DITIONAL CATEGORY OF FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING. HB1483 Gramlich TO ALLOW A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT TO USE STATE FUN…”
|
TO ALLOW A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT TO USE STATE FUNDS TO PAY FOR AN ADULT … | Gramlich | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1484
Act 910
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…TYPE 2 DIABETES WHEN OTHER HEALTH INFORMATION IS PROVIDED. HB1484 Gramlich TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CREDITS A STUDENT MAY OBTAI…”
|
TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CREDITS A STUDENT MAY OBTAIN IN A COURSE CREDIT RECOVERY … | Gramlich | Notification that HB1484 is now Act 910 |
|
HB1490
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…TIONAL EDUCATION CATEGORY OF FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION. 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
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…S A STUDENT MAY OBTAIN IN A COURSE CREDIT RECOVERY PROGRAM. 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
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…AMEND THE MECHANISM BY WHICH SCHOOL NURSES ARE COMPENSATED. 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
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO TAKES A GED TEST AND RECEIVES A GED. 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. |
|
HB1580
Act 801
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…N PROGRAM USING A UNIFORM STATEWIDE DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM. HB1580 Gramlich TO REQUIRE SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE CERTAIN INFORMATION…”
|
TO REQUIRE SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE CERTAIN INFORMATION ON TYPE 1 AND TYPE 2 DIABETES WHEN … | Gramlich | Notification that HB1580 is now Act 801 |
|
HB1672
Act 800
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…OOL-LEVEL GRADUATION RATE IF THE STUDENT PASSES A GED TEST. HB1672 McCollum TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO CREATE…”
|
TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO CREATE A MORE EFFICIENT SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC … | McCollum | Notification that HB1672 is now Act 800 |
|
HB1728
Act 906
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…IC CHARTER SCHOOL TO IMPLEMENT A MOBILE PANIC ALERT SYSTEM. HB1728 Ennett TO REQUIRE REPORTING ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS RECEI…”
|
TO REQUIRE REPORTING ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS RECEIVING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR A DISABILITY AT INSTITUTIONS … | Ennett | Notification that HB1728 is now Act 906 |
|
HB1756
Act 803
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…UNDING AMOUNTS UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003. HB1756 Vaught TO ALLOW A PARENT, LEGAL GUARDIAN, OR PERSON STANDIN…”
|
TO ALLOW A PARENT, LEGAL GUARDIAN, OR PERSON STANDING IN LOCO PARENTIS TO A STUDENT … | Vaught | Notification that HB1756 is now Act 803 |
|
HB1766
Act 907
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…YPES OF ASSESSMENTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY PROVIDE TO STUDENTS. HB1766 Ennett TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS RESPOND, INNOVATE, SUCCEED, A…”
|
TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS RESPOND, INNOVATE, SUCCEED, AND EMPOWER (RISE) ACT. | Ennett | Notification that HB1766 is now Act 907 |
|
HB1805
Act 805
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1805 Childress TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "BULLYING"; AND TO CRE…”
|
TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "BULLYING"; AND TO CREATE A PROCESS WHEREBY A PUBLIC SCHOOL … | Childress | Notification that HB1805 is now Act 805 |
|
SB183
Act 724
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…Y AT THE RESIDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. 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 |
|
SB303
Act 644
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…TIONS FOR A DISABILITY AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. SB303 Dees TO ALLOW A RESIDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PERMIT A PRIVAT…”
|
TO ALLOW A RESIDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PERMIT A PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENT TO PARTICIPATE IN … | Dees | Notification that SB303 is now Act 644 |
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here shortly, but first if you would stand with us uh representative Vice Chairman McKenzie will start us
in prayer this morning, um, again, as a Catholic, I'll, I'll do an extemporaneous prayer and then we'll end in the, uh, the Lord's Prayer, our Father. So, uh, dear Heavenly Lord, uh, come to us today and, and grant wisdom and strength over our hands as we do your business and um watch out uh over us as we um do the business of the state today and things in matters of education, um, we ask for patience and understanding and humility, um, from your name, uh, our father.
Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from. Thank you,
Speaker 6
0:58
Vice Chair McKenzie. So as I mentioned, we do
Speaker 2
1:08
have a number of groups here this morning. I'm gonna let I'm a
Speaker 6
1:15
yield to Vice Chairman McKenzie to introduce one large group that's with us. Thank
you so much today, um, ladies and gentlemen of the committee, we have students from the East Initiative here. We have students from Clinton Primary School, which is in Hope, Hamburg High School, Lincoln Middle School, Pottsville High School, uh, in Sulfur Rock Elementary, uh East, which stands for the Education Accelerated by Service and Technology is a nonprofit education program. Supported in over 250 of our Arkansas schools and empower students to solve real world problems and their committees
using technology and project-based learning. So if you wouldn't mind, please give us, give them a warm Little Rock welcome. Thank you, Mr.
Sharon. If there are other groups who are here, obviously a very full room, so if there's other groups that are here this morning who uh we don't know or haven't recognized, feel free to come up and let us know so we can make sure to recognize them, vice chair, yes sir. One more plug
I forgot to mention today is STEM day in the rotunda. So if you find yourself with nothing to do around 2 p.m. or from noon to 2 p. please go into the rotunda
and see these wonderful students and the work that they've done. So thank you. And we've got a couple of groups here, uh, one from, I believe, Mountain Home, uh, and one from Harding Academy who were with uh some robotics teams who are going to be presenting a bill with Representative Eaves here shortly, uh, so we'd like to welcome those groups as well, uh, some of them might be related to me if it looks like I'm similarly, uh, similarly, so a couple of them, so we're glad that you guys are here this morning as well, um, so, uh, members without objection, I'm going to yield the chair to um Vice Chair McKenzie and I'm
going to start off by presenting uh concurring amendment. HB 1633, and then we will, uh, as I mentioned in text message, we will jump around a lot on the agenda. Uh, there's not going to be a lot of consistency of going straight down. We're gonna make sure we take members who are uh coming here from other committees to take them as, as they're here so we can make sure and get through as many bills as as possible, so, uh, with that vice chair, I will yield to you.
Speaker 12
3:18
If you'd recognize yourself and then you would be recognized to
present your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman Keith Brooks, state representatives District 78, uh, this morning I bring you an amendment to House Bill 1633, which we passed out of this committee several weeks ago, passed off the floor with no opposition and now passed the Senate. This is just a we're concurring in the Senate amendment simply to add Representative McGruder as a co-sponsor to it and then we deleted 8 lines of texts in the bill that were unnecessary and just kind of snuck in. They had
to do with recruiting um that they're already AAA rules relative to that and so it did not impact the um. Uh, the specifics of legislation anyway, so I would appreciate, um, uh, I do pass motion on the adoption of the
amendment. Uh, we have a motion to adopt the amendment. I need. Oh, just to do pass. We have a motion to adopt the amendment as due passed. Is there any discussion from committee? Representative McCollum, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Char
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
4:15
I just real quick on the 8 lines of text, um, can you say what you said
again about it, um, so the line, the 8 lines either way
whether it was there or not so the 8 lines of text referred to recruiting for non-public schools. It's already something that's in rural and with the AAA, uh, and it was unnecessary, it had no impact on the actual merits of the bill or what we were attempting to do it, um, frankly, according to the AAA executive director, it just snuck in there unnecessary
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
4:41
because it's already a rule within. dealt with in in how they approach what they do from
Speaker 369
4:46
a rural standpoint. Uh, are there any other, uh,
questions from committee or any discussion on the motion do pass and concurring with an amendment. Seeing none, he recognized close. I'm close for appreciate do pass, uh. confirming the motion to concur in amendment, all members say all members agree and say aye, I'll opposed. Congratulations. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
members without objection we are going to move uh down the calendar
to the second page SB 391, uh, which is center dismaying and Representative Les Eaves. Representative Eaves, you are recognized. I believe you have some folks that you'd like to bring to the table with you. If you would please just introduce yourself for the record and then have them
Representative Les D. Eaves
Unverified
5:46
introduce themselves. All right, Representative Les Eaves, District 58, um, just real quick before I bring them up, this is a bill that was brought to Senator Dismay and myself from uh Harding Academy back in Cersey, also in Cersei.
high school, um, it's a bill that would establish a grant program to help pay for and establish a robotics programs for, I believe, grade 6 through 12 all over the state, uh, interestingly, the bill was entirely written by Harding students uh uh in the academy and I, I was talking to Senator Disma about this bill, and he said when the bill was sent to drafting, there was uh little, if any changes at all that needed to be done. So these young men and young women have spent a lot a lot of time working on this
bill trying to craft it in a way that, uh, was fair, equitable, and would, would give them the opportunity along with our colleagues across the state to establish this robotics grant program. No general revenue. It is a grant program. It'll be worked through the Department of Education, the teams will have to come up with a 25% of matching, um, but there are some students here that if your permission, I like to bring them up and let them, uh, give you the details of the bill in a much better way than I can. Sure,
I believe. we have some young folks from
Hart Academy as well as Mountain Home, who will be there, uh, representees wouldn't you agree that the fact that the bill came to BLR with such excellence might be because someone with
the last name of Brooks was involved in helping, I mean,
Speaker 10
7:13
just plausible talent can ski skip a generation, so. sir. That's because they're my brother's kids, so. Tell you to introduce
Speaker 35
7:21
yourself. If y'all would please introduce yourself for the record and then
you're recognized to help explain the bill for
Annalee Brooks
Unverified
7:35
Representatives. OK, well, good morning. Um, my name is Annalee Brooks, and I am the chair of the outreach department for Team 3937 breakaway. Hi, my name
Clara Tittle
Unverified
7:48
is Clara Tittle, and I am one of the chairs of the business department. I'm a junior from Team 3937. Hello, my name is
Brayden Lynn
Unverified
7:57
Brayden Lynn. I am a chair of strategy and a member of the CAD and design of
our robot department on Team Breakaway 3937. Hello, my
Dylan Abraham
Unverified
8:11
name is Dylan Abraham and I'm the scouting lead for Team 6. Hello, my name
Josh Dickinson
Unverified
8:20
is Josh Dickinson. I am the robot lead for Team 16. Hello, my name
Speaker 47
8:26
is Malachira and I am the electrical person for Team 16. Just to clarify,
you gentlemen are from Mountain Home High
Annalee Brooks
Unverified
8:35
School, correct? Bomb squad if you will. You're recognized and we are here to speak in support of Senate Bill 391, um, robotics, as with all educational programs, has resources that are needed to support this activity, and the students involved um need people to invest in these educational opportunities for them and so uh this bill will show that the state of Arkansas is supporting STEM-based educational programs and in investing in programs that provides students with
career ready skills, uh, additional many mentors and sponsors of these robotics teams are teachers who spend um Many, many hours off contract raising funds for these teams. And so this bill would provide a crucial financial base for robotics teams so that teachers and students are no longer focused solely on raising funds to sustain their programs, but now have the time and the ability to focus more on learning and teaching these STEM
skills and being equipped um even right after they graduate to go straight into the STEM workforce, um, and Behind me are students who will now speak on to how they have been equipped through robotics and members just to clarify, uh,
Speaker 369
9:49
you do see a handout that you got there
from uh the bomb squad just give more information on this, uh, which I asked him to pass out. Thank you.
Josh Dickinson
Unverified
10:08
All right So, uh, as I said, my primary role on the team is the robotics lead, so, uh, my role on the team. I I am the leader that oversees all of the um mechanical programming, electrical, kind of seeing that everything gets done within a timely manner. Um, the best way that this has equipped me is, uh, I started With first robotics in my 8th grade year on our junior team, so I did that my 8th and 9th grade year.
And my 9th grade year I came up as Um, a student just kind of seeing how the FRC teams went and I continued on, this is my last year as a senior. But I've learned a bunch of different I guess processes I've learned a bunch of different kind of engineering principles, and it is kind of inspired a love for this engineering that I am taking with me to the University of Arkansas to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.
Speaker 47
11:12
So, so as I said, I am the electrical person on our team. Before Bomb Squad, I didn't know much about robotics or anything, didn't have any knowledge with power tools or your regular tools and stuff like that, and robotics has equipped me to be able to do stuff on my own now. I can solder, I can do all the basic stuff, use my tools and everything. Electrical specifically, um, this year I've helped really hard in creating a diagnostic system for our whole robot. So if there's anything
wrong, we have a LED system that will allow us to check for anything on the robot, any moving component, and I've pretty much led that project by myself. And The things that robotics have helped me realize that I would like to be an engineer and I will be heading for a physics and electrical engineering degree at Missouri S&T. Um,
Speaker 43
12:08
like I was mentioning before on the strategy and strategic lead of our team, um, blessed to
Dylan Abraham
Unverified
12:14
be a junior this year, so I can enjoy one more year on this wonderful program. Um, I'm from the Mountain Home area, so I go to a school with about 25, 30 people in my grade, but being able to come to this program and see what Mountain Home High School has given is wonderful, um. I come back to my school and people are asking me, wow, what, you, you went over to Louisiana, you went to Chicago. You're doing all these wonderful things and coming back and I know all these things that I would have never been able to get at my
school, um, going off the with being a strategy, it's a lot of data analysis, uh, I see a bunch of uh scouts for baseball teams, basketball teams. Uh, there's a huge list of alumni that have came from this program. Um, I've been looking at going into some data analysis at Harding Academy here or uh Harding University here in
Speaker 43
13:05
Cercy, Arkansas. And I'm very thankful for the,
Brayden Lynn
Unverified
13:10
as I said before, I'm also strategy lead but for Breakaway
3937. Uh, my role on the team is very similar to what Dylan has just described. However, throughout my four years on the team, I have sort of switched up around my roles, um. My first year, my first two years, I started with our public relations department. I did a lot of what this is right now with the grant writing and the media and the event planning. Um, but then my, in my 3rd year, I switched to electrical, and I
learned the basis of wiring and throughout all of this, I've Sort of learned, uh, what I want to do and it's helped me develop what my career interests are, uh, when I was in the media and production side, I wanted to, you know, go into management. I considered being an electrician when I gained the electrical skills and most recently with uh My experience in the CAD department design. I've learned how to break down problems analytically and think about how
to design things. Unfortunately, it doesn't fit my current major I plan on going into, which is AI and computer science, but I mean, I've still learned so much of programming robots while not just being in that department, so competitive robotics as a whole has given me this chance to develop career opportunities and interests. Thank you guys for your
presentation. I do believe we have some questions for the bill sponsor, Representative Me you recognize for a question.
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
14:50
Let them get settled back in there. Good morning, sir. Good morning. Um, so as you
all know, I'm a big stem guy and definitely uh um supportive of, of what we're, what we're
trying to do here as a matter of fact, I actually have a bill over in judiciary that I'm trying to outlaw the weaponization of humanoid robots because those are fast going to be introduced into our society and um as I was in the process of preparing that bill, I was actually contacted by groups saying, make sure you put exemptions in there for these types.
Of a robot competitions to exist and so this, these are evidently very popular and growing in our state. Uh, the, the questions that I have related to the, the bill is um basically just the, the funding source and the funding mechanism, you'd mentioned the Department of Education would administer the funds. Can you just tell us a little bit about where the money would come from, how much we're talking about, and get into that aspect of it. Yeah, that would be entirely up
Representative Les D. Eaves
Unverified
15:46
to the Department of Education on where they would come up with the funding for it. Again, it's a
grant program wouldn't be any general revenue. The schools would have to come up with, I think it's 25% matching. Um, I believe I heard in testimony that it's somewhere around 20,000 a year roughly for a robotics team to go to the competitions that they go to. In fact, I, correct me if I'm wrong, you guys are going to world here. Yeah, that's, that's a pretty big deal, um, but it would be something that would the Department of Ed would would would take care of on their own. OK, all right, thank you. And I want to say something too about Um
what I saw when I visited Harding's particular facility where they, uh, build and practice the robots, uh, and most of you know I'm in manufacturing and in our facility that, that I have, we, um, have some pretty cool tools we have, you know, high def plasma tables and all kinds of computer controlled machines, but, um, when I visited, uh, their facility, I was absolutely blown away at what they have, and, and a little smaller scale than what we have at our factory, but The, the plasma tables, the
CNCs, the lays, I mean, and I'm like, so how much of this robot did you make? And they make all of it. They machine all of the parts. I mean, I, I was just shocked at all of this stuff. The electronics they do themselves. I mean, everything is done by themselves and these, these young men and women, it's it, I mean, I'm at a loss for words really when when you go see it. And of course, when I went to see it the first time, I thought it was gonna be, you know, they're going to be shooting flames out of them and having axes. and all that, um, but it, it's even more technical than that. I mean, at one point they they
have a driver that drives this robot to do certain tasks, um, and then at another point it's autonomous. It does it all on its own that they program in. It is, it is truly, uh, mind-blowing, and these robots aren't small. They're like the size of a, of a, of a washing machine, maybe not that tall, but that kind of footprint is what they are. They're heavy, big machines. So, uh, these young men and women are learning skills, uh, that people like me would hope to hire for engineers
and operators and and all of these things. So it's, it is, uh, if you don't, if you've never seen one, I highly encourage you to go take a look at the next. Competition that is going to be in your area. If you don't have one
in your area, I know where they're having competitions and it's in my area, and you're welcome to come. Are
there additional questions for members? See none 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 nonpresentative Eaves, would you like to close for your bill?
Speaker 70
18:30
I'm, I'm sorry, Represent McGruder. Now
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
18:38
you're a Nazi. OK, uh, I wanna start off by saying I love the beer. I think it's great, um, but I have a question, uh, wouldn't you agree that you are a better public speaker than your uncle
Speaker 55
18:55
motion to strike down what a member says. Um robotics, um, in addition to
Annalee Brooks
Unverified
19:01
what everybody has said about how the technical aspect of robotics has helped them, um, and has influenced their career path. Um, something Brayden briefly mentioned is robotics is also a very good environment for students to learn professional communication, um, problem solving skills, like you said, there's this whole public relations side where students learn marketing and branding. And so the environment of robotics um does um help students build. confidence and public speaking skills that will transfer to any career, whether STEM-based or not.
Thank you. Here you go, what, what I would suggest there representative McGruder, is that you just witnessed a very uh eloquent answer without throwing her uncle under the bus. It was, it was a yes, so. See, no additional questions from members and representative Eaves is closed for his bill. We have a motion on the table. Do you pass for rest of painters any discussion on the motion? There's a discussion representative Painter, you recognize.
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
19:56
Uh, I'm definitely not gonna be lost for words since I have the Mount Home bomb squad here. I, I'll tell you, I've I've seen
them in action, especially when they've come down here at the Capitol, and it's just to watch them use those robots and see the passion that they have and like the gentleman earlier said that he made his own diagnostic system. I have to go take my cars in to figure out what's going on. So to watch these young men and women have the passion and do this, you know, Representative Duke, you know, I, I said a couple of committees ago, your bill was the best bill of the session. I'm going to retract that statement.
And say this is because really it affects a lot of young men and women and just to see their passion, I appreciate you guys being here and
I will definitely be voting in favor for this. Appreciate you representatives for doing. Nazarenko, you're
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
20:52
recognized for discussion on the motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Hey, I just want to congratulate you all for being
here. Number one, excellent job, uh, I, I, with the, uh, the knowledge that you've got, the expertise, it's just incredible. And then I do have to give a big shout out for the bomb squad. Mountain Home's not in my district, but just barely outside of it, but my
nephew was on bomb squad years ago, uh, over there, Joshua Francis, and now he's over here in Little Rock, uh, in a great position, and I know it's uh because of this, this program like this, so. Great program and I'll be voting yes, of course. Representative Eve just want
Representative Les D. Eaves
Unverified
21:24
to give a shout out to Cersei High School, who was unable to be here. The Goonies also had a big role in, in doing this too. So don't want to forget those folks. Seeing no additional discussion, we have a
motion on the table to pass all in favor say aye, all opposed. Congratulations, Representative Eaves. You've passed your bill.
Members without objection, we're going to again move around the schedule and recognize representative Shepherd for HB 1833. It's on the second page, HB 1833, if you would please, Representative, introduce yourself for the record, then you're recognized. Representative Matthew Shepherd, District 97, and uh with the chair would allow I'd
Representative Matthew J. Shepherd
Unverified
22:00
like for Andy Davis with the UAMS to join me here at the end of the table. Normally I wouldn't allow for him, but since you asked, yes.
1833. It's on the second page of your printed calendar. I apologize. Members, House Bill 1833 is um Really,
I would say kind of a cleanup bill that hopes to clarify, uh, some of the uh admissions parameters for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Uh, this is a bill that was brought to me by UAMS and that we worked on for um for quite some time now to just to try to to get it to a place where we, we feel comfortable with it, as you can
see, uh, it moves away from kind of these percentage allocations across congressional districts and just uh. specifies, um, a firm number uh for those congressional districts. And then additionally it tries to address what happens if there's not enough. Uh, qualified individuals from congressional districts, what happens to those slots? And then finally, uh, we also Um, include a reference to uh satisfying published admissions
standards in the admissions process and this is important because a part of the accreditation of UAMS is based on the successful matriculation. Uh, through, through these years at UAMS and so if there's not, uh some these the published admission standards will be utilized so that they can hopefully accept individuals that are most likely to be able to successfully um move through
their years at UAMS and that's important because of the fact that, uh, if individuals are not able to, that actually works against UAMS's accreditation and so that's the. Kind of the third point to this bill is trying to address that issue, um, while still generally. Aligning with the parameters that have been in place for some time and I'll turn it over to. Former Representative Davis for his
Speaker 97
24:16
thoughts. Uh Andy Davis, UAMS, thank you, Mr.
Speaker 98
24:23
Chairman and committee, um, I think Speaker Shepherd explained it pretty well. Uh, we've had this congressional district allocation for years and years and years going back to when UMS was the only medical school in Arkansas, um, so a couple of things have changed. One is we're not the only medical school here anymore. There's 4 now accepting applications and students. Uh, accreditation requirements of also going to require us to raise sort of minimum admissions standards for the college, so.
We want to publish those standards. We want to make sure students know before they apply what's going to be required, uh, we don't wanna admit people to college of medicine and let them get You know, potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt before they realize uh it's not the best path for them, so we want to be upfront about that with applicants. And um You know, the All those things considered. The law, the law already requires this allocation per
district. We're just trying to simplify it and then clarify what we do if there's not enough applicants from the district, which the current law doesn't do it, kind of works on the assumption that there's always enough, so. Uh, that's
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
25:41
why we're asking for these changes. Representment, you recognized for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I like the point on the uh like clarification if there's not 10 amount from each congressional district showing what
Maybe the next steps are, um, I guess more curiosity, what, what is the point
Speaker 98
26:02
of moving away from the percentage and just putting the hard number. There from each congressional district. Just simplification, um, and if the,
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
26:13
uh, you know, the size of the class were to change to just hold that um allocation is a static number.
Is there any type of implication of striking. The language around legal residence and each congressional district. First page line. 34. I know that's part of the striking
of taking out the percentages and changing it to the hard numbers,
Representative Matthew J. Shepherd
Unverified
26:45
I guess from a legal standpoint. Did, did you find that part meaningful like. I shouldn't think and therefore that I need to be worried about resident status. I don't, I
don't think that there was any significance to that being struck that, that particular uh deletion that came from UAMS we're still, uh, certainly the intent is that they would still be individuals that have residency in that congressional district and it alludes to the fact that um certainly by implication if there's not 25 applicants from the congressional district that that first have to meet published standards, but then. ultimately have to accept
because that's the other part of it too is that you could have many qualified applicants that meet published standards, but they may not accept their offer of admissions and so, uh, we were just trying to clarify that. I don't
Speaker 98
27:43
believe it would change that residency, but I would defer to, to, to Andy uh because that was part of what they um what UAMS was asking for, certainly my intent was uh to preserve the, the slots for each congressional district if there are enough qualified.
applicants who do accept it. Rosen McCollum, I don't think it's necessary because of, you know, as a resident of congressional district would obviously be
Speaker 106
28:12
Arkansas resident, and then the next step in the decision tree says Arkansas resident.
Um, so I think it's, I think it's still covered. With the additional questions about the committee. Seeing none, we do not have anyone signed up to
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
28:26
speak for or against. Would anyone like to
speak for or against the bill? See nonrepresentative Shepherd, would you like to close for your bill? I'm closed for the bill. I appreciate a good vote. Represent Shepherd his closed for his bill. We have a motion to pass on HB 1833. Is there a discussion on the motion? Representative Meeks, you're recognized for discussion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the veteran and the old guy on this committee, this has been an
issue that's been discussed ever since I was a freshman down here, uh, been going back and
forth, and I think you guys have landed in a real good, uh, place with this bill. Appreciate the work you've done to hopefully finally put this issue to bed after all these years, so, uh, uh, appreciate I will definitely be supporting it would ask my colleagues to do the same.
We have a motion to pass on the table, uh, all in favor say aye. All opposed. Congratulations representative. Shepherd, you passed your bill. Thank you. Thank you. And committee again without
objection, I'm going to uh move to HB 1786 and yield a share to Vice Chair McKenzie. Ah There is an amendment that committee staff will pass out. And while we're waiting for that, the chairman can recognize himself. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, uh, with chair's permission I'd like to bring Mr. Annie Goodman to the table. Uh, yeah, that's fine.
Duly noted, Keith Brooks State Representative District 78. Andy Goodman with Arkansas Independent Colleges and Universities. Do you recognize?
Committee, the amendment that's being passed out is simply adding Senator Josh Bryant as the Senate sponsor, and I would appreciate motion you pass adoption of the amendment. Uh, we have, uh, we have a motion to adopt the amendment. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed. You are now allowed to present your bill as amended. Thank you, Mr. uh Mr. Chair, uh, HB 1786 as amended, uh, is discussing the National Guard tuition waiver program, so we, uh, established this in 2019. It's open all enlisted and officer personnel of the Arkansas Army and Air National Guard who have not been who've not been previously awarded a bachelor's degree and are residents of the state of Arkansas are in good standing with our unit, completed initial active duty training.
Um, and, uh, the training requirement can be waived by the officers reserve training courses. So guardsmen have to be enrolled in Arkansas state-supported public institution in a degrees seeking program, uh, guardsmen who have been deployed or discharged, uh, may have a continuation of eligibility. What this bill does, uh, this bill and, and just, you know, in in fiscal year 24, we had 447 guardsmen and women who are taking advantage of the program and so, uh, it remains one of the guard's largest recruiting tools. What this bill does is it simply open.
it up to allow our non-public institutions to be able to also offer the same program and so that would uh include um they have to the institutions have to be willing to accept Title IV, uh, federal student aid and so we have, uh, the institutions here in the state of Arkansas that do that would be washedall Baptist, Philaner Smith, John Brown, Harding, Central Baptist College and so this would just simply allow national guardsmen and women to utilize this tuition waiver at those schools as well and with that be happy to. answer any questions.
Fantastic. Are there any questions from committee? There is a zero fiscal impact on this. Are there any questions from committee
Speaker 117
31:45
now? Ah, yes, Representative Diane. Sorry, Gonzalezor them.
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
31:47
Yes, thank you. I was just curious as to um when they would be able to start the program is there a A certain amount of time that they would have or it's, it's unlimited to to utilize the. The funding for going back to school. I can try to fill that. There is
Speaker 119
32:06
a provision, um. Provided by the National Guard that shows that they can go
Speaker 121
32:11
back. I'm looking for the exact timeline on that. Um I want to say that they have time to go back, but it depends on their reason for discharge, um, it's for a medical reason and they can go back and take advantage of that, uh, if that's in the line of service, um, otherwise it's wild that they are enlisted so.
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
32:37
And I can get you to clarifying information
on that as well. To And follow-up question. Yes, you're, yes, so I was just curious because I know that some may not be able to right away, you know, immediately go into school, go back to school if if they have a a situation whether it's You know, physical or mental, emotional, may not be able to. Return to to school to work on a degree and I just, I just wanted to know if there was allowance made for that time and we'll get
an answer to that question and just to clarify, this is not impacting the waiver program in any way in terms of how it functions or or eligibility. This is just adding additional institutions who they could utilize a waiver at. Um, any other questions from committee? seeing none,
there's none, no one, no one signed up to speak for against bill. Um, are you ready to close for your bill? I'm closed for bill. I appreciate a motion to pass. I mean motion to pass on the table. Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor say aye.
Speaker 129
34:11
So you represent Collins is not here, correct? Sorry, uh, Representative Tar Shepherd. Members without objection we're gonna
again go out of order. We're gonna recognize represent our Shepherd for HB 1755. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and if it's OK, I'd like to bring two
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
35:01
witnesses up with me. Uh, you, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. If you would please introduce yourself for the record and you recognized present your bill. Tara Shepherd, state representative, District 79. Kirk Lane, director of the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership. Tasha Barnes, deputy director for the Arkansas Opiate Recovery Partnership. Recog Princeville. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Colleagues, I want to start off by asking how are the children? If, which is what this bill is about if you have the bill pulled up, I'll walk through you. I'll walk through it with
you. And as it states this is a bill to require that public schools participate in the Arkansas prevention needs assessment survey. If you go to line 25 on the first page we are asking that this begins in the 2526 school year. If you will skip down to line 29 of the bill. What are we trying to determine we wanna know how kids are as it relates to alcohol and drug use, mental health, academic failure, as well as violence. What are their views in regards to that? You look at yon B, who's gonna be responsible for this, um, I'm sorry, line 31 still on page one, it would be the office of substance abuse and mental health of the Department of Human Services. What do we want them to do? skip down to line 34 we want the the division to basically provide technical
assistance. We want them to maintain the surveys for one for 2, provide technical assistance to the schools if it's needed. You a turn over to page 2 of the bill. If you will begin to read at line 2 on page 2 what it states is that all parents will receive written notice um of the survey they do have an option of opting out, they do not have to participate if they do not want to.
Um, if you skip down to line 9 on page 2 it was important to me that. After the survey is conducted a copy of the survey is provided to the president of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the chair of the House and Senate Education Committees, the chair of the public health as well as um house and Senate committees, um, and then if you'll skip down to line 20 where we always want to consider funding and you should have had a fiscal impact
statement that was attached um there is no fiscal impact. To the schools, um, but we will have um. Federal dollars that would be able to have for the survey to be completed and if there are no federal dollars for it to be completed, then they're not required to complete the survey. Skip down to line 25, line 25, who will take the survey, uh, 6th graders, 8th graders, 10th graders, and 12th graders and final notes that I have for the
need for passage is one is that this is uh foundational to the Arkansas State uh plan in regards to prevention. Another note I have is that it's useful for schools and communities to use this data to secure funding in the future. And with that if you have I'll take any questions that you may have. Representative makes you recognized for a question. Thank you.
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
38:00
Uh, just, uh, I guess two questions. Uh, how many
schools are currently participating in this, if any. I'm just kind of wondering how if you've already
Speaker 145
38:20
got schools that are participating in kind of what the results have been. So currently right now you have 123 have have actually agreed to participate you had with. COVID that happened it decreased it decreased it was 275. Because of COVID, it went down to 124. I'm so sorry. Thank you.
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
38:41
124 with 16 declining. OK. And then, uh, based on that information. So, sounds like we got a lot of schools that are already participating in it, so you
kind of know how it's working and stuff. So what, what, uh, what benefits have come from doing the doing the program. So, you know, it's one thing to collect the data, then the bigger question is what are we gonna do with
Speaker 151
39:04
that data to actually make a difference. OK, so that's a great question. First, if I can go back, this survey has been administered since 2002.
Speaker 145
39:14
Arkansas has been number one in producing actual data for 6th, 8, 10th, and 12th graders. We actually train other states on how to do this we collect every year, every other state collects every other year. So we're able to utilize this for different funding throughout the state. The benefits it at no cost to the school. The other benefit is that it shows schools how to do their plans as it pertains to the environments in which their
schools may have as it pertains to alcohol, tobacco, other drugs such as bully, such as violence, such as mental health, it gives them a god for the environment which is in their
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
39:55
schools. OK. And then, um, uh, all the data I'm, I'm sure is anonymized, so you can't tell which, and it's all the students are self-reporting, is that correct? OK. And then, uh, my final question, the Department of Education, do they have a position on the bill?
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
40:10
No, and, and I, I actually met with the secretary even before I filed the legislation.
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
40:23
Represent Brown, you recognize for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, my question, uh, is. The the data that produces. Is this just This is general data that goes to the school or the district or the state to inform how students in general
are doing, or does it identify individual students that might need some help.
Yeah, I think it's general, uh, to tell how the general student population is, it
doesn't identify an individual student. So when it I've read something here, um, I'll try to paraphrase correctly, so this helps inform the school on things that they might do to help. Just uplift the student population or help them. Deal
Speaker 162
41:18
with whatever it is that the challenges are. I think it helps them identify problems
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
41:25
that they may have in their student body. And they can develop prevention plans to address it, not only the schools, but the community itself. And, and if I can add to that representative Brown, it will put the schools in a position where we can do some targeted interventions based on what's being reported instead
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
41:47
of, you know, assuming or having assumptions on what a particular school district may need based on the reports of the students
Speaker 172
41:56
now we can actually implement some targeted interventions are a certain type of
Speaker 176
42:10
drug seems to becoming a a concern you can approach that for the whole student body or alcohol or Or violence or whatever, yes. Thank you. Ian Barker you recognize for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So also it's my understanding as I've heard from people in Union County even before you filed this legislation, some of our county programs are counting on this information in order to get
federal funds as well, is that like our touch coalition
Speaker 178
42:30
and. In Union County. That is absolutely correct. It's also, um, so. There's a list, I have a
Speaker 145
42:36
list of into into um. There's a list of grants that are used for the department for this data across the entire state and their representative Shepherd does have a list of those, but I wanna go back and and talk yes Union County, I know exactly cause I am from Union County. So yes, we do use this. What,
what are the other things that we use this data for over in the Arkansas opiate recovery Partnership in my new hat. We use this data as well. We have to do it for our drug free communities. We actually in the state. In order to even apply we have to have the actual data. So the success for this data that we utilize just last year. We were able to have 13 coalitions to actually apply for some funding that we received in order for them to go and apply for the actual drug free
community grants they had to use the APA, the data for the 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade because it's a requirement to have the data they brought back to the state, there were 7 port leaches out of the 13 were able to successfully bring that grant back to Arkansas bringing in $4.3 million back into our. Arkansas for 5 years on top of that they would use the data from Abna on top of the data that they were used to collect with the father that they have for additional 5 years that's bringing in 8.6 million and as
Speaker 179
43:59
I'm doing the math they just passed that we're gonna do additional 5, bringing in $16.7 million back into the state. So yes, when I tell you I'm passionate about this survey as I am passionate about the kids as I am passionate
Speaker 145
44:12
about prevention. I please I'm back, yes. This data is important. OK, and I have
Speaker 176
44:17
a follow up. So the requirement for the schools is to give some consistency and so those programs can count on though some are, some aren't and back and forth, that's, that puts you year to year wondering.
Are we going to have the information to be able to apply for these grants and have these programs. Absolutely
Speaker 181
44:36
correct. Some of those counties that did not apply cannot apply for the drug-free communities grant. Because they did not apply to
Speaker 179
44:41
you in that county those school districts did not apply. We can't apply for funding in that county because we don't have the data to support it. Representative Duke, you recognized for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I have
Speaker 344
45:02
a couple of questions if that's all right, um. So my first
question is, if I understood this correctly and thank
you Shepherd for bringing this bill. Appreciate your work on. I know you work diligently on your bills, um, so it's a shell, is that correct? No, it's not a shell. It's a
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
45:18
me. Yes, they will be required to participate. So it
Speaker 344
45:24
is a shout. They do have, yeah, they are required to participate, So the local school boards that are elected by their people do not have the ability to say no,
we do not want to participate in this. No. OK. So my second question is on that, is there an example that we could see about
the survey that we're going to require, cause like I googled it last night to try and I and I found something. I don't know if it's the correct thing, um, but I do think that that if we're going to require a school districts to send this out to their parents. You know, I'd like to see what, what the
questions are going to be. So is there a survey where I can see that's coming towards you.
OK. And then, um, my next question, I'm trying to fire
through this pretty quickly, so I'm not trying to be. Abrupt, just trying to be respectful of time. Does, um, does all these people that we were reporting
Speaker 191
46:16
back to is the reporting going back to the school board
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
46:20
of the parents. Yes, and additionally to go back to your earlier statement this the parents have the option to opt out. So although we're requiring that the school's completed the the parents do not have to take it if they don't want to. Would you agree that sometimes
Speaker 344
46:37
parents don't always get all the information on surveys and all the paperwork they get from the schools that they always diligently going through all of that to know this
is or they can't, they can or cannot do something, that that kind of falls through the cracks sometimes. Yeah, I'll
Speaker 192
46:50
agree with that, but I also agree that there are parents out there that are on top of their school's education and won't be involved
Speaker 344
46:56
at all. So, OK, I've got the survey thing, um, I think that's all the I just wanted to get some of those questions answered so I would
kind of know on that and this, this is the entire survey or this is the results.
Speaker 179
47:09
Those are the those are the state results. They are broken down state, county, and regional. I
Speaker 145
47:16
just wanna go back to your question. The school districts received, once it's completed, they actually receive a they actually see a code that they go in and actually see the results. There also on top of that with this funding, there's a regional prevention uh representative that's oversees the counties and the school districts that walks that actual uh school district. Through what that data looks
like. There's a training that we provide as well. It's just not taking the survey we actually come back in and follow up to told them how
Speaker 181
47:47
to best utilize and create a plan for that school to show how to best utilize the data for their school district. Do you
Speaker 344
47:53
have cop because again I I looked through the survey because I'm, in case you you probably can figure that I have my radar up on surveys as a parent going through schools and stuff, I pay, pay a lot of attention to that. Does this have the copy of the questions because the one I found online was a little broader than what I
would have wanted as a parent, um, or that they even think is a school district is my responsibility to be asking these questions a little bit intrusive, um, so this has a copy of the question so that everybody here could see like what we're looking at asking parents or asking students. about Um They are in. They're, they're in here right now. OK, thank you. I just, I wasn't sure if I was looking at the right one online or not. Thank you. Or return back you're recognized for a question.
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
48:41
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is, is, I, I, I do like the concept
and I think it's, it's, it's a way to, uh, direct our efforts where they need to be directed versus taking a shotgun effected some of this stuff, but my concerns are that Without the parents. Participating and uh in this in the survey. Is a survey and help, help me
out with this. It's a survey the lack of getting everyone in the survey, is that a concern to you guys or is it, or is it like, OK, the, the students will do this, right? And so I have
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
49:27
100% of the students and we want as much participation as possible, uh, representative and and you're absolutely correct in regards to this, you know, we can have targeted interventions to our children in this state, um,
again I'm going to go back to a parent does not have to uh require that their child takes the survey if they do not want to, but we want as much participation as we can get an obvious by the testimony that's been here this morning that's been stated this brings in more funding to the state of Arkansas. It brings in funding to local communities so any information that we can gather then we want to to collect their data. So,
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
50:09
so, so, I, I appreciate that. So they
Uh, the parent can opt out and the student not fill out the, the survey, uh, and I, I, I, I apologize because I haven't had, well, I guess I could look at it. So I'm looking at my home count. I just haven't opened the right page. So it says 48. 42%, uh, so that indicates. Um, the grade levels that responded, that's. 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th. So only that person, so y'all
reporting that uh out of that out of the group, you're only, you're only getting In my case, less than half, slightly less than half the students are actually replying that are you, are you concerned that you might have parents that are, you know, like you take a a certain block of of you know, parents that might say, OK, well, I don't want my child to answer these questions because it might indicate their situation.
Speaker 168
51:21
fact that school districts aren't making it available. To allow them to make that decision. They've been declining over the years. We were in the high 200s of the school districts and now we're at 150 to 120 and so the data is getting skewed because of that and we're, we're in the business of, of applying opioid funding to cities and counties entities in there, so we look at the data, so it would inhibit us from putting data where it's
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
51:50
needed or resources where needed based on the data. I, I would just, again, my concerns
is that over half the people said. We're not answering your questions. And that means that your statistically speaking, that means that your, your data is, I mean, using statistical. Mas your diet is flawed, right? I mean, you, you, you, you have over half your respondents not responding. So unless you can backwards and, and say, OK,
yeah, and maybe you guys are doing this, looking at the demographics of the people that are responding and saying, OK, yeah, we are the demographics of the responses do do uh follow the demographics of that particular school district. Therefore, you'd say, OK, that that we we're probably getting a good picture here, but without that, Uh, a survey that that has less than half respondents, is, is, you know, that it's not statistically valid. So, so
Speaker 181
52:47
let me, let me go back
and try to answer your question. I think what we're
Speaker 145
52:54
trying to say is that it's not so much that the parents are not wanting their kiddos to actually do the survey. We're trying to get what happened is that we were at 250 before COVID. It happened. It wasn't a point of asking parents. We had already had the buy-in with the parents. It was there COVID happened and all of a sudden now it's started to climb it's cost schools started opting out to say, well, you know, we have too many surveys, we don't want to do these
surveys. So that's, it's not so much of the parent is not required asking for the actual child to participate. We're trying to get the school district strikes to say, hey, please do. Just one
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
53:35
more question, then I'll be quiet. So because I think you answered my question just why I wanted it answered actually. I, so what you're saying is, and I'm just gonna use my counting, the 48%, right, but you're saying is that's a result of schools, not
putting them out, not the results of the response. So, so now it prompts just one more question, and that is when you go into a school, And, and you do the survey thing. What is the percentages of responses that you get in that school district. Is it like more like 80% or something? The number of students within the school district once, you know, the schools said, OK, we're gonna do this, uh, so what's that respondent level? So, when you
Speaker 181
54:19
look in the actual survey book, it breaks it down
Speaker 151
54:24
to tell you by the school level what percentage actually pers actually participated so you have 48%, correct? Yeah, well this is Yeah, that's
Speaker 145
54:36
each region, right? Right there actually is what we gave you, it's an actual state level data if you wanted me to bring, I can actually bring you another one to bring it all the way down to your county level to tell you exactly how many students actually participated. But we don't have that in front of us. We have the state level.
Speaker 216
54:56
But we do, we do have access to that actual information that could actually show you how many students actually
Speaker 210
55:05
participated in your account. OK Just one more question
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
55:11
and I'll be quiet. All right. The, the, the thing I'm kneeling at here is I want to know that if, if you put this survey out. I want to know the percentages of the surveys that come back because if you start grouping it together with, OK, the school
doesn't do it or that that makes the data a little flawed, but whereas if, if the, if the school participated, right now, and I got 80% respondents back from that now that now you're getting in statistical real world, right, uh, that's the number I'm looking for. So when you go to a school, is that in here somewhere. And I apologize, I just got this, but when you go to a school district, what is typically the response that you see? Is it more like 80, 90% response is more like 60, 70,
Speaker 181
55:59
what, what would you normally say, I think to answer your question, what you're asking is, and I want to make sure I
Speaker 179
56:06
get to your question. You're asking how many schools actually participated within that district on top of when
Speaker 151
56:11
they actually do participate. What is the percentage?
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
56:15
Right when the school actually participates what's the percentage of students that they get results from. Uh, do you know what page? No, sir, but
Speaker 181
56:24
if you tell me your county, I'll get that answer to you.
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
56:29
All right, but I mean, do you typically, I mean, you probably shouldn't round number.
Speaker 228
56:38
I would hate to say that on record. OK. All right, thank you because this is not our survey. This is a survey that's. This is not our survey. This is a survey that the state has been doing. This is a tool for us. We used to belong to the state, but Mr. Lang, could you turn your mic on, please? There we go. We used to work for the state,
Speaker 168
57:00
but now we work for the Arkansas opioid recovery Partnership. So as we apply opioid funds into different uh. Communities we look at this data as a tool to go there so we didn't develop the survey, but we have been promoting the survey in our old role when we work for the state and in our new role because it's such valuable data. Tim Brown, you're recognized for a question. Thank you.
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
57:32
Um When you um Our our individual I was looking at the form, but the individual identities are not recorded on these forms. Um, and when. Representative Shepherd, you said that we could use the data uh
Speaker 172
57:50
to target it. What? What do you mean by targeting it? What I
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
57:55
mean by targeted interventions is based on the outcomes, based on what you know, based on those reports,
what are the students reporting as it relates to mental health issues. Are we seeing schools across the district that have a high number of students reporting that they have some mental health issues going on if that be the case, then do we need to deploy more mental health workers in that area um as it relates to high number of substance abuse used, that's what I mean. About targeted, not saying that I'm mandating that those things happening, but if you can do targeted interventions based on what data shows you. OK.
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
58:34
It, some of the questions are kind of concerning. I mean, I didn't read all of them, but you know. How many times have you or do you use beer, marijuana, you know, and things like that, do your brothers and sisters, you know, have you seen? It gets a little to me it almost normalizes that kind of behavior to assume that children are seeing this and I guess we should assume they're seeing it,
but. Um I don't, it's just a little concerning, a little. Some
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
59:06
Thank you. That's all I have. Ipsum Nazarenko, you recognize her question. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for, uh, bringing this. I do, uh, I appreciate it and I, I believe, um, the, the kids, you know. We've
got them in our best interest here, and we're looking at that, and I do appreciate that. My, I had a few concerns when it, when we were talking about it. Uh, one of the things that you had, you kind of, uh, mentioned before was about 250 pre-COVID, uh, and now that number is significantly lower. So I've got
a couple of questions, one on that, do you, what's your explanation or what would you kind of, uh, attribute that to that number decreasing. You know, in talking
Speaker 161
59:54
to It's on, it's green. In talking to school districts
Speaker 170
1:00:08
in helping them trying to encourage them
Speaker 168
1:00:10
to participate in this in my old world, um. A lot of it was we just didn't have time to do it anymore. It could be complacency or they didn't see the value of what they got out of the survey or they didn't utilize the survey for the value that it can provide
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
1:00:26
to them. OK, thank you. So now you have been, have you been at ground level then for the administration of the, the survey?
Speaker 162
1:00:34
I was the former state drug director for the state and so I
Speaker 168
1:00:39
was a little bit above ground level and encouraged and talked to the school districts and encouraged them to participate in the when we started
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
1:00:46
seeing the decline. OK. When, when you were there at that ground level, what was the um estimated time that it took to administer the survey, and then which period or which, you know, section, time of the year and everything, kind of, when was it best that you found to administer and how long did it take? As I understand it, it was usually administer. in the
Speaker 162
1:01:02
fall and took one class period, one whole class period, and then usually by health.
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
1:01:10
Instructor or kind of in that kind of realm, the school district would select the person select, OK, because I think kind of going back to the other question that was brought up when we looked at La Salle, so it is, it is a requirement. We're saying, you know, the school has to do this, so it is required. I know there wasn't a fiscal impact, but thinking that there's not, you know, it's not integrated per se, it's, it's an addition to, so I'm, I'm kind of concerned from my what I continue to get back from my district is just unf unfunded mandates, so probably on that where they don't see.
A, you know, immediate, uh, feedback from it or they're not seeing immediate value and, and I'm sure there is value that they're just not seeing. I, I know they're concern is running out of time for those requirements with, you know, integrating this, so, um, I think that would you agree that that's probably what they're, you know, line of thinking is why they're wanting to pull back and not be. I think that was really my last question, uh, is just my concern is that unfunded mandate that,
Speaker 139
1:02:12
uh, that again, I continue to hear that you know it's not unfunded mandate, you know, they, there's no fiscal impact on this at
Speaker 131
1:02:19
all. The money that are needed to make this happen. It's, it's already. OK. Well, thank you. Andrews you recognize for question. Thank
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
1:02:33
you Mr. Chair. um, and I think Brip and Brown asked one of my questions that this is anonymous, right? No, no, no kids put their name on piece,
OK, um, second question is, What what's the accuracy of this? Like, are there kids out there, say, you know, they are involved in bad behaviors that just write down the answers of, well, I'm a good child today, so I write down the good stuff for you have one student I'd say, I don't know what what marijuana is, but I'm gonna say I use it all the time. What Is there data to show inaccuracies or any of
Speaker 151
1:03:05
that? Yes, sir. There's actually pseudo questions within this survey. They can't just jot
Speaker 145
1:03:09
down. To use myself, Tanisha Barnes likes cake.
I'm just gonna mark A down for all of those. Those are thrown out. Because there's, there's so in any survey, you know, we have to put questions in to make sure someone doesn't go and go A B C D E
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
1:03:28
F G because it's gonna throw questions. OK, I'm just thinking like, you know, if the student is like
actively saying, I, I'm gonna actually take er reasons but like I'm gonna put down what looks like all good answers, you know, pretend to be good or when
Speaker 148
1:03:42
they're not and we have to understand it's
Speaker 179
1:03:48
voluntary when you fill out surveys, we, we do this with The survey because we don't want the child to feel this if we are basically telling them how to fill this survey out. It's
Speaker 181
1:03:57
when they fill up the survey, they are filling out voluntarily just like if we were. just filling out that survey. OK thank you Represent Gonzalez more
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:04:11
than you recognize for a question. Yes, um, can you give, can you give us an example for, um, It's
A school district, um, or a particular area, they, they received their survey results. And then they Did they wrote another grant to help and, and now here are the outcomes. Can you give us like a scenario of what one of to to show what this survey. can do for a community. Yes,
Speaker 145
1:04:41
ma'am. I'm gonna use High Springs Schools District. They actually did the survey, that's part of that coalition. They were able to bring in at least
$4.3 million. They were part of that program and
Speaker 179
1:04:54
when they what they were able to do is focus on exactly what that survey does, which is talk about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs along with not just substance abuse. They talk about bullying. It talks about anything that could do with basically home, what's happening. In the home, gearing around their peers and then when the peers come back in the coalition comes in with a student with the actual teacher to talk about what the findings are and what programs that we bring in to the
Speaker 145
1:05:23
actual school so when she say targeted targeted solutions targeted evidence-based programs. Those are the programs we're talking about that that comes out of this survey that they could be saying that possibly hey instead of just assuming that
Speaker 179
1:05:34
hey we have a marijuana problem we may not. But if we do that survey, we actually can tell are the students telling us there's an actual marijuana or vaping problems that are happening so with for
Speaker 145
1:05:47
the answer your question, there was the school district came out and said there was a vaping issue within that
school. That coalition found an evidence-based program on vaping and started utilizing the evidence-based program for vaping to target it with their DFC, the drug-free Communities grant. And that's how they were able to secure the funding to talk about it and bring it. back into the school now we'll tell you they just got that funding. I can't give you the results yet, simply because they just received the funding, but that is a targeted program that they're gonna use based on the A
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:06:29
survey that was utilized makes you recognize for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, so, uh, just a couple of
questions based on what I'm hearing from my colleagues and actually looking at this survey. Uh, first question is, uh, do all grade levels get the exact same survey,
or are they, um, you know, tailored to individual grades. They get the same exact survey, same exact survey. OK. Do our parents provided with a copy of the survey so they can see what their children are going to be filling out beforehand.
So, so with the permission slip that goes home, that goes
home with it, or they, the parents have to request That is correct, sir. OK. Um, and, um, I, I guess my only concern, some of these questions, a lot of the questions I like,
I don't see any problem with them, but there's a few of them that are kind of They seem a little much to me, and I guess that would be my kind of only concern about trying to You know, make every school do this. Um, I'm just interested in
any do y'all develop this test or you're getting it from somebody else. So if we, if we said we, we, you know, some of this stuff, I'm, I'm OK with, like, you know, if you smoked a cigarette in the last couple of months, that, you know, those are fine. But some of these talking about, you know, what's going on in your home with your family, you know, some of that starts to get real intrusive and people start getting concerned that Big Brother is getting too much into my business, and uh I think I would more comfortable if, if maybe we were editing or auditing some of those, getting rid of some of
those questions. Do we have any power to do that, or, or, or not. Yes,
Speaker 145
1:08:14
sir, we do. We've actually, uh, In my previous hat before this one we actually those are the questions have been revised. So there were questions taken out and these are the newer questions. Now the state does have a chance that they can actually change those questions, but I want to target back on the question that you stated about what what's happening in the home that's what called a wrist and protective factors.
Those are things that we utilize in that service so that counselor at that school
Speaker 179
1:08:39
that if something is happening not targeting a student so that counselor can actually know that there may be possibility she can build an actual an actual education plan around something that she may see that may have a high rise of something that's happening in homes as it
Speaker 151
1:08:54
pertains to her students, so that's what that survey is for.
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:08:58
OK, um, and, and, and this will be my final question. Um, who decides what's on this.
uh, the, the survey, um, are, you know, is the Department of Education involved? Is there a group of parents involved, school boards involved or, you know, who, who makes the decision, which questions are on here. The, let me
Speaker 266
1:09:19
find a new name. The Office of Substance Abuse
Speaker 179
1:09:22
and Mental Health of the Arkansas Department of Human Services. OK, so they're the ones who make the decision about what's
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:09:29
on there, what's on, do they take input from these other groups or do they just say, we think this is what's best and
Speaker 179
1:09:38
So I can't answer that question because it's not my survey, but I will tell you that in my previous hat, yes sir, because
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:09:54
I was the prevention director. Be you recognized her question. Thank you, Mr.
Chair. um. So Uh, my question, what's going to be, walk me through the logistics of of this survey, so they, you know, I'm just gonna
say what I think and then you guys tell me whether I'm right or wrong. So the, the first would be, OK, there's a permission slip that goes out if the school elects to do this, but we would make it to where they had to, but they would send a permission slip home to the parents and saying, OK, we're gonna give a survey to your child. Uh, and then. That would be With the parents be did you say the parents were sent the survey, OK, so like with the permission slip, they get the
survey and then would they give that survey to their child to to take at that point or would the child do it at school, so the parent would know that's good that the parent would know what questions they were were were being uh but so then that
survey who gets access to that survey. That will
Speaker 223
1:10:59
be the school district. That will be, so the, so the drill down
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:11:04
a little bit at the school district gets access to
Speaker 151
1:11:09
that survey that will be the superintendent, each each actual school get their own password to it. So it's whoever they deem as the person that will be over that. My
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:11:20
concern is that if we give two granular of data. To Uh, to a teacher.
Our counselor, which might be someone that would really help a student that has a problem that would show up on the survey. Then, but there also could be
bad actors there and there would be a lot of tendency not to. To, uh, Have people fill that out or or not, you know, if you're a 13 year old and you're smoking marijuana and you think that your teacher's gonna see that you're smoking marijuana. I think you, your answer is automatically no to, to that on the survey. Yeah, you see what I'm saying that would be. Now, if the data was going up higher and then comes back down and it's not granular anymore.
14% of your your class, uh, is, is participating in marijuana, that might be a different thing, but I was, I was running around the logistics exactly the child fills out the survey.
Speaker 179
1:12:25
Where's the next place it goes? That survey would go to what is called the product survey, which is the contractor all that data is well a base where all that
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:12:34
data is collected. On the teacher doesn't see it.
Speaker 151
1:12:37
doesn't have access to it. Only person has accent
Speaker 145
1:12:40
is normally either the superintendent or the principal
or whoever they deemed as the person to have access and only one person has that access and they have to deem it and what happens when we walk you through what happens. Just go ahead. So what happens after that what they do is get their data. Then after that you have a regional prevention representative which the state provides. There's 13 of them that oversee all 70. 5 counties. What they do is walk with that person to to walk them through their data, that booklet
that says hey this is the these are uh items of concern. This is where your school is doing great. These are some things. How do we look at an evidence-based program for your school to fix some of the things we see or not fix. It's whatever they see they have a person there that provides technical assistance with them to walk them through how to read that big booklet you. saw. That is great. I, I, I, I love that.
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:13:39
I think that could be very helpful. I got a yes or no. All right.
Can the superintendent or someone they elect to be the person that receives this data. If they have The at that point, is there anything that could identify a student. At that point, that so no one in the school can ever identify thank you. That's all I need. Represent McGruder,
Speaker 4
1:14:08
you recognize your question? Yes. Thank you Mr.
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
1:14:12
Chair. Read all the legislation, I love what you're doing as an educator.
Uh, I know students have issues and concerns that they're not comfortable often sharing and as an educator, I know they're seeing a lot of these things in their environment. So, uh, I support you all 100%, uh, I, I, I loved it, uh, I know it's important in high poverty areas that they actually have access and they feel comfortable sharing and I have as The gentleman who was blessed to come from a two-parent home. The kids who are teaching now in the middle school who experience
things that are are mind blowing to me. So this is very important, uh, passionate, and if there's anything I can do to assist, uh, please let me know, but I will be supporting 100%. Representative Duke
Speaker 344
1:15:06
you recognize her question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just one quick question, well, maybe
two, but I'll try it quick, so is this? Is the intent here to find out what and address the problem in the school culture or the home or both.
Because I've heard both, I've heard talking about school climate and doing things to help with the school, but then there's a lot of questions about the home. So which one, so
Speaker 145
1:15:32
there is not a which one, there's both. It's actually because you have a counselor, your counselor, you have students that are have things and I'm just gonna take you back to answer that question if I can just take it back for a personal note. So things that are happening with the students say Tanisha Barnes that I probably wouldn't tell someone else or a peer that
I can write down on an actual survey, not knowing that that may be on more than just Tanisha that's going through that that actually give a percentage of about 20 to 30% that allows for an evidence-based program to come in and say hey, we're gonna talk about what's happening in the home from an evidence based program state. That's amazing. And also we're able to talk about what's happening in the culture in
Speaker 266
1:16:19
the environment for the school, so it would be both, OK, and I, and
Speaker 344
1:16:26
I understand and I appreciate that. I, I'm the camp that our kids go to, I love the fact that the counselors are not from their church because I do
think that they need to have that ability sometimes to have hard conversations with somebody else, so I totally appreciate that. I do have a question for the department if They could There's a representative from the department who'd like to join them at
Speaker 369
1:16:43
the table. I like you guys for the short straw. If you would please introduce yourself for the record and you're recognized.
Speaker 344
1:16:58
Good morning, Jacob Oliva, Department of Education. OK, so my question is, um, And then my knowledge on this is limited and it's more from a school board perspective, but my understanding, limited as it is, is that they, when there is a disciplinary, and this has to do with the school climate part. If there is a disciplinary thing that the, the school does enter that somewhere in the system with a code and I'm going to assume broken down as far as if it's a vape, if it's drugs, if it's alcohol, if it's bullying,
if it's something else, and I did I understand that correct? Has
Speaker 276
1:17:33
that maybe changed in the last? That's, that's correct. We can districts submit those incidents that occur on campus based on whatever
Speaker 278
1:17:39
incident, they all have different codes. Those codes are submitted to our agency that can be aggregated at a state level or segregated by a district level or by a school campus. By incident type, so sometimes there may be a little bit of misinterpretations on types that by the incident types that we collect that through our cycle
Speaker 344
1:18:00
process. So, so the districts do already have some, some data. I realize it's not all of
Speaker 278
1:18:03
it, but if a student has an incident on a campus, right? So when you look at the survey data, I think they say sometimes. Um, there's a, there may be more incidences in a community that the school is not aware about than on a campus, but. By incident type on a campus or a school event because that would cover school events too, like maybe if they're on a field trip or something like that, that would be collected or football game or a football game and I completely understand that, um.
Speaker 344
1:18:32
So part of the survey is. is what is happening in the school, but also what is happening at home, but the school is going to be the one being required to send it out and that's probably more for Representative Shepherd, but, but it's not obviously just what's happening there and I'm not pleased. I totally understand where you're coming from. And so it's not that I don't see the needs or don't understand some of the issues, just as you know, sometimes different approaches to how to address issues, but is that correct? Yes, and, and, and, and.
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
1:19:05
I'm sorry, and I appreciate your questions representative um Dukes uh this is not personal, the questions that you all are asking is because you have concerns about the children and that's the purpose of the survey to give us more information so this is not personal, um, I'm going to ask that you all support this legislation as um Mr. Secretary Minchin, you know they do uh data in regards to what happens on a a school campus, but this is a little bit more comprehensive.
Speaker 113
1:19:37
I think we all can agree. He makes you recognize for question For secretary. Thank you. I'm a, so my, my, since
Speaker 283
1:19:44
you're, since you're down there, all right, you almost got
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:19:47
away. So, um, of course, as you know, we have surveys that the General Assembly requires when we do our biannual deal and uh we have trouble getting all the schools to respond to that one, and that's your requirement from the General Assembly, part of the challenge, I think, is just schools get hit with a lot of surveys and you get survey overload.
So, and that, and that's what my questions related to. Obviously, we can require this and even if we require this, you're probably still not going to get 100% participation, just the nature of the beast. Um, are there Um Any other surveys that are done that are similar to this, um, that collects this
data already, um, again, I guess my concern is At some point it just it survey
overload, right? And, and I don't want to, I don't wanna. Uh, push another survey on them if we're not gonna get any benefit from
it. I, I definitely, you know, I, I, uh, your heart's in the right place with where this is going here. I still don't know which way I'm going to vote on this, um, and so I'm just, you know, with the secretary, if you could just kind of help me out with where we are with surveys in general to schools and we have them do 100 a year, 50 a year, 10 a year, what, what's required in the survey space already, so I think it's going
Speaker 276
1:21:06
to vary by district and it's gonna vary by the programs
that the district. participate in a lot of times, um, there may be state federal grants like this one's looking at this asking for students to participated in maybe a youth risk behavior survey. But then there's other federal grants that may focus on nutrition and then those students have to
Speaker 278
1:21:25
do surveys on how many carrots or rice did they eat in a month and um it's gonna depend um based on programs and because a lot of those programs they they either quantify or qualitate their data
or summary of findings based on pre-imposed assessment
Speaker 276
1:21:42
survey data, so it's, it's gonna be, um, it, it's a really hard number to quantify like how many surveys these students participate in. But I, I, this could be some of the fatigue that you may have seen from school districts on why participation rates declined because they may feel it's a duplicative
Speaker 278
1:21:56
survey or or not or over burdensome. Did y'all get any of this data from any other source? Well,
Speaker 276
1:22:07
there's this is a pretty wide spectrum of questions, so I
think you could, you could derive some of the data. Based on the results in many different platforms. This one's probably more of a comprehensive approach to a lot of
Speaker 278
1:22:19
different topics, so if you're gonna get a different set of results, OK?
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:22:24
And then, and final question, do y'all have a position on this or what's kind of take on this
Speaker 276
1:22:30
neutral on this proposal if if the will of this delegation is to require districts to participate. We're gonna make sure the districts have everything they need. If this
doesn't go through and the districts are not required to,
Speaker 278
1:22:43
we're still gonna encourage distri. to participate because a lot of this data links to some long-term long longitudinal data trends, so I think from a research perspective and from federal grants perspective, there's value in collecting this information and this data. But whether or not we require it, we're going to defer to the legislative delegation. Nazarenko for
Speaker 369
1:23:08
question. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
1:23:12
make it fast as well. So I appreciate you being there, um, you said that you
already, the, the department already encourages. The schools, but, but we've had a decline and would you, so would you agree with the question I asked earlier is the decline because they're just not seeing the value in it, they're not seeing the results, or is it because of taking up another period of time and it could have been Matthew's
Speaker 289
1:23:34
probably gonna cover everything on the spectrum.
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
1:23:36
So one last one, and this is probably more for, for you guys. So for if
In that survey, the school, uh, within the school percentage was to say randomly 30% or 40% chose that they would opt out and they would not take it. What's going to happen to those students? Where are they going to be during that class period. What's the, the plan there. So what's been done in
Speaker 151
1:24:03
the past because it's should be some, some uh so that's up to that school. That school decides
Speaker 145
1:24:08
that because they have, because I wanna take it back to the schools have been participating. Arkansas was actually leading in
this survey with our school that we had a 100%. Compliance of actually getting school district to do this. So what I'm, to answer your question, that's up to the school districts if they're willing to participate, it's up to them to determine which students will take it, which students will not, and they will have to decide that. Oh, so
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
1:24:33
it's not a like if the school does it, it's not all of the 6th, 8, 10th grade. It's just a portion
Speaker 179
1:24:39
thereof. It's all of them, but a parent can say I don't want my 6th, 8th, 10th, or 12th grader to take it and
that's up to that school district to determine where that student that decided that parent decided they're not gonna take it, it's going to reside while this test has been administered. Or what they're gonna be
doing. OK, thank you. Seeing no additional questions, and we do not have anyone signed up to speak for or against this bill, Representative Shepherd, would you like to close
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
1:25:13
for your bill? Thank you. I would, and thank you Mr. Chair and colleagues, I absolutely appreciate the conversation that
we've had this morning um in regards to this particular survey, um, I would appreciate a a good vote on this as this will give us a comprehensive look of what's happening with the children in Arkansas and with that, Mr. Chair, I'm closed. Representative Shepherd is closed for a bill. We have a
Speaker 369
1:25:33
motion of due pass from Repent McGruder on the
table. Is there discussion on that motion? Reim Duke you're recognized for discussion. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um,
Speaker 344
1:25:42
members, um, I'm gonna be voting no on this. And the first and foremost reason why is when I
hear said in here a lot, and I know sometimes this is a hard one for us to decide where that is, but this is
a really an ultimate local control thing. And I think we got to sit back there and think, if there's a decline in schools doing it, there may be a reason, and it may be that their people
or their people in their district, don't think that this is something they want going home or or kids taking. Or they recognize that sometimes parents don't realize that their kids are being asked these surveys, and this, this should be decided by the local school
district. If they want to participate this in this or not, and if they choose to opt out of at a later date. It should be completely up to them, and it should give us pause whenever we know they had them and then they've stopped doing them for some reason, and for us to come in here as a state and say, OK, now you're going to do this. You have no choice on it whatsoever. I know me all school board members. I know you all know what it felt like to sit back there and session ended, and then you went, what just happened? And,
and that's that's real and I, I don't think we should take that opportunity away from our school boards, we should be empowering them. We should be letting them have those decisions and um. It concerns me that we talk a lot about parental rights and we talk a lot about being engaged and I hear a lot of criticisms about public schools, but then we also won't give them the opportunities to be able to make decisions for themselves and to say, no, this isn't good for us. I, we really, our parents have indicated because I, I feel
pretty confident I've got schools in my district who would not appreciate being told you shall do this, and you shall send this survey out. I, I feel pretty confident about that and I think probably other members have them as well. I understand the intent. I came up with a district that has some pretty
Strong understanding of alcohol and drug problems and trying to address those in the ways that they see it that fit. I
haven't found school boards who were unaware. I haven't found teachers who are unaware. I mean, they're mandated reporters for a reason.
They do see and they do know, and they are trained to know these things and so. To put this
survey out here. And to collect that information and I, I just don't think that that's our job. I don't think it should be a
shall. I think it should be left the way that it is and to the point that that we've been doing this for a long time. We used to be the number one. Arkansas has changed a lot in the last 1520 years, and we can't just always go back and say, well, that's how we used to do it. I think we should look at that historically, but we also
need to look at the context of that. Why? Why was it done that and why are school districts choosing not to do that and why do we think we know better. To step in and say, you don't have a choice. I think they should have the choice. If your school districts want to do it, go for it, right? But our school districts or other school districts should have the ability to say no, we don't think that this is appropriate for all school. We talk choice all the time. Why are we taking choice away here. So with that, I'm gonna vote against it. I appreciate Representative Shepherd. She knows. We agree on a lot of
things. We don't agree on some, but I agree she's a great person with a great heart and I know what she's trying to do. I just, this is a direction I just, I'm not comfortable with and I would ask my other members to really think
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
1:29:10
about making this a show. Thank you. Represent Barnett, you're recognized for discussion. Yes, um, I just wanted to thank uh Representative Shepherd and those that spoke on this bill. I do see the need for it, um. Our committee, please let Representative Bar Barnett talk.
Thank you. Barnett, I do see the need for us to collect this data, um, increased participation only strengthens the data that we are collecting, um, the data is needed to allocate resources to our Arkansas counties, um, and it allows for our school districts to be able to, um, Design targeted preventions for things that are being uh taking
place in their schools, uh, the survey removes assumptions rather than our teachers and counselors and superintendents, um, guessing at an issue that their students might be facing this creates a method to collect that data to actually get some uh numbers and percentages on what students might actually be faced with, um, the argument about it takes away Um, local control and choice actually is putting the choice
in the hands of the parents who have the option to opt out whether or not their students are going to participate in this, um. I know there were concerns concerns about questions that address home culture, home culture affects school culture. Anybody that has worked in public education where there's public education, private education, you work with children in any way what takes place at home affects them in other environments, um, so those things are needed, um.
As we look at collecting data to address these issues, um. So I'm in favor of the bill. I thank you for presenting it. I thank you for taking the questions and addressing them, but I do believe that this bill does support local control and it puts that control in the hands of the parents for them to opt to participate in
Speaker 4
1:31:19
this survey. Thank you. Represent back you recognized for discussion.
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
1:31:28
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and Representative Duke did a lot of my talking for me there. I, I
agree with with what she's saying, but there's a, there, there's another aspect. I, I do have some concerns about how valid the data is, uh, based upon responses and stuff, and I've kind of went through the book here. I, I think it should stay in May for for uh a different, I want, I want to add this as far as local control, I think that if the school is, is
It's their choice to do this, then I think they'll go at it and you'll, you'll get better data, whereas if you push it down to them and say you will do this, it, there's lots of ways that you can get it done. You can check the box and say that you did it when you didn't, so I do think it, it would, it's gonna take a school district to, uh, Really push out to the parents, hey, this is something good. These are the benefits of, I, I tell the committee, think of all the questions that we've had here. Now you're a parent, and all you
got to slip of paper and here's the survey your child's going to take. Who's gonna have this? Uh, who's who's gonna have this information? That'd be the first question I would ask, who's gonna have this information and, and more than likely you'd say no. Now, The other side of that equation is if you, if you took a school board, school ball say this will help us, right? Participate this and and there's some communication from the school that says no one's going to see your child's survey that it's, it's gonna go back up and be back down here, uh, in a, in a
non-granular what I call non-granular form, so you can't identify anybody with it, so I think it should be a May and and I would also think that that the school board, uh, that's good. The state department of education department has a big role here to push this May now this is a good thing. What are the benefits of this actually to sell this down to the school districts, so then they would promote it and, and you'd get better data out of it. I, I absolutely, there's no way you
can argue against this. If you had good, strong, 100% day, there is no way you can argue against this. This is great information that you can act on, but if it's peaced like it is. you don't know that you're getting 100%, then, then you could make a mistake off of that data, but I do appreciate that. I think it's a great idea, but we, we've got to somehow make sure that we're getting 100% of responses. If you look in the book, there's a lot of levels of responses that are now around 20% and things like that and that worries me because when you
start making Decisions off a 20% of the data you're, you're, you're almost guaranteed to make a mistake, but I, I, I love what this thing's doing, but, but I think it should be in May because I think you're going to have to have that local push to get people to participate at levels to give you good data. So I'm unfortunately I had to vote no
Speaker 113
1:34:22
on this you recognize for discussion. Thank you. I, I'll keep this brief. Uh, my, my
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:34:27
concern kind of follows up with what Representative Beck is, is if I sign a permission slip home with the survey, uh, and parents
are looking this over. If I'm coming from a home where there's a lot of these problems, I'm gonna opt my kid out because I don't want the, uh, state or school to know I've got these problems going on in my home. And so I think what's going to end up happening is you're going to get skewed data, because, you know, if if I'm at a Christian home, everything's great, OK. I may not, you know, I don't, I'm not having any of these issues. OK, I may let my kid, kid take it, but if I've got all these issues going on, I don't want my kid spilling the dirty laundry. I'm gonna out myself.
out. And so I think that's going to skew some of the data that you're trying to get. So I think keeping it voluntary, I don't know if it would help with that or not, but, um, but that would be part of the reasons why I'm, I'm just not comfortable getting there. I appreciate the intent. I think it's a great, uh, what you're trying to do, but I don't know that, uh, I'm quite comfortable enough to say yes with it. Seeing no additional discussion, we have a
motion on the table of due pass. All in favor say aye.
All opposed. I'm sorry, Shepherd, your bill has failed. Committee without objection actually first just a scheduling, um, comment we're gonna stay here till probably 12:15, 12:30. I know we've got a session at 1:30 so I wanna make sure we leave some time for lunch, uh, but probably 12:15, 12:30, depending upon the bills that we will hear and we will also likely look to come in on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. uh, so we can continue to clear bills off of the calendar, so a little bit early on Thursday, so as you're thinking ahead for the rest of
the week, uh, do that because I don't know that, um, we'll get through as many as we'd like to today. So, Without objection, uh, move to HB 1017 with Representative Collins. Representative Collins, if you would please introduce yourself for the record and you're
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:36:30
recognized. Thank you committee. Um, I am Andrew Collins, and, uh. Represent District 73, and I'm
happy to present this bill today 1017. So, um, you know, one of the things that was really great about the Learns Act is what it did on maternity leave and You know, It's one of these opportunities that I'm really excited to take something that was already good and work with the people who developed it in the first place to make it even better and work better for uh people of Arkansas. So what it does, what
this bill does is it I guess what I'll first do is describe what the Les version did and then how this would change it. So the Les version basically said that districts could enter into a cost sharing agreement with ADE uh for paid maternity leave and so they could offer up to 12 weeks and ADE would reimburse the district for half of the cost of the sub and, and that was really good and that was an incentive for the districts to provide the maternity leave.
issue that kind of came up uh over the last couple of years since it's been implemented is that there just has not been as much adoption as I think people would have hoped. So, um, out of our 200 and some odd districts, 237, I think it may have changed, but 22 participated in 23, 24 school year and 27 participated in 24, 25. So, If we believe that paid maternity leave is important and I think that we do, and there are reasons that, you know, we
can discuss about why it's so valuable, um, we can improve that by doing a couple of things, and these are the 3 things that Bill does. Number one, it would make the reimbursement 100% for the cost of the sub from AD and I've worked with AD on this bill, and they are fine with that, and they believe they can handle that from their existing budget, so, um, I also want to point out that working with the sponsors of Lawrences on this, uh, Representative Chairman Brooks
and uh Representative or Senator Davis are both on this bill working with me in the governor's offices also, uh, worked with me on some of the language and is good with the bill. So, um, that's one thing. It would be 100% reimbursement by ADE 2, it would require it, so it would have every district would participate maternity leave would be available throughout the state. Um, and finally it would include Foster, uh, placements and so right now you've got uh the
birth and adoption, but you don't have foster, this would include foster and it would match what we do for state employees as well, so there's really no change in how the maternity leave is done other than a little bit of additional language regarding the foster placements to ensure there's no abuse of foster placements to get excess leave, um, that is sort of the. The mechanics of how it works, obviously the goal is to get more adoption, is to make sure that maternity leave is available for all the teachers. And while I do think it, it
somewhat goes without saying why it's important. I, I want to say it anyway. So the value of maternity leave, especially in the education context is, is multifaceted. Number one, it helps kids in the classroom because instead of a teacher having to um manage the classroom as well as a newborn, you have the teacher if they want to take that leave, can take that leave, be with their newborn, um, and is not being stretched thin in the classroom, um.
Number 2, it helps retention. And there's no question about it. A lot of teachers will leave when they have a baby or they have the second baby because they can't get leave. If you're in a district that is not offer leave and you're required to come back to work immediately after that baby. It is um it's often just not gonna work for you and so you make the decision to leave the profession. Maybe you come back later, maybe you don't. Um, and it is something that
improves maternal and infant health and there's no question about it. The research is, um, overwhelming that this is a benefit to new moms, new babies when they can spend time together um after birth and uh the, the benefits go on from there. It's not just at the at that period, but those crucial first weeks have a, uh, long lasting impact for both mother and baby. Maybe. Um, so again, as I mentioned,
the, the cost is the total, so the overall program was initially budgeted for $3 million and the estimated cost by doing these revisions would be $3.4 million so it's a small increase, but again, ADE has said they feel comfortable that they can absorb that and um. That's the idea. I, I'm excited about the bill. I think it will make a big difference for moms
in the state, for teachers, for the profession of teaching for students and for public
education as a whole, and I'm happy to answer any questions. Members we have several questions just a note of procedures so this does does show a fiscal impact, so we won't be taking a vote on the bill, uh, for our, our process currently, uh, but we do wanna
Speaker 6
1:42:04
make sure we get everything heard on the bill. So first I recognize Vice Chair McKenzie for a
question. Thank you. And I don't know if AD wants to come to the table, but, um, this is a question and I want to start by saying I appreciate you bringing this bill. Um, in the interim, after passing learns the probably 2nd most phone call I
received from, uh, principals. teachers, administrators, uh, only 2nd to AMI days was about maternity leave. Um, I still believe that what we did in Learns was a, was a, was bold reform. We've done something that the state wasn't able to provide before and other states are now starting to match. I do, I did appreciate also the burden share because if a district at the time wanted to provide maternity leave. It was all on them outside of the standard FMLA that their insurance coverage would, would ultimately move that person off
payroll to pay for, um. I have been vociferously texting the ADE about, you know, how we're gonna pay for this because that was the, the, the initial refutation was well we can't, we couldn't afford to do it all across the state. And if it's only a $400,000 increase, then I'm, I'm for it, especially if it only comes from the public school fund. If this isn't gonna hit GR, um, and I know, uh, Miss Salisford just confirmed, but to your understanding is the setup question. Do you understanding, this is only a modest $400,000 increase to the public school fund that we won't see a
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:43:24
are hit on. That's exactly right, and that was what the governor's office wanted to make sure of as well and you know, I think once that was confirmed with ADE that was when they were good
going forward as well, uh, and just as a follow up, I think this is we with Les, we have started base base teacher salary to be adjusted for inflation, cost of living, the best in the country. With this, I think we will have the best benefit package that we can offer to teachers. So we're, we're reassuring and I appreciate the opening salva.
your comment. The, the good parts of Laws. I think most of Lawrence is good. I think this is really, when we talk about bold reform. This is making being a teacher one of the most um salutatory things we could do. It's one of the best things we can do is really putting our money where the mouth, our mouth is. So I appreciate you bringing this bill. I agree. Thank you. you
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:44:16
recognize for a question. Well, thank you, uh, Mr. Chairman. So, uh, I definitely appreciate the bill, all your facts are, are,
you know, I totally agree with them. Uh, but my, my question is, is what
about dad? Um, obviously, I, I don't know that dads need 12 weeks, but, uh, you know, if, if, uh, you know,
if I'm a teacher, wife has a baby, if I want to take a week off, I've got to do that, you know, with my, you know, either unpaid or whatever. Was there any consideration given to maybe, you know, 12 weeks is probably way too much for dad, but you know, Give a week or two for dad to be, uh, home for the
first week or two to help mom and baby adjust. It's
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:44:52
a great question and absolutely I thought about it a lot, um, and I think I would
agree with you. This was how it was set up in current law, and I thought, you know, if we're gonna do this, we'll, let's do what we're doing here and then there may be another bill to do what you're talking about, and I would support that, but I thought simplest to leave the program as it is, that was something that was agreed on at the time and just changed the thing that we're changing. OK, thank you. Here in fault you
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
1:45:22
recognize for question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I too appreciate the bill, um. You and I talked.
I have a bill that will actually, because there's a loophole where supers are, uh, using the two weeks like a non-contract days of Christmas or the week of spring break, uh, and you and I talked and we do believe that this will marry into that very well and will not hurt each other in any way from what we read, right? Those
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:45:48
will be complementary this amends section A, B, and C, and
yours is a new D, and I think it works, you know, with or without this bill. I think your bill works OK.
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
1:45:59
Um, again, I appreciate the bill. I do think this will be a great retention tool. It is really hard on a mom to go back, uh, to work, uh, two weeks after their baby was born, 4 weeks after their baby was born. I think we're losing highly qualified teachers. Um, because they want more time with their baby when they're young. Um, I think there's more evidence that shows that a child at a very early age needs that mothering, like you said, um, or fathering, um.
To help them develop into a better, a better child, um. And I, and I feel sorry for moms who have to leave their babies so early. I actually had a bill in state agencies that said moms can bring their babies to work until they're 6 months old, uh, because of the fact that I think they need their mothers for. For that bonding moment. So I appreciate the bill and I have a motion at the proper time. Representative Duke, you're recognized for question. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Speaker 344
1:46:56
So, The only question I have, and you don't really address it in
this bill, but it is going to be an issue. So I think We have to Acknowledge. So, because you talked about. It he I agree it helps with retention. I mean, I have a daughter who's a teacher daughter who's expecting in June, so I understand, um, she was fortunate to be able to time it that way, um. He said it helps kids in classrooms, and I understand the aspect of being. The split. That the parent, the mom has or or the dad has at that point. My concern is the kids that are
there when the teacher is on maternity leave because we have a a a shortage of substitutes. We have even more of a shortage of substitutes who are licensed, right? And I've had experiences with with some of my family members whenever they had a sub who was able to take because of their personal circumstances, they were able to take 12 weeks and they missed out on having a teacher. For 3 months of that year in one of those early childhood. You know, classes, and, and that was hard. And there, that whole,
I've seen it a couple of times where So, have you given thoughts because we have to think, I think about unintended consequences. So have you thought about ways to address those kids that are there for those 3 months with a shortage of subs, shortage of licensed subs, and making sure that we keep their education
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:48:21
on track. I think it's a great question and a great point, and I talked about that with Senator Davis a fair amount, so I think here's how we feel about it. Number one, Uh, yes, absolutely there's a shortage of long term subs, but um,
The idea, I think by retaining more teachers is that long term we will have more teachers in the profession, and that will trickle down to more long term subs as well, so that's sort of the long term side of it, the short term side of it is, you know, again, if you have a teacher who's being compelled, don't have the choice to come back too early a week after they've given birth or something like that, don't think you're getting the highest quality classroom experience at that point anyway and so I mean sometimes maybe they can make it work.
Oftentimes you're going to, I, I think the kids in that classroom are gonna experience challenges as the teacher will just because they're being forced into a situation where they don't want, so I, I guess that's my response is that I think that um it's a, it's a consideration that I think is a legitimate consideration, but I think it's outweighed by both the, the benefit of getting someone who did not just give birth into the classroom who doesn't, you know, they may want to be there, but they also would like to be with their child. They'd like to be taking on leave. And 2, the long term benefits of
keeping more people in the profession and recruiting and retaining to the profession and, and hopefully that'll increase the overall supply, so these issues are less acute. So, um, if I may,
Speaker 344
1:49:48
because obviously I live in a different area of the state and so can you tell me how many schools are actually having teachers come back a week or two after they cause like that's not been my experience in Northwest Arkansas, but I realized I'm not experiencing the same thing other people do across the state. So do you know that information? on how many schools are making teachers come back in that short
of a window of time and and such or maybe other members can, they can chi in chime in at discussion or something, let me know because I, I'm not aware of
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:50:18
that, but I realize I live in a different area. Well, no, I don't have any you know statistics on that,
but I can tell you that since filing this bill I've anecdotally heard from teachers who have been, you know, Just very frustrated with the fact that their district didn't offer them what they felt like was reasonable, you know, uh, policy as far as when they could come back. It's all anecdotal. I don't have stats on it, but I
Speaker 344
1:50:40
think people felt like they were being Ask to come back when they weren't ready. So maybe not somebody coming back a week later. I mean, do you think we're having district was that just a number that's why I wanna make sure like that's pretty harsh, so I was
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:50:59
like wow, OK, thank you. Represent make you recognize for question. Uh, thank you. Uh, Representative Collins, you've helped me on many of my, many of my bills and I'm gonna, I'm gonna try to throw one here to you, uh, did you consider? So, uh, under the bill, the way it's written, if a, uh, someone gets
an infant, uh, in the foster care system under a year, then they would qualify for this, this 12 week, uh, uh, as someone who's I've been, you know, I've been a foster dad before, uh, foster placements by definition are temporary. And so my only concern with with the bill would be if a teacher took a took an infant, had that infant for 1011 weeks, and then that infant went to somebody else and then they were, they got another infant, uh, now
you're looking at, uh, you know, 24 weeks, uh, out of, uh, you know, 36 week school year, so potentially this could be abused so that a teacher could be out 2/3 of the year. Simply by fostering a one year old or you know, a 6 month old and then 12 weeks later getting another 6 month old. Um, and so I'm throwing out the idea of maybe I'm mending it so that this could only be used maybe once a year or something so it's not abused. I don't know that a
lot of teachers would abuse it, but you could
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:52:16
see how it could be. Well,
I'm so glad you asked that question because the governor's office was one step ahead of you on that, and we did add in on if you see Section one. That A2 says that an employee shall not be eligible for if they're fostering for an additional 12 weeks of paid leave if they have um already taken the 12 weeks of the uh on the initial foster placement, so exactly that situation you're
concerned about was something that was brought to our attention.
Speaker 369
1:52:50
We got it in there. Yeah. Gonzalez were and you're recognized
for a question. Are there additional questions by committee? See no additional questions. We do not have anyone signed up to speak for or against this bill. We do have a motion to pass, but again, we will not address the motion some columns, would you like to actually, we won't close for the bill because we'll wait for when we actually vote on it,
uh, so, um, with that in Collins, we will, um, I guess complete hearing the bill and then uh when we vote here in a week or so on any bills that have fiscal impact, we will bring you back and we will take the motion, which is already on the table, uh, and we will vote on at that time. OK, thank you thank you for your time. it members, um, without objection, uh, Representative Steele has been extremely patient today and so I'm gonna go back up to the top of the calendar, uh, represents Steele. Has an amendment, I believe, yeah, has an amendment that staff will be passing out.
Unknown speaker
1:53:48
And then we will hear that. HB 1709.
Speaker 369
1:54:40
description until you recognize to present your
Representative Tracy Steele
Unverified
1:54:44
amendment. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and thank you to the committee. I have actually enjoyed the dialogue and your work here, um, this is, uh, the amendment to a bill that's been brought before, um, we basically had a fiscal impact study uh done and this amendment actually states the
true nature and purpose of the bill is to not obligate the Department of Human
Service workers to any financial obligation. As a relation to the bill. That song on the amendment, sir. Are there questions from the committee on the amendment? See
no questions. We have a motion to adopt the amendments or discussion on the motion. See no discussion. All in favor say aye. I opposed. Congratulations, you've adopted your amendment. Now Represent still, you recognize you present HB 1709 as amended. Thank you committee. Uh, I'll be very brief. This, this bill has
Representative Tracy Steele
Unverified
1:55:44
been before the committee, uh, before and what happened the last time it's because it was in this committee we had a financial uh
impact statement from the Department of Education. However, we did not have one from the Department of Human Services and that's the impact study that you have before you, however, the amendment now that's uh part of the bill, uh, makes it very clear that even though the uh, Study from the Department of Human Services, uh.
would basically give you the amount of resources it would take to put a human service worker and a mental health worker in every school that certainly is not the intent of the bill and the amendment just clarifies that, uh, to make sure that the Department of Human Service has does not have any financial obligation that would be up
to them and their administration. I have worked with, with, with the Department of Human Services, um. Tiffany is uh excuse me,
Director Wright is here and can speak to that as
well as the Department of Education and the governor's office, uh, funding is definitely an issue,
and I actually was a good thing that uh the bill had been delayed a little bit because I understand that there could be a bill that would that would present some funding, uh, this coming out of the Senate, so, uh, with the passage of this bill, they could be hope at the at the in the rainbow. But uh
That's all the bill does. It's changed the
Speaker 13
1:57:24
definition. Representative Seale has presented HB 1709 as amended or the questions
from the committee. So representative, I guess I would have a question. So if, if The intent of the bill, um, is not to require it. uh, we see that we see the fiscal impact of $31 million so the intended bill is not to require it, um.
What, what would be the benefit of the bill if if we aren't necessarily funding anything. Um I What helped me understand kind of the intent of the bill since we're, since we don't have a funding mechanism currently, um,
Representative Tracy Steele
Unverified
1:58:04
to provide this, where, where would we go with that? Well, the bill, uh, actually is part of a program
that's been around for for over the past 12 years, but the program is only for social workers. This bill would expand it to not only social workers but also mental
health counselors, which is a major expansion of the requirement of the bill, so DHS at any time can uh decide in conjunction with the Department of Education to to put funding in it, uh, also, as I mentioned, there is a bill on the side that that would provide funding for mental health counselors as well as social workers in the schools. And so as
a follow up with that, so should DHS not decide to in that bill that's coming out of the Senate, not make it, just
hypothetically, uh, then what would be, where would we be going with this should DHS
Speaker 336
1:58:56
not decide to fund it. That would be a total local decision.
Representative Tracy Steele
Unverified
1:59:00
School could do that, uh. If they have the the budget a school throughout the state of Arkansas could, could actually hire people in these positions already,
but through the DHS program, the DHS required, they could only hire them as social workers, not as mental health counselors, and that's the difference in the bill. Representative Garner, you
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
1:59:21
recognized for a question. Thank you and
thank you, Representative Sil. I've got I've got a couple of questions. I've been working with the with departments for some mental behavioral health and I was amazed at some of the programs that they have already. So, um. Could you or someone from the department come talk to us about what we have going on right now
and how this would. Change or affect. How it would help. I would ask for.
Speaker 369
1:59:54
Director, Director Wright, uh, DHS if you'd like to send, obviously so. If you would please let's just uh introduce yourself for the record, Directory, introduce yourself as well,
and you're recognized to help answer the questions.
Speaker 344
2:00:06
Hey, good afternoon, Melissa Weatherton. I am the director for Medicaid Specialty Populations. I'm over mental health is one of the divisions that I'm over. Hi, good afternoon. I'm Tiffany Wright and
Speaker 346
2:00:16
I'm the director for the division of Children and Family Services. I think if you restate your
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
2:00:25
question for them since they were not at the table, I think what I'd like to know is how this bill affects what you're
already doing and, and I was just amazed at the number of programs that you have already and would like to hear what's going on
Speaker 350
2:00:39
now and how this bill would impact that. Absolutely. So I'm not as familiar with this particular bill, so I might,
Speaker 344
2:00:45
um, defer to Ms. Wright, but I will tell you what we are working on, um, in the Medicaid space around, um, children and behavioral health needs. So we are actually working.
Very closely right now, um, with Secretary Leva and his team on um another bill sponsored by Senator Hester that we are, um, working to see if we can develop possibly a new concept where Medicaid can come in and offer a much greater assistance to schools, um, specifically, um, looking at their, um, LEA programs and how we can come in and offer more help. Um, aside from the work we're doing. specifically, um, around that
bill, we have launched several programs thanks to the governor and to you guys for the appropriation, we, um, just signed a a grant for $10 million with the University of Arkansas, um, Department of Social Work to build statewide crisis. So as part of that grant, we are setting up a, uh, hub and a call center with a specific emphasis on children in schools. That was. specifically requested by the governor, we actually rewrote
the grant, um, with U of A, um, because we want to set up a crisis line so that when we um are having incidents and, and, and behaviors at school, they have an immediate number to call where we can send out assistance, um, for stabilization. So we have a lot of that going on in that space as well and we're piloting um two other programs with some American rescue funds. that it really focused on treating families, not just
kids. So, we're having great success, um, with the pilot data so far, we're running for about a year. We have another year's worth of funding, um, but really getting into what's going on with kids and their families. Um, we've, we're trying to change a lot of our Medicaid services right now. We truly believe if we can't get in and try to understand the root cause of some of this that's going on with kids that were not going to be able to change their behaviors. So, um, family centered treatment is one of
them, uh, evidence-based models that we've been piloting, highly successful model, all the work we're trying to do with um Secretary Aliva and Department of Ed, um, around the other bill, um, will be, um, we are recommending that family-based type model where while only are we assisting at schools, but we're actually going into homes and assisting with changing families. So, that's just a kind of a summary of what in the Department of Human Services is focusing on for school-age kids.
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
2:03:34
Are there other questions for Representative Gardner, can you just help me understand how this bill would help or Or if it Uh just help me understand how it relates to what we're doing or
Speaker 346
2:03:50
what you're trying to do now. So Currently, DCFS does not have family service workers in the schools. Uh, we partner with the schools and obviously when we're out initiating child maltreatment reports, we're engaging with the schools. We've been doing some work around
education, um, with teachers around, sorry, with educators around child maltreatment, how do they engage in support, um, children who may be involved with DCFS but also or maybe in foster care, and so, um, I think that the work that we're doing through being able to open supportive service. services cases and wraparound families using, um, the programs that Medicaid is standing up, we're able to support families. DCFS also, um, with the support of the legislator, um, now I think 5 years ago we, um, rolled out a contract called Intensive
in-home Services. We're using that to safely stabilize, um, children, um, in their homes with their parents, um, as well as support, um, reunification through foster care. So I think that We have a lot of other work going on, um, plugging into schools but not necessarily being in the schools doing, um, some of
Speaker 353
2:04:58
the things that's listed out here. So I
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
2:05:02
guess my concern is whether we um
Speaker 355
2:05:12
Require human service workers or mental health counselor, this bill
Representative Tracy Steele
Unverified
2:05:16
does not require That, uh At all, that's up to the. Department to decide um,
and the school district, not the school district wants to do it on their, on
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
2:05:29
their own. They, they certainly have that right. Yes, no, it is no, that's what the amendment wanted to make clear It is defined in the existing uh
Representative Tracy Steele
Unverified
2:05:43
code and now they're already human service workers in schools that's been happening about 12 years. All this bill does and all these programs are wonderful, uh, but that's not HB 7. 09 HB 1709 simply expands the definition from human service workers to mental health counselors in schools. It's existing program all this bill does is expand the definition. I would like to clarify, although it's been in state
Speaker 344
2:06:09
statute, it's my understanding for some time when we have been
doing research internally, we have not been, um, we have not been doing that program. In several years, for years. It's my understanding, and I actually reached out because I was, I was here, we were both here way back then and reached out to some old DCFS directors and, um, it was my understanding that we piloted this maybe for a very short amount of time, but we have not been sustaining or running this program. What is the reason for
Speaker 354
2:06:40
that? Just out of curiosity. Well, we
Speaker 344
2:06:44
can't figure we can't come to the conclusion because I think everybody, you know, was it was, it was,
Representative Tracy Steele
Unverified
2:06:51
it was 10 or 12 years ago. It's 12 years ago, and it was primarily funding, funding ran out. When we initially started this program, funding came from TANFF. It was carrier of funds from Tanni and schools that had at that time it was 90% free and reduced luncheon was eligible for the, for the grants through the program. These were one year contracts. They were done through the Department of Human Services.
Once that money ran out, then the program, although it was still in place from a legislative standpoint, it was
Speaker 346
2:07:24
not funded. It looks like from the research that, um, we did the last time there was anything happening was about 2010, um. And that is it. And I think, and I think part of that is DCFS has evolved over time. I mean, we're talking about 15 years now, um, and a lot of that was around that original um act was around
prevention services, and we have really morphed the prevention services and done different avenues of things to help families, um, I would, and again, I wasn't hear, I mean, I was here in 2010, but I was in the front lines in 2010. So, um, I'm not sure exactly what happened with the pilot, but from what we could find. and asking questions, that's what
Representative Tracy Steele
Unverified
2:08:05
we know. And we do know that some of those individuals, even though the the grant no longer existed after the date that she aforementioned, uh, some of the school districts took on the responsibility and they kept
those individuals in place for many years after that. I don't know how many still have them, but that's up to the local school district to do that, uh, but at that point it was only social workers, uh, those kids who, as you all know, some of them bring problems to school, uh, and sometime. problems not only affect them but disrupts other young people in the classroom, uh, this just expands it not only just to be social workers, but to also include mental health counselors.
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
2:08:50
Represent painter you recognized for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. On the 99th districts, uh, that it says that meet the criteria. Can you kind of explain
Speaker 364
2:09:04
to me what that criteria is. Or maybe this
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
2:09:08
is for the Department of Education. It says it's prepared by the DHS. Thank you. I think that
Representative Tracy Steele
Unverified
2:09:17
was That's based on if every school
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
2:09:23
districts, so and it says the criteria, so what, what is the criteria and,
Speaker 344
2:09:28
and I'm sorry if I missed that conversation. I can answer that. I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were talking about the fiscal impact. So, um, we, we asked, um, our finance team to run a fiscal impact and with some assumptions. So at the bottom, on the back, um, you'll see, we made some assumptions, like we estimated one service worker and one mental health counselor, um, for every 4
schools per district that met the criteria in the bill, and we, um, Ascertained that the criteria in the bill affected 90 non districts, um, I believe they have over 200, but I think the way the bill was written, we, we based it on 99 and then cost to train each of the workers, um, And then we broke it down with the, the total computable and then the state's share versus the federal share, um, if Medicaid is able to pay for this.
But we, we do not assume that that would be the case, um, because every child in a
Speaker 58
2:10:40
public school is not on Medicaid. additional questions about the committee. Seeing no additional
questions. Thank you, Melissa and Tiffany.
We do not have anyone signed up to speak for
or against the bill. Uh, but Just a moment please.
So Representative Steele, thank you for presenting the bill since this still falls in line with, with showing a fiscal impact even though I, I understand where you're going with it. It's not necessarily requiring it, it still shows a fiscal impact, uh, then we'll
hold this to vote on it, um, at the end of the session uh when we vote on the other bills that show a fiscal impact. So uh with that uh we will uh Complete hearing in this bill and then it'll allow you to close for at that time, uh, which I anticipate probably be next week, uh, and take a vote on that. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members with that objection, we'll hear one more bill, uh, Representative Gramlich, you are recognized for, uh, House Bill 1812 if you would please introduce yourself for the record.
My apologies to anyone who came for other bills for trying to knock all these out as quick as possible as you see, we do a great job of asking a lot of questions, uh, because we wanna make sure everything is vetted well, uh, so we will again start at 9 o'clock on
Speaker 369
2:12:14
on Thursday morning. Uh, to make sure that we start getting through. So Representative Branick,
if you would please introduce yourself, you're recognized. Thank you very much, Zach Grahamlick State Representative, District 50, Fort Smith.
Um, House Bill 1812 is really doing a lot of technical corrections and it does do one thing. Uh, first off,
Uh, Act 4 423 of 2023 was ran and its goal was to make GED if the student received a GED after they dropped out that it wouldn't affect, um, you know, school ratings, well, There's a couple of spots in the law where it still does, and so we're tech doing some technical corrections to ensure that um the student gets their GED, it doesn't count as a dropout and it doesn't affect graduation rates. Um, another thing that this bill will do is it will allow a public school student to be able to apply for um to take the GED test instead of dropping
out of school. Um, the goal of this is to allow um flexibility for uh individuals who may have different things where they could be having a kid, they could be a kid who. um, just needs a different option in life, uh, so that they can get their GED and take a piece of paper and go out into the world and be successful, um, and really just providing flexibility for those individuals that fall into that route. Um, And then, uh, also some more technical corrections. I worked with uh the director of Duled to
um do some of this stuff, uh, just in reality how uh the actual um Uh, students who take GED tests work instead of the 8.5 grade level, that's not actually how they do it. It's determined by the adult ed, um, and then there's a couple other spots where it's technical corrections, um, but yeah, so 3 things, a lot of public school kids take a GED, uh, technical corrections and uh make it so if a student receives a GED, it does not count as a dropout and doesn't affect graduation rate. Are there questions from the committee?
Representative Nazarenko or Nazarenko, you recognized for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
2:14:11
for bringing this bill. I, I like it. I just had one. quick question that that kind of caught my eye. Uh, the ready
test, uh, looks like that's a proprietary test. Is there a reason why there's a proprietary test? I mean, it's that's what we, that's the test that they use for the GED and there's no, no
Speaker 369
2:14:24
chance of that ever changing? Not unless we went with something other than GED, so.
Speaker 6
2:14:39
Are the questions about the committee Representative Brown,
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
2:14:45
do you have a question? Representative Graham, like, um, I'm just. If you could, before we Like move on without me asking my question, um. On page 2 If you could please look at that section 3 on line 13 through. 19. What is that saying? Uh, so from my understanding,
Speaker 369
2:15:04
the Arkansas National Guard Youth Challenge program, um,
used to be a thing, but it's not a thing anymore, um, so we're just dragging it from the code because
Speaker 163
2:15:15
it, it's not used. OK, well, I see that, but. I'm just trying to figure out, all
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
2:15:20
right, Arkansas code concerning exceptions to the requirement that each child of a certain age shall enroll in and attend a school is amended to read as follows. I guess there's some things that are, yeah, so, so
Speaker 369
2:15:30
this, that's a compulsory ad, uh, those compulsory education law and so there's other surrounding pieces that say you have to go to school,
have to go to school, you don't have to go
to school if you do this, this and this. This is one of those things where if
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
2:15:44
you're in that program you if a child 16 years of age or older is enrolled. in adult education program then that. Yeah, they're adult, they, then
Speaker 369
2:15:50
they wouldn't be. They're subject to different uh compulsory ad stuff. Thank you. Seeing no additional questions and there's no
one signed up to speak for or against the bill or Gramick, which I'll close for you, Bill. I am close for my bill, and I would appreciate a motion. Representative Grahamick was closed for bill. We have a
motion to pass on the table. Is there discussion on the motion?
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
2:16:15
See notice. Representative Gonzalez Worth, and you're recognized for discussion, I
just very quickly I just wanna um. Applaud this bill because I as an educator had never understood why when a student Receives her GED it would count as a dropout. They're finishing their adult education, they're, they're getting an equivalent to a high school diploma and so
I appreciate your bill very much. Thank you. I see no discussion. We have a motion to pass on the table. All in favor say aye. All
opposed. Congratulations Reverend Graham, you've passed your bill. Thank you, Chair. Thank you committee. How's education, as I said, of note, we will plan to meet at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning, seeing
Speaker 369
2:16:58
no additional business. Are you ready to go, representative Painter? So see no additional business house educational stand
Agenda
CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1633 Brooks TO AMEND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS WHO TRANSFER SCHOOLS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
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
HB1710 Vaught TO PROHIBIT A SCHOOL FROM USING OR REFERENCING A PUBLIC SCHOOL RATING IN ANY ADVERTISING, PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL, OR COMMUNICATION DIRECTED TO THE PUBLIC.
HB1727 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO ADULT EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOLS.
HB1283 J. Mayberry TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TO INCLUDE DIGITAL MEDIA STANDARDS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVE LIBRARY MEDIA STANDARDS.
HB1017 A. Collins TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING PAID MATERNITY LEAVE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES; AND TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TO PAY FOR INCURRED COSTS FOR APPROVED PAID MATERNITY LEAVE.0
HB1755 T. Shephard TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ARKANSAS PREVENTION NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY.
HB1786 Brooks TO PROVIDE ELIGIBILITY FOR A TUITION BENEFIT TO SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN OF THE ARKANSAS NATIONAL GUARD ATTENDING CERTAIN PRIVATE TWO- YEAR AND FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.
HB1833 M. Shepherd TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ADMISSIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS COLLEGE OF MEDICINE.
SB391 J. Dismang TO CREATE THE ROBOTICS COMPETITION GRANT PROGRAM FOR ELIGIBLE ROBOTICS TEAMS IN PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SCHOOLS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENCOURAGING STUDY IN THE FIELDS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS.
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.
SB390 J. English TO ESTABLISH THE STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY ACT.
HB1081 B. McKenzie TO REPEAL ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES.
HB1139 B. McKenzie TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT.
HB1805 Childress TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "BULLYING"; AND TO CREATE A PROCESS WHEREBY A PUBLIC SCHOOL MAY CONDUCT MULTIPLE, SIMULTANEOUS INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE SAME ALLEGATION OF BULLYING UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
HB1812 Gramlich TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO TAKES A GED TEST; AND TO AMEND THE SCORE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GED TEST.
HB1825 Wooldridge TO ALLOW A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL TO REQUIRE AN ENROLLED STUDENT TO EARN ONE UNIT OF CREDIT IN A COMPUTER SCIENCE OR COMPUTER SCIENCE-RELATED CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION COURSE IN ORDER TO GRADUATE.
HB1719 Vaught TO AMEND THE DAYS INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MATERNITY LEAVE DAYS APPROVED BY A SCHOOL THAT OFFERS MATERNITY LEAVE.
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.
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.
HB1793 Duke TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE USE OF POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL SUPPORTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SB352 Stone TO PROHIBIT ANTISEMITISM IN PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS; AND TO PROHIBIT ANTISEMITISM IN STATE-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
HB1806 Vaught TO PROVIDE CURRICULUM TRANSPARENCY FOR PARENTS OF KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVE STUDENTS; AND TO ALLOW A PARENT TO REVIEW AND OPT OUT OF SELECTED LIBRARY MEDIA MATERIALS FOR HIS OR HER CHILD.
HB1864 Andrews TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY IN STUDENT INSTRUCTION; AND TO CREATE A STANDARDIZED FLEXIBLE SCHOOL CALENDAR SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
HB1866 Brooks TO CREATE ELI'S LAW; AND TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL TO INSTALL AN AUDIO RECORDING DEVICE IN EACH LOCKER ROOM AND DRESSING ROOM ON THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CAMPUS.
HB1874 B. McKenzie AN ACT TO AMEND THE USE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING THAT EXCEEDS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT AWARDED TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003.
Documents
| Title | Type | Pages | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda — EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE, Apr 1, 2025 | Agenda | 4 | Official source ↗ |
Speakers
Representative Keith Brooks Chair
Unverified
Representative Brit McKenzie Chair
Unverified
Speaker 6
Speaker 2
Speaker 12
Representative Austin McCollum
Unverified
Speaker 369
Representative Les D. Eaves
Unverified
Speaker 10
Speaker 35
Annalee Brooks
Unverified
Clara Tittle
Unverified
Brayden Lynn
Unverified
Dylan Abraham
Unverified
Josh Dickinson
Unverified
Speaker 47
Speaker 43
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
Speaker 70
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
Speaker 74
Speaker 55
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
Representative Jason Nazarenko
Unverified
Representative Matthew J. Shepherd
Unverified
Speaker 97
Speaker 98
Speaker 106
Speaker 117
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
Speaker 119
Speaker 121
Speaker 129
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
Speaker 145
Speaker 151
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
Speaker 162
Speaker 172
Speaker 176
Speaker 178
Speaker 179
Speaker 181
Speaker 344
Speaker 191
Speaker 192
Representative Rick Beck
Unverified
Speaker 168
Speaker 216
Speaker 210
Speaker 228
Speaker 161
Speaker 170
Speaker 139
Speaker 131
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
Speaker 148
Speaker 266
Speaker 223
Speaker 4
Speaker 276
Speaker 278
Speaker 113
Speaker 283
Speaker 289
Representative Lincoln Barnett
Unverified
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
Representative Tracy Steele
Unverified
Speaker 13
Speaker 336
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
Speaker 346
Speaker 350
Speaker 353
Speaker 355
Speaker 354
Speaker 364
Speaker 58
Speaker 163