State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs-Senate
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Transcript
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Bills discussed (43)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
HB1568
Act 289
· 4 mentions in agenda, transcript, chapter
Matched: “…'S TOTAL SERVICE TIME FOR ANNUAL LEAVE ACCRUAL CALCULATION. HB1568 Childress TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EXAMINATIONS, INVESTI…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EXAMINATIONS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND POSTMORTEM EXAMINATIONS; AND TO AMEND THE LAW … | Childress | Notification that HB1568 is now Act 289 |
|
SB351
Act 592
· 3 mentions in chapter, agenda, transcript
Matched: “SB351 J. Dismang TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ETHICS AND CAMPAIGN…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ETHICS AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE; TO AMEND PORTIONS OF INITIATED ACT … | J. Dismang | Notification that SB351 is now Act 592 |
|
SB353
Act 405
· 3 mentions in chapter, agenda, transcript
Matched: “SB353 Hester TO AMEND THE DATE OF THE PRIMARY ELECTION; TO PROVID…”
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TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE DATES FOR ELECTIONS; TO AMEND THE DATES OF PRIMARY … | Hester | Notification that SB353 is now Act 405 |
|
SB299
Act 403
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…LLOW VOTERS TO ELECT "FOR" OR "AGAINST" WATER FLUORIDATION. SB299 K. Hammer TO REQUIRE A PERSON ASSISTING A VOTER TO PRESENT…”
|
TO REQUIRE A STAFF MEMBER TO WITNESS AN ADMINISTRATOR ASSISTING A RESIDENT OF A LONG-TERM … | K. Hammer | Notification that SB299 is now Act 403 |
|
SB343
Act 734
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…COMMISSIONS, AND COUNCILS BASED ON CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. SB343 Irvin TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING STATE-OWNED MOTOR VEHICLE…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING STATE-OWNED MOTOR VEHICLES; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PUBLIC PROPERTY; … | Irvin | Notification that SB343 is now Act 734 |
|
SB344
Act 444
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…AND PICKUP TRUCK ACQUISITION ACT FOR THE STATE OF ARKANSAS. SB344 Irvin TO TRANSFER THE HEALTHY EMPLOYEE LIFESTYLE PROGRAM FR…”
|
TO TRANSFER THE HEALTHY EMPLOYEE LIFESTYLE PROGRAM FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO THE DEPARTMENT … | Irvin | Notification that SB344 is now Act 444 |
|
SB370
Act 462
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…estrictions designating areas as 'Members and Staff Only'. SB370 Irvin TO TRANSFER THE ARKANSAS WINE PRODUCERS COUNCIL FROM…”
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TO TRANSFER THE ARKANSAS WINE PRODUCERS COUNCIL FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO THE DEPARTMENT … | Irvin | Notification that SB370 is now Act 462 |
|
HB1460
Act 324
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…A LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY WITH ABSENTEE VOTING. HB1460 Rose TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING APPOINTMENTS TO CERTAIN BO…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING APPOINTMENTS TO CERTAIN BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COUNCILS BASED ON CONGRESSIONAL … | Rose | Notification that HB1460 is now Act 324 |
|
SB141
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…EN INTERIM COMMITTEES MAY MEET DURING A LEGISLATIVE RECESS. SB141 B. King TO ELIMINATE FUNDING TO THE ARKANSAS CENTER FOR HEA…”
|
TO ELIMINATE FUNDING TO THE ARKANSAS CENTER FOR HEALTH IMPROVEMENT. | B. King | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB212
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…OM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967 CONCERNING PERSONNEL RECORDS. SB212 K. Hammer TO CREATE THE DOCUMENT VALIDITY DIVISION; AND TO…”
|
TO CREATE THE DOCUMENT VALIDITY DIVISION; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. | K. Hammer | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB227
Act 505
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…HE DOCUMENT VALIDITY DIVISION; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. SB227 C. Tucker TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967;…”
|
TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AND TO AMEND THE PROVISIONS OF … | C. Tucker | Notification that SB227 is now Act 505 |
|
SB241
Act 885
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…EDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967 CONCERNING PUBLIC MEETINGS. SB241 J. Scott TO AMEND THE UNIFORM ATTENDANCE AND LEAVE POLICY A…”
|
TO AMEND THE UNIFORM ATTENDANCE AND LEAVE POLICY ACT; AND TO GRANT PAID LEAVE TO … | J. Scott | Notification that SB241 is now Act 885 |
|
SB247
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…NATE FUNDING TO THE ARKANSAS CENTER FOR HEALTH IMPROVEMENT. SB247 C. Tucker TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS ABSENTEE VOTER INTEGRITY A…”
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TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS ABSENTEE VOTER INTEGRITY ACT OF 2025; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING … | C. Tucker | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB248
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. SB248 C. Tucker TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967;…”
|
TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AND TO AMEND THE PROVISIONS OF … | C. Tucker | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB282
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…mmer Sen. Jim Dotson REGULAR AGENDA Number Sponsor Subtitle SB282 C. Penzo AMENDING THE LAW CONCERNING PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS;…”
|
AMENDING THE LAW CONCERNING PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS; AND TO ALLOW VOTERS TO ELECT "FOR" OR … | C. Penzo | Died on Senate Calendar at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB283
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PROGRAM. SB283 K. Hammer TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING UNCLAIMED PROPERTY; A…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING UNCLAIMED PROPERTY; AND TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ARE … | K. Hammer | Sine Die adjournment |
|
SB357
Act 572
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…NGE THE DATE OF THE FISCAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. SB357 J. Bryant TO AMEND THE UNIFORM ATTENDANCE AND LEAVE POLICY…”
|
TO AMEND THE UNIFORM ATTENDANCE AND LEAVE POLICY ACT; AND TO APPLY MILITARY SERVICE CREDIT … | J. Bryant | Notification that SB357 is now Act 572 |
|
SB376
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “AGENDA (Revised 3/4/2025 @ 4:25 PM) Added SB376 Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs…”
|
TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING … | A. Clark | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB4
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…INITIATED MEASURES. DEFERRED BILLS Number Sponsor Subtitle SB4 C. Penzo TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS;…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS; AND TO ALLOW VOTERS TO ELECT "FOR" … | C. Penzo | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB44
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…LLOW VOTERS TO ELECT "FOR" OR "AGAINST" WATER FLUORIDATION. SB44 Hester TO CLARIFY THE LAW CONCERNING WHEN INTERIM COMMITTEE…”
|
TO CLARIFY THE LAW CONCERNING WHEN INTERIM COMMITTEES MAY MEET DURING A LEGISLATIVE RECESS. | Hester | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR1
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…OF 1967. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS Number Sponsor Subtitle SJR1 B. King AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO REQUIR…”
|
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO REQUIRE A VOTE OF THREE-FOURTHS OF EACH HOUSE … | B. King | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR10
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ORCE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OR AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW. SJR10 B. King A CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT CONCERNING EFFICIENCY IN G…”
|
A CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT CONCERNING EFFICIENCY IN GOVERNMENT; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE CREATION OF THE … | B. King | Sine Die adjournment |
|
SJR11
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…OR THE CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY. SJR11 J. Payton A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO AMEND ARKANSAS CONS…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO AMEND ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 2, § 5, TO PROTECT THE RIGHT … | J. Payton | Approved by the Governor. |
|
SJR12
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ARTICLE 2, § 5, TO PROTECT THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS. SJR12 C. Tucker AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION REQUIRI…”
|
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION REQUIRING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO ESTABLISH BY LAW A … | C. Tucker | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR13
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…AL ASSEMBLY TO ESTABLISH BY LAW A REVISED ELECTION PROCESS. SJR13 J. Dotson A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO ALLOW A CANDIDATE F…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO ALLOW A CANDIDATE FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE, … | J. Dotson | Died on Senate Calendar at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR14
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ION OR INDEPENDENT STATUS WHEN RUNNING FOR JUDICIAL OFFICE. SJR14 J. Dotson A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING THE DETERMI…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING THE DETERMINATION OF THE TRUE VALUE IN MONEY OF REAL PROPERTY … | J. Dotson | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR15
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ONEY OF REAL PROPERTY FOR ASSESSMENT PURPOSES. Page 2 of 3 SJR15 J. Dismang A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING ECONOMIC D…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS; AND AUTHORIZING THE GENERAL … | J. Dismang | Approved by the Governor. |
|
SJR17
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…OMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SJR17 J. Dotson AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO CREA…”
|
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS. | J. Dotson | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR18
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…STITUTION TO CREATE THE "ARKANSAS TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS". SJR18 J. Payton THE CITIZENS ONLY VOTING AMENDMENT. SJR19 M. John…”
|
THE CITIZENS ONLY VOTING AMENDMENT. | J. Payton | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR19
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…IGHTS". SJR18 J. Payton THE CITIZENS ONLY VOTING AMENDMENT. SJR19 M. Johnson AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO EXE…”
|
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO EXEMPT FOOD AND FOOD INGREDIENTS FROM THE EXCISE … | M. Johnson | Sine Die adjournment |
|
SJR2
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…NING ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS OR ACCESS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS. SJR2 B. King A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS A…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS APPORTIONMENT COMMISSION TO APPORTION DISTRICTS FOR THE HOUSE … | B. King | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR20
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…XCISE TAX LEVIED UNDER ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 75. SJR20 B. King A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING THE VOTE REQU…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING THE VOTE REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED APPROVED AT … | B. King | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR21
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ENDMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED APPROVED AT THE GENERAL ELECTION. SJR21 B. King A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING THE VOTE REQU…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING THE VOTE REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATED ACTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS TO BE … | B. King | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR22
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ENDMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED APPROVED AT THE GENERAL ELECTION. SJR22 G. Leding A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING THE QUALIFI…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING THE QUALIFICATIONS TO VOTE IN AN ELECTION. | G. Leding | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR23
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…DMENT CONCERNING THE QUALIFICATIONS TO VOTE IN AN ELECTION. SJR23 M. Johnson A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO PROVIDE THAT PROCE…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO PROVIDE THAT PROCEEDS GENERATED UNDER ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 91, MAY BE … | M. Johnson | Sine Die adjournment |
|
SJR24
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…DMENT 91, MAY BE APPLIED TO MULTILANE HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS. SJR24 M. Johnson AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION CONCER…”
|
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION CONCERNING INITIATIVES, REFERENDA, AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS REFERRED TO VOTERS. | M. Johnson | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR3
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…THE SENATE, AND THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. SJR3 B. King A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING THE MEMBERSHI…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION. | B. King | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR4
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…CONCERNING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION. SJR4 J. Boyd AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO PROVID…”
|
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO PROVIDE THAT THE ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION SHALL NOT … | J. Boyd | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR5
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ME AS LAST APPROVED AND NO OTHER MATTERS ARE TO BE DECIDED. SJR5 B. King AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO REPEAL…”
|
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO REPEAL THE OFFICE OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. | B. King | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR6
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…S CONSTITUTION TO REPEAL THE OFFICE OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. SJR6 B. King A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND … | B. King | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR7
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…GRAMS AND ASSISTANCE FOR POST-RELEASE SUPERVISION SERVICES. SJR7 B. King AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO AMEND…”
|
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO AMEND ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 98, CONCERNING MEDICAL MARIJUANA. | B. King | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR8
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…S CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 98, CONCERNING MEDICAL MARIJUANA. SJR8 B. King AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO AMEND…”
|
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO AMEND ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 100, CONCERNING CASINO GAMING. | B. King | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SJR9
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…NSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 100, CONCERNING CASINO GAMING. SJR9 B. King A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PERMITTING THE STATE OF…”
|
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PERMITTING THE STATE OF ARKANSAS TO BE SUED AS A DEFENDANT IN … | B. King | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
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And Sydney Arrieta. All with Senator Love. We're happy to have you all here this morning. Please welcome them. All right. First up, we're gonna take um Senator Hester. You're gonna be running Senate Bill 353. OK, and there's a moment, members, so we're going to pass that out.
Senator Bart Hester
Unverified
0:42
Thank you. Members, this this amendment just The original bill just dealt with statewide elections, this adds in school elections just to make sure that we're consistent on All elections in the Try to move consistency on date, but this adds in to make sure all the elections. OK, I've got a motion to adopt. Second Senator Payton.
All in favor. Say aye opposed. All right, then it's been adopted. Senator Hester, you recognize to
Senator Bart Hester
Unverified
1:12
present your bill as amended. So remember, we know that I think we've been down here a long time and we move our primary all the time where it currently sits is it's inconsistent during a presidential year, we have our primaries in March during a nonpre presidential election cycle. We have them in May. This is reaching consistency, putting them all in March. That's a That's the goal of this bill. That's what it does. And you know, Arkansas is one of the states with the, with the
least amount of turnout. I don't know that this will help that. I know that our March elections always have higher turnout in the primaries. Maybe that's because the presidents are on the on the ballot, but either way, consistency helps, uh, we hope to do anything we can to increase turnout and Happy to answer any questions. All right, and you for an explanation of the bill. Any questions from the committee? Alright,
I'm gonna look at my county officials over here. I've got a
couple of ladies Teresa canda. Do y'all like consistency in primaries?
OK, my question has been answered, Senator. All right, members, any other questions? All right, see none we
have anybody signed up to speak for or against. Lindsay French is start to speak for. I bet Lindsay's gonna yield her time. Very brick. Remember Lindsay, there's only one way for this bill to go.
Speaker 24
2:47
OK. low. So. All right, if you introduce yourself, tell us you're with for the record, then you'll be
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
3:07
recognized for your remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Lindsey French, Association of Counties. This is not a surprise to the sponsor. I let him know I'd be coming to speak for the bill. The county clerks do support the consistency and we had asked for one more provision to be in this
bill since all early voting will be in February. That's when we have our craziestt inclement weather, um, he felt that and I don't disagree that a separate bill would be appropriate not to convolute. This one, but I just wanted to kind of get that out in front of you and see if you had any feedback on allowing the county Board of Election commissioners to be able to vote to go down to one polling place on a day where there's inclement weather. And uh if you all have any
Chair
Unverified
3:51
feedback on that, I, I'll take questions. Questions from the committee.
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
4:02
Senator Clark, you recognized for a question. So you want put in law that in case of inclement weather, that's what it'll say that you can go from however many polling places you've got to one and
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
4:13
really all that's required in law for early voting is one polling place. All the rest are kind of voluntarily voluntary as a courtesy, so it wouldn't be um
Wouldn't be violating any law to go down to one, but I would like for the county Board of Election commissioners to have the express authority to vote to do so. Isn't that kind of a
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
4:33
reason not to do it in March. It, it is a decision that
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
4:38
you all make whether to do them all in March or all in May, but we love the policy of them all being at the same time. Thank you. Thank you, Centra Clark. Senator Hester.
Speaker 36
4:48
Well, thank you, members and, and as you saw, I, I do plan to
Senator Bart Hester
Unverified
4:55
bring a bill to allow for election commissions during inclement weather to be able to have some authority to make some changes, but uh determining what inclement weather is maybe what national disasters, who makes that call, whether it's election commissioners or who that's a little bit more of a discussion that I did not want part of part of this bill, but this bill consistency matters, um, and
um with that I asked for a good vote. All right. Members, senators closed for his bill.
Nobody else signed up to speak for or against. Would that, take a motion a motion from Senator Payton, 2nd Senator Clark. Any discussion on the motion?
Senator Tucker, excuse me, thank you, Senator Clark. I do. You're recognized for her.
Senator John Payton
Unverified
5:46
Thank you, Senator Hester, for bringing this bill. I, I, I felt like all along we need consistency. Have a lot of constituents that lobby me about the daylight savings time in
that hour changed back and forth. I think they will appreciate the consistency. Obviously there's been an argument as to which place it's better to have it because of the weather. Arkansas is not really that bad of a winter state comparatively to the others. But would you say, I mean, I guess we're in the discussion phase. The reason I really think it should stay in March is because of the influence it gives Arkansas in the presidential election, and I
think we've proven that over the last 2 election cycles, presidential election cycles. So I think it's important to have consistency. I also think it's important to have influence in the
national election, being a small state, so I'll be voting for it. Thank you. All right, thank
you, Senator Payton. All right, members, we do have a motion on the floor. do pass as amended, a second by
Senator Tucker. All in favor say aye, aye posed. Congratulations, Senator, your bill passes as amended. All right, Senator Dismay.
Member of Senator Dismay's going to be running
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
7:09
you'd be recognized to proceed with your bill, Jonathan
dismaying Senate District 18 members, this is a bill from the ethics Commission. We have Director here if there's any questions, but just in summary, Section 1 of this bill would prohibit someone who is not a statutory list of permissible contributors for making contribution
contribution, um, currently that liability only extends to the candidate, so that would place, you know, a burden on the person that's actually making the contribution or the entity that's making the contribution uh prohibited entity. This clarify the bill also clarifies that individual or independent expenditure committees and PACs are subject to the same poor record retention requirement that candidates are and then the bill also in sections 10 and 11 makes the reporting requirements for exploratory committees and independent expenditure
committees consistent with those applicable candidates that are applicable to candidates, and lastly, the in section 17 allows or BQCs and LQCs to keep and reuse campaign signs in the same manner that is currently allowed for candidates. All right, members, you've heard an explanation of the bill or any questions from
members of the committee? Right center Tucker, you recognize your question.
Speaker 53
8:31
Just curious cause I'm just about the the deadline 20
Senator Clarke Tucker
Unverified
8:33
days after the end of each month. Oh, that's that's just for an exploratory committee. OK. I just want to make sure. I
just was curious if there's any deadline changes that are going to affect my, my report, so I make sure, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Senator Peyton, do you
Senator John Payton
Unverified
8:54
think it matters other than It's, it's a typo. But on page 2.
Line 16, I think they strike the oar and it needed to be left. 916 A candidate or a person. Acting on the candidate's behalf. I think you're right. Page 2 line. 16.
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
9:36
No, it's actually right, yeah, yeah, because it's continuing on, and so the or gets to be at the very end. Yeah, mhm. OK. OK. Thank you. Yes, that's right. Thank you, sir.
Peyton. All right, members, any questions for Senator Desma, Senator Clark. introduced me again. What's the main crux of the
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
10:00
bill? A lot of it is clean up for changes that we've made and then also to
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
10:07
bring uh deadlines and that sort of thing in line for candidates that that we have in place for candidates. Maybe it's record retention. It's the 20 days, um, just kind of brings all those things in line for all the different types
of committees that we have out there consistency. But It's But the main thing it does is here on page one. Yes.
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
10:23
As far as you know, that wouldn't be more technical in nature, yes.
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
10:37
Do we have a problem there. I think I can answer that question, but I think the director could, if you don't
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
10:43
mind Mr. Chair. Bring director to the table. Come on up, Graham. Let's go ahead and introduce yourself and tell us who you're with for
the record. Senator, you'll be recognized to proceed. Graham Sloane, director of the Arkansas Ethics Commission.
Speaker 78
11:11
I heard your question. Uh, the law contains a list of permissible contributors and we have had occasion where somebody that's not on the list of permissible contributors makes a contribution and the candidate is the one that has liability for that. We had a number of candidates, some members of this the General Assembly that the contributor didn't, wasn't found liable, but the the legislator was or the
candidate was and so yes, there have been situations where a prohibited contribution was made and the person that made the prohibited contribution wasn't responsible or there wasn't any liability. OK, normally is that
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
11:57
not. And I understand completely, but normally is that not accidental, somebody doesn't know the law, because I've got lots of those checks over the years, I would think I'm not the only one that weren't permissible, and then
when my wife or my treasurer seized the check, they said, can't do this, and we, we stop it, return it. call them uh but they wouldn't have written, I'm just saying they wouldn't have written a check that they couldn't in every case that I've been involved in if they realized that Uh, because they basically came from one account and it had to come from a different account. Well,
Speaker 78
12:38
the law used to allow businesses to make contributions and then now
business entity is not a permissible contributor and then so there's just situations where a business entity makes a contribution and the candidates prohibited from accepting it and, and, and the candidate, you know, mistakenly deposits it and then There's liability to the candidate, but not the corporation. But again, as you said, it used
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
13:15
have seen in every case is a mistake that somebody didn't know the law. Uh, and I said, we've never deposited one, but I can, I can see that happening and we get
slapped on the hand. What's the penalty here? Uh For the
Speaker 82
13:31
person who writes this check. Well, it would be the same
Speaker 78
13:35
potential penalty, any other violation. It'd be a public letter, and or a fine if it was an innocent mistake. It would probably be a letter of caution only if there was a fine that
went with it, you know, minimum fine, but, you know, it would be at the low end of the spectrum. OK,
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
13:58
thank you. Thank you, Senator Clark. Senator Hammer, thank you. When, when you're having to
Chris Madison
Unverified
14:03
make a determination. As to whether something was illegally done or mistakenly done. Are you And the phrase has been used around
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
14:11
here the last couple of days. Are you the sole judge, jury, executioner of the decision. Or what's the appeals process
for a determination that you make. The
Speaker 78
14:25
Staff doesn't make that decision. It's the commission's 5 member board would make that decision and then final action of the commission is appealable to circuit court under the administrative procedure Act. OK, thank you. Right, Senator Tucker.
Senator Clarke Tucker
Unverified
14:50
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just And Graham, you can confirm, but just for the benefit of the committee, I always like when there's a reference in a bill to something I'd just like to know what it says and. Anyway, it's a, you know, it's the first page says it shall be unlawful for prospective contributor other than those under subdivisions A1A 1 to 6. So just for the committee's benefit that that list of 1 to 6 is an individual, a political party, um. A different kind of political party, a county political party, a legislative caucus committee,
or an approved political action committee. So that's, that's the list of approved contributors, right, right, Mr. Sloan? OK. And then my other question is, That term remaining campaign funds is used several times in the bill. Is
Speaker 78
15:35
that a defined term in the code? Yes, the law used to speak in terms of carryover funds and and then and then there was I believe it was ACT. 737 of 2021. To references to carry over
funds out, made it be remaining campaign funds, but there's, there were a few places that that that change didn't get made and then this uh takes those remaining references to carry over funds out of the code. OK, and I, I, I just found it here too, so
Senator Clarke Tucker
Unverified
16:08
thank you. I Thank you, Senator Tucker. All right, members, any questions
from the committee. All right, see up for questions, Senator Dismay, you're close to your bill. All right, Senators closer's
bill, got a motion from Senator Tucker. 2nd from Senator Peyton. Any discussion on the motion? All right, see none. Don't have anybody sign up to speak for or against this. All in favor. Say aye. opposed. Congratulations, Senator, your bill passes. And then Representative Childress. You're here to run something. You've got House Bill 1568.
Tucker running 247 today. It's the 30s. No. Park. All right, if y'all introduce yourselves and give us your name and who you're with for the record and we recognize to proceed
Representative Paul Childress
Unverified
17:19
with your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman Paul Childers. I am state rep, District 83, which is Saline County, and with me I have Kevin Cleghorn. He is the Slain County coroner. Also, he's the president of the state
corner Association. We. So what House Bill 1568 does is it helps our county coroner clarify when to send a descendant to the Crime lab for postmortem exam dealing with drug overdoses, alcohol overdo overdoses, and poison deaths. So y'all passed a law unanimously out of the house, unanimously out of the Senate in 2023 Act 553. And it's a great law, but the coroners, they worked on it for a couple of years and they just need a little bit of
clarification to define hospitalization to help them, so I'm gonna let Kevin Cleghorn respond and give some testimony on why they need it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman
Speaker 106
18:11
and committee. So what has happened since 553 was passed last session, we've determined, we've figured
Speaker 107
18:17
out that the last line of that dealing with hospitalized deaths. There have been a very The last line says significant interval once they've once they're at a hospital. Well, significant interval is interpreted.
In vast arrays by different pathologists we've been communicating with law enforcement and medical medical examiner's office about that. So what we need to do is just clean up that language and define the significant interval and it's um it's coming to the point where once we they have been taken out of the emergency department into the care of a hospitalist as an inpatient, where we actually now have accurate diagnostic testing.
For urine drug analysis we have radiology. We have all the different other lab values that we can get in medical direct, you know, medical records that we can pull from, and we actually have a physician working with this, this decedent as well that it doesn't these cases are going to be case by case and not mandated for every single one of them to go for an autopsy if we have other medical conditions or comorbidities to go with it, so all we're asking is that that the committee's Clean up the language of
significant interval and change that to inpatient hospitalization, so And I'm, I'm open for any questions that you may have those. All right, members, you've heard
Chair
Unverified
19:44
an explanation of the bill. Any questions from the committee, Senator Hammer, thank you. I know sometimes hospitals get
Chris Madison
Unverified
19:50
really backed up and, you know, patients will stay in the ER because they don't have a room upstairs and um and I mean that can go on for 24, 36 hours in some cases I know personally. How's this going to affect a scenario like that, especially if that
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
20:06
Patient dies before getting I guess technically it's all about the point at which
Speaker 107
20:15
the admittance to the hospital, so it really is not going to affect that any at all because the hospitals, even though they're being held in the emergency department, they're still under the care of the hospitalist, the inpatient. They're already transferred to the inpatient division, um, when the death occurs in the emergency department, even though they're inpatient, we still go to those deaths anyway, so we're working with those, those physicians just like we
would with them being on the floor of the. They're still running those diagnostic tests. They're still running all of the procedures that need to be done that we would, we would be getting from the, from the hospital floor. So it's really not going to change that aspect. Where this is going to change things. Is the influx of drug-related deaths that are going to the medical examiner's office now. So that's actually going to take a little bit of the load off of the state crime lab as it is
because now all of those deaths are all going to the medical examiner's office where these cases that are inpatient under hospital physicians' care may not have to go for that. They can go for a medical records review and, and so forth, so it doesn't tie up the pathology table. the pathologists doing the death certificates and so forth. That's where the change is really going to come, not from the hospital side getting backed up, OK, and I
Chris Madison
Unverified
21:33
know In the ER, some hospitals have,
you know, contracts with ER doctors and so and maybe I just need educated. So if a patient The patient could actually be transferred from the care of the ER doctor, even though the patient remains in the ER until they're transferred to a room because back up as far as availability of RIM. But it's where the hospital is at some point the transfer of responsibility from the ER doctor to the, to the hospitalist occurs and regardless of whether they're
sitting in the ER bed or they've been transferred upstairs. That, that doesn't matter. It's when that doctor signs off and says, you are now under the care of the hospitalists and that hospitalist may come down into the ER. That doesn't matter, is that right? That part of it doesn't matter because the, the, the
Speaker 107
22:28
orders from the hospitalists are still being given, and they're still being followed out by most of the emergency room physicians, and, and I can talk about, you know, my county, you know, we hold, we hold bodies in the these patients in the emergency
departments when there's not room upstairs, um, in a lot of cases they send a nurse from the floor down to take care of those patients, so the ER nurses are not having to. Those physicians will come down and they will, they will place their their physician's orders, give all the tests that they won't run, and we still have access to those records and so forth. So everything is being done in the emergency department as it would be done in the floor. They're just holding them in that bed. OK, thanks. Yes, sir.
Senator John Payton
Unverified
23:12
Thank you, Senator Hammer. Senator Payton, you have a question? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Not familiar with most of this, but I'm just knowing I've, I've heard stories of They're being, uh, Employees in the hospital that were found guilty of killing patients, you know, with drugs. There's been malpractice are we going to be
hamstringing ourselves and investigating and discovering those incident instances. No, sir, I don't believe we would simply because the corners are still being
Speaker 107
23:43
notified of this death. They are still conducting an investigation, there we, we have, we passed a law last session as well, or session before that that allows us to obtain all all first draw blood where they can actually be tested. They can, we can still do the forensic testing at the state crime lab, and we're still doing a medical examiner consult, and if there is anything that is abnormal with this death, we are still taking the jurisdiction. We can still take the jurisdiction and send them for an autopsy. It's
so it's not going to prohibit an autopsy. It's just going to, it's just going to streamline a little bit more definitively which ones are going for the autopsy and which ones are not. So if there's any suspicion at all, the corners are taking jurisdiction of that and still submitting for an autopsy. OK. But, but it may. Well, I appreciate that. Thank you. Yes, sir. Thank you, Senator. Are there any
Speaker 123
24:35
other questions from members of the committee? Alright, send
off for the questions. Don't see anybody sign up to speak for or against
Representative Paul Childress
Unverified
24:45
this. Representative you to close your bill. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee, uh, just Kevin McLeghorn did a good job explaining the bill. The
hospital association we got with them, they're all on board with it. They're, they don't have a problem with it at all. And with that, I'll close
for my bill. All right Represent this close for his bill, got a motion to pass by Senator Clark, seconded by Senator Payton. Any discussion on the motion saying none. All in favor, say aye, opposed. Congratulations, Representative. Your bill passes. Thank you. All right. Next up we've got
Senator Irvin. Senator Ervin, we're going to start with Senate Bill 343, and I believe you've got an amendment for that.
Speaker 131
25:50
Yeah This is about being close. OK Well, that's it may just be a name change. No. 343 and
Speaker 132
26:08
an amendment. All right, Senator. to explain
Speaker 130
26:15
your amendment Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
26:20
the committee, the amendment is language that we needed to add a Representative Clowney as the House sponsor on the bill, and then, um, make some changes that were needed for the Department of Corrections and public safety. So, uh, this is an agency bill and so the amendment is working in conjunction with all these different agencies to make
sure we're Mindful of all the different things that they have going on
with their vehicles, so that's what the amendment does. All right members you've
heard of explanation of the amendment. Are there any questions? Senator Payton can
Senator John Payton
Unverified
27:02
we adopt the amendment and send it to get engrossed before we. Oh, I would have to do that as
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
27:10
members own, um, and I'd have to do that as members own. I mean, I can explain the bill, the, the amendment is not by the request, it's by the
request of other departments and other agencies, not from anybody else. Um, and I can explain the amendment. It's necessary amendment, and I can explain that when I explain the bill. I mean, the, the, the necessary amendment is when you have public safety and Department of Corrections. You have certain vehicles that utilize their own GPS systems and also we want to protect that information from FOIA and different things, so that they need to have a
separation there with what we're trying to do with fleet management for Allstate vehicles. So the amendment is to be mindful of those vehicles that are used in different like law enforcement situation. That's why you have public safety in here. The state police have their own system of GPS tracking and and management and department of corrections, there are certain vehicles within the Department of Corrections that would also fit into that same category for law enforcement that clearly we would not want subjected to FOIA or um
Or that they need to utilize for protection and safety. Purposes. And legal purposes.
So that's what that's why the amendment is in the bill. That's why the need for the amendments. Well I guess I'll move to adopt
Speaker 144
28:43
the bill. All right, I've got a motion to adopt by
Senator Payton, second by Senator Tucker, all in favor say aye. All right, remember it's been adopted, you're recognized and proceed with your bill as amended. OK, thank you,
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
28:56
members of the committee. So In 2011 when I first was elected, I actually had this idea to do this. Haley Barbour, who is the governor of Mississippi at the time. I had made a connection with him and and to me it was just an excellent form of government efficiency and management of all state vehicles. Um, and at the time I ran a bill and had to make it permissive because there was no appetite at that time to do this. What this, what this
is. is really based on just good practices that you see utilized at folks like FedEx or UPS, um, and it's about fleet management of your state vehicles this and so I tried to get it done in 2011 and I'm super excited. Fast forward, here we are today trying to get trying to achieve this exact goal, and so what this does is through the Department of Transformation and Shared Services. It allows for
there to be a center point of of a of information and utilizing fleet management software. The reason why this is so important is you've got tons of state vehicles and all these different agencies. When you're utilizing a fleet management software system, you can identify where that vehicle is. You can make sure that it's uh maintained properly, making sure that the oil and the is changed regularly, that the tires are pressure, you know, pressure's
put up, pressures in the tire. Good. Um, I can tell you several times where you've, we've had like a social worker or a case worker that works for DHS that may be instate vehicle that's kind of out on a on a call and um and the car breaks down. So instead of, you know, all the different agencies having to deal with kind of the fleet management of all these vehicles, putting that under the Department of Transformation and Shared Service and give them the ability and the tools and the technology that is very prevalent that's used
in the private world and the business world to be able to manage these state vehicles is just a really good government efficiency. Policy. So that's what the bill seeks to do, making sure that there's an accountability in 2011, uh, there were issues when we had state vehicles that were parked in the casinos over in Mississippi during the day in the parking lot and uh it was reported in the newspaper and
that's what led me to run the bill in 2011 because we want to make sure that we have state employees that are utilizing those vehicles. Properly and and not, you know, at a casino in the middle of the day, actually happened and it was reported, so that's what led me to initial, initially file this bill in 2011. So, um, now we've come full circle and there's available technology out there just so that we can utilize that and make it. better for our government, more
efficient and safer for our state employees. So that's what the bill does. Uh, members who've heard an explanation of the
Speaker 126
32:08
bill, admitted, Senator Payton, you recognized for her question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So what's the cost
Senator John Payton
Unverified
32:12
of upfitting all these vehicles? How many are we talking about? Do we have a fiscal impact? Go. Um, we don't have a specific can you go
Speaker 150
32:23
ahead and introduce yourself for the record. Yes, I'm
Speaker 149
32:25
sorry, I'm Leslie Fiska and I'm Secretary of Transformation and Shared Services. We do not have a specific fiscal impact, um, at this point we are
researching and analyzing software technology options. That's, that's what the cost would be with um would be utilizing some type of software we've been researching and working with other states. This is part of the Arkansas Forward Project and part of what came out from McKinsey Consulting as a recommendation from them. For cost avoidance, savings efficiencies, um, you know, safety and security. And any type of do you know what percentage of our fleet
Senator John Payton
Unverified
32:59
is already outfitted with this capability. I do not have that
Speaker 149
33:03
number. We've got somebody from our office right now that's coming over, but in, in general state vehicles are not outfitted with any GPS type of tracking. There are for public safety, state troopers, and some of the unique situations with corrections are outfitted with that, but currently the technology overall with the state fleet with departments outside of in general, the 15 departments outside of State police and some with corrections do not have this tracking capability, right doesn't the amendment
Senator John Payton
Unverified
33:34
exempt some of those departments? OK, so whenever
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
33:36
I filed the bill in 2011, I wanted to mandate that all state vehicles should be equipped with GPS trackers. Uh, again, in response to the situation that was being reported that we had state vehicles in the parking lots at casinos in the middle of the day. And I, I feel like if you're a state employee, you should be doing your job during the day and not using a state vehicle to travel across state lines and have fun at the casino. So, um, at
at the time, I wanted it to be a mandate. Governor Beebe was not interested in that, but we made it permissive, and the reason why we made it permissive was because of the Department of Corrections and Public Safety and state troopers. Yes, they do utilize it already. It's permissive. They have their own system. So the reason why they have their system, as you can imagine, state police, it's very, very, very important when you have like a high speed chase or a car chase or something like that gets thrown out the window know they can go back and
recreate that, that car chase and collect the evidence based on the GPS data that they're able to receive from the technology and the software, so I appreciate that. I
Senator John Payton
Unverified
34:50
just know that some of these systems can be quite expensive to upfit and then the software program that you use to capture the data and store the data, manipulate the data in research. I mean, those things. can be very expensive. I'm just asking, do we
have a plan and do we know? What to expect there.
Speaker 158
35:15
Hi, I'm Courtney Taylor. I'm with Transformation and Shared Services. Um, we don't, we do know an approximate cost. We've been talking to several vendors and right now one of the vendors that we have a state contract with, it's about $20 per month for vehicle. That's why we've allowed ourselves, I think up until January 1 of 2028 to make this fully implemented, and the reason is because we think there will be savings overall. Once we have some of the Um, vehicles with the
telematics, um, device installed. We think we can better determine what the right now we don't know how our vehicles are being utilized. It's a very manual process. Uh, people have to key in data into a system at the end of every month and it's not being utilized really for a lot of analysis at this point. So we think that with automating this reporting, which we can do through telematics. We won't be relying on someone keying that data in.
That we can do better analytics as to what the true utilization of vehicles is today, and then downsize hopefully some of our fleet right now we have over 4000 fleet in the cabinet level departments. We don't know, we think that we do have some underutilized fleet today and we'll be able to capture that through that telematics and that'll be some savings that should be covered by reducing the fleet size, so the $20 a month, does include the initial upfront up.
Senator John Payton
Unverified
36:50
OK, so then it's it going $20 a month maintenance to the system. That's the total. There's another segment of the bill. In Section 5. That says the purpose of this subchapter, and this is not part of what you're changing. The purpose of this subchapter is to establish procedures for acquisition, disposal, and reassignment of automobiles. So what are we doing with this bill when it
comes to acquisition, disposal, and reassignment. So part of the Arkansas Forward
Speaker 161
37:21
Project, we've learned that today our practice
Speaker 158
37:24
is pretty much to keep fleet until the wheels fall off. Our fleet is very old. It's about average of 9 years old for our fleet, which is not what our goal is is to provide a safe fleet for our state employees to travel across the state, and we think that there's a benefit to having newer fleets, so an average of 4 years old that we could sell it. have a better return on those
vehicles, which will be less expensive overall, um, so that is the goal there for a disposal. I think it's, it's, can we acquire it so at the beginning of the each fiscal year, can we look at what our demand is going to be and say that, OK, we know that this fiscal year, the state will purchase this number and this type of vehicles, and I'm in the car business. I appreciate your concern to
Senator John Payton
Unverified
38:13
try to, uh, you know, achieve the greatest. Resale value possible and you're on track with part of that has
to do with the time frame, age, and mileage and, and condition, but it also has to do with the method of how you remarket them and whether or not that method is, is the best way to achieve the best return. And uh Just from the experience I have, the state does a very poor job in their remarketing method, but anyway, that's a story for another day if this bill's not addressing any part of it. Thank you that could be a potential
different bill. Thank you. All right. Next up we have
Speaker 90
38:52
Senator Tucker. Senator Tucker, question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Anybody can answer these
Senator Clarke Tucker
Unverified
38:59
questions, um. The first question is, I, I think I've got this. I just want to make sure I have an understanding on so right now the requirement is that we have to maintain records of state-owned vehicles. And, and those records are subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. And so with the amendment, essentially what we're exempting from requiring maintaining
records on is uh vehicles used for law enforcement owned by DPS for corrections. Vehicle used for emergency response that are owned by DPS or corrections and third vehicles used to transport inmates that are owned by corrections. That's correct. That's I have that accurate. OK, and I, not that I anticipate any. Concern, I just am curious if you have heard any feedback from like a 4A task force or the press association or anything about that, nothing, yeah, OK, just, just asking. And the last question is, Page 3. Um
Lines 28 to 30. We're striking The requirement that the records are subject to audit. And and
shall be kept for 5 years. I think that's addressed in the
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
40:10
amendment. Yeah, that was, yeah, audit came to me and wanted that amendment, so we don't know if that
was an accident in the bill drafting. So if you'll look, that is OK, there it is. OK,
Speaker 156
40:22
so it's added the amendments. OK, thank you.
Yeah, we wanted to keep it that we don't know how that happens, but.
Speaker 76
40:36
Thank you. Alright, thank you, Senator Tucker. Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Chair. How many vehicles do we
Speaker 174
40:45
own currently with this supply to? Right now we, it's around 4000. I'm not sure the exact amount. Um, it
Speaker 158
40:50
was right over 4000 when we started the Arkansas Forward Project, and I think we're right under that number today. OK, and I'm assuming other states do
Senator Dan Sullivan
Unverified
40:59
this. So when you come up with your projections, we've looked at models that are similar to ours. Yeah. Yes, I've talked to several other states on how they
Speaker 157
41:07
manage their fleet and so we're trying to take their lessons learned and best practices. Yeah, that's our kind of our model is what other people are doing.
Senator Dan Sullivan
Unverified
41:14
OK, thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Senator Senator Hammer. You're recognized for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Chair
Unverified
41:18
Recently didn't and I'm not sure is this applying to all agencies
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
41:29
or just to the law enforcement ones just first of all, point clarification. All, all agencies,
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
41:37
we, we've eliminated those vehicles because of the Law enforcement aspect aspect of it, yeah and recently sent over
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
41:43
a batch to um What's over there in Gary Springs. and y'all sent over a fleet of cars or a bunch of cars to be sold recently, didn't you, in the last few months. We since the Arkansas Forward Project
Speaker 161
41:59
started back in March. We identified several
Speaker 158
42:02
underutilized vehicles, and I think as of the end of February, we had sent about 102 of those underutilized vehicles across the cabinet level departments to MNR to sell. OK, and And I guess maybe this is to the
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
42:15
other bill. Perhaps it may come and what Senator Payton was saying, the value of the cars for what you
Chris Madison
Unverified
42:22
sold them. Do you track if you're getting fair market value because that's all done through gov.
Whatever the auction site, are you tracking what we're getting out of
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
42:33
those versus against Blue Book or value. They look at Blue Book to get the initial value, and they
Speaker 158
42:39
always, they should, they're starting on the high end. Once they get those vehicles in and look at the condition they're in, um, that's, that's the starting point for pricing those vehicles, OK, and then one other thing in looking at
Chris Madison
Unverified
42:52
this before, I noticed some of the vehicles that are being listed are like farm vehicles. They might be 1968. farm vehicles that they move
once or twice a month or whatever the criteria for getting rid of it, you're getting feedback from the agencies themselves as far as and and I think We'd even seen a report before where they tracked the last time it was moved and all those kind of things you're throwing all those factors into the equation as far as getting rid of them or because what I wouldn't want to see is. A vehicle gets moved once or twice a month at ASU farm up in BB and then and then now we're gonna go buy it, now we're gonna go buy a brand new truck and it
only gets moved once or twice, you know, month, but when they need it to haul off the cow manure and stuff they needed. So how is all that factored into what we're doing here. So the first step
Speaker 158
43:42
was identifying vehicles that were driven less than 100 miles over that calendar year, and they came up with a list of those vehicles. And then, so numbers don't the whole story. So then we worked with the departments, DF and they worked with departments to figure out, OK, is there a reason? Is that just an accurate data, you know, was it not keyed in correctly at the end of the
month, um, and those are the things that we're trying to eliminate from having to track manually. We want to, that's the telematics will help with that. We'll have that data real life, you know, real time is the value of
Chris Madison
Unverified
44:16
the bill is it gives you more real-time tracking. Good deal. Thank you and just a reminder, this
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
44:21
is cabinet. only, so this is not higher ed or game and fish, OK, thank you. All right, questions from the committee. All
right, not seeing any anymore. Don't have anybody sign
up to speak for or against this, Senator Irvin, you're recognized and
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
44:40
close for your bill. Thank you. This is just a really good smart government policy, I believe, and, uh, and prevents all the hand keying in and all the different agencies. This will free those agencies up to focus on what they're really supposed to be doing and working in those fields, so, um, and, and, and moving the fleet management to complete transformation and shared services and being able to track in real time what's happening with our state fleet so we can
better utilize our vehicles. So appreciate the questions, obviously from our expert automobile, uh, person in the Senate and they're very good questions and um I'm just really excited about this effort, so I appreciate a good vote. Alright, Senators close for her
bill. I'll have a motion. I got a motion to pass from Senator Payton, second from Senator Tucker, all in. As amended. Thank you, Carly. Any discussion on the motion, seeing none, all in favor say aye. opposed. Congratulations, Senator Irvin, your bill passes.
Next up, we will take a Senate Bill
Speaker 189
45:43
344, thank you. Uh, we can have Kay Barnhill come up. Thank you. Thank
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
45:47
you. Just Senator Missy Irvin, District 24. Leslie Fiskin, Secretary of Transformation and Shared Services. Cape Barn Hill State Personnel
Chair
Unverified
46:09
director Transformation and Shared Service. Welcome, Senator Irving. You're
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
46:12
recognized proceed with your bill. Thank
you so much, members. What this bill does, it's transferring the healthy employee lifestyle program from the Department of Health to the Department of Transformation and Shared Services. And to amend the law concerning the healthy lifestyle program, um, this bill is just um the program was started in 2005 by Governor Mike Huckabee as a way to incentivize employees to live
healthier and employees can earn points for exercising, eating fruits and vegetables, not smoking and participating in various wellness programs. Points can be exchanged for up to 3 days of leave per 12 month period. What this deal does is it moves the program to transformation and Shared Services, which is, I think the appropriate place for it to be, uh, and so it can be evaluated as part of the overall employee benefits package, including ways to improve and expand the program to more employees. There's no fiscal
impact as the program has been in existence for 20 years, and the state spends approximately $1 million per year on on this program. Um, I did not know that this program. Existed and we as members of the General Assembly can participate in this program. Oh. A great question. I wish maybe we should add that in
Speaker 156
47:36
the evaluation part of it, um, but anyway, I, I think it's
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
47:42
just a it's it's a smart bill, and again, I think it's important to continue the work that Governor Mike Huckabee, um, put forward and, and really just Bringing back some intention and focus to that program. explanation of the bill, Senator Payton.
Senator John Payton
Unverified
48:00
Are there any assets or? Accounts, buckets of money being transferred. No, sir. OK, thank you. Right. Any questions from members of
Speaker 9
48:12
Senator Tucker, a question? Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm just curious like
Senator Clarke Tucker
Unverified
48:17
kind of what y'all's plans are to what do you plan to do with it? Well, OK, so
Speaker 194
48:23
this program has been administered by the health department and it's got employees that were involved with it ever since it began, but we're going to try to do is systemize the administration of this program, so I'll state departments would participate. We have, I don't want to say better, but we have really good analytics. We do a lot of lead
programs. I think we can update the software that you used for it as well and let it better serve the employees that are currently using. OK. Generally, I, I tell you
Senator Clarke Tucker
Unverified
48:52
take it that this is the reason why you're running the bill, but the goal is to increase engagement in the program and you think y'all will be able to, yeah, you gotta let people know that it's out there and available. I didn't know
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
49:03
that. So, um, thank you. Thank you, Senator. Alright, and there are questions from the committee.
Alright, see no, don't see anybody silent. Speak for or against this. Senator Irvin, you're recognize to close your bill. I'm closed for the bill. I appreciate a good bit. All right, Senators closed. I got a motion, got a motion to pass as a no, there's no amendment, just a motion to pass from Senator Payton. 2nd from Senator Hammer in the discussion on the motion, see none. All in favor say aye. Opposed. Congratulations, Senator, your bill passes. We'll go to the See here 370.
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
49:44
Symbol 370. It's only. 3370. OK, yeah, I sit on the back. Senate Bill
370. Thank you. Come on. And as they're coming up, Senator Missy Urban District 24. And I'm just gonna go ahead and present the bill as they come up and then they can answer questions if you have them. What Cinab Bill 370 does, it
transfers the Arkansas wine Producers Council from the Department of Commerce to the tourism division of the Arkansas Department of Parks Heritage and Tourism. this bill has the support of both departments who are here and the governor's office. This transfer will align with the council's goal of wine promotion within the state of agency. His role and function is to promote the natural state to travelers, Department of Tourism. So our current goal of the Arkansas Wine Producers
Councils to develop a physical visitor center and the heart of Arkansas wine country, um, entries within the Arkansas Department of Commerce cannot own land. Therefore, the council requires a state agency transfer. Um, the tourism division will extend its expertise in promotion and marketing to collaborate with the council on their initiatives, so we can ask or answer any questions and if you'll identify yourselves for the record, you can make comments. Delaney Thomas, director of the tourism
Speaker 208
51:14
division for Parks, Heritage and Tourism.
Speaker 209
51:19
Jay Quinley, director of legislative affairs for the Department of Commerce, correct. Alright, members, for an explanation of the bill, any questions from members of
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
51:28
the committee, Senator Payton. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So what are we building at what cost? Again, the bill does not
subscribe to that. It gives them the option to be able to do it right now. There is no option to do it because of where it's housed, and so we're trying to move it, uh, and they can speak to that. So where would that money come from if they decided to do it?
Speaker 209
51:51
And the approval. Go ahead. Sure, I can speak to this. One of the goals of the wine producers' council is to develop a wine tourism facility in Franklin County, I believe. There is a tourism development trust fund set aside from that in 195956. There are currently about $3.6 million set aside for that, that is to buy land, construct the facility, and then staff and operate it.
Senator John Payton
Unverified
52:23
So the trust fund has got 3.6%. Where did that money come
Speaker 209
52:27
from? That was, I believe, 50% set aside from the broader tourism development trust fund. So, so it's not
Senator John Payton
Unverified
52:34
like dollars coming off of a sale of a bottle of wine. I think a
Speaker 211
52:39
portion from producers from wine producers and wine sales in Arkansas. OK, and so. Is there a board
Senator John Payton
Unverified
52:45
or? Or a cabinet or something that. I
guess it's the council. Are they the authority on what
they're going to build, where they're going to build, and yes,
Speaker 209
52:58
the wine producers council is the one that is charged with inspecting and determining suitable locations and then looking into constructing the facility and staffing it currently that council falls under the Department of Commerce umbrella, but and the wine council addressed this in in October meeting in their minutes they mentioned that even if we want, even if they wanted to start, they can't because commerce and aren't allowed to purchase and own land themselves, so they're
literally not allowed to fulfill their function right now being under commerce. And so their function
Senator John Payton
Unverified
53:30
is the goal of building this facility and promote as part
Speaker 211
53:34
of promoting wine tourism in state so do they already have,
Senator John Payton
Unverified
53:37
are they, do they require appropriation? Do they already have appropriation, which is the spending authority. I think they already have an appropriation and spending authority based on
Speaker 209
53:45
what's in this fund. Now as far as is that enough currently in the fund to fully accom their goals, I can't speak to that have the spending authority
Senator John Payton
Unverified
53:56
to spend the 3.6 million. They just don't have the authority to own property. That is correct. OK, thank you. Thank you, Senator Payton.
Speaker 9
54:05
Are there any other questions for the committee, Senator Tuckner, you're recognized for a
Senator Clarke Tucker
Unverified
54:08
question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So you'll, you'll want that wine over at Parks and Tourism, huh? All right, that's it. That's all I needed to know.
Speaker 219
54:17
Thank you, Senator. Are there any questions for the committee? All right, for the questions. Do
you have anybody sign up to speak for or against this. I
don't see anybody up sir. Titan, you have another question. Can I have another question? Yeah, I'll, I'll give you the latitude. How many members
Senator John Payton
Unverified
54:39
are on the council, and is it the council that will decide the location and the purchase of the land. We just had a bill yesterday. It says that the building authority is going to. have to Approve Buying and selling of real
estate with any agency. Within the state, of course it hadn't become law yet, but there's already an approval process. With the building authority. I'm just, so how many people are on the council that's going to
make this decision and who has to sign off on that decision. My understanding is there are 8
Speaker 209
55:18
people currently on the committee, I believe one of the members was just reappointed by the governor. As for the process, I believe they would choose the location, determine
the cost, and then submit bids that would be approved by the Department of Parks Heritage
Speaker 211
55:33
and Tourism. I believe that would be the process. OK. Assuming the transfer occurred, of course. Thank you.
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
55:42
Right. And of course subject to ALC ALC review. An approval. All right, thank you. Are you
Speaker 121
55:49
sure that subject that you see? Yeah, any, any, anything
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
55:53
like that would have to go through ALC review and ALC approval, thank you.
Now I see anybody I don't speak for or against this. Senator Irvin, you are recognized to close your
Speaker 126
56:13
bill. Closed. I'd appreciate a good though. All right, Senators closed for her bill. I got a motion from Senator Tucker, 2nd
from Senator Sullivan, any discussion on the motion? See, none. All in favor say aye. opposed. Congratulations, Senator, your bill passes. Thank you. Thank yous of the committee. Alright,
Senator Hammer, are you going to run Senate Bill 299? got a moment for that. Yeah.
Hm Hm All right, gentlemen, Phil Ruckett, introduce yourselves. Tell us your read for the record, and Senator Hammer, you'd be recognized to proceed with your
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
57:28
bill and your or excuse me, your amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members Committee, Kim Hammer, state senator, District 16 to
Chris Madison
Unverified
57:33
run Senate Bill 299, and it has an amendment. My name is Chris Madison. I'm the director of the
State Board of Election commissioners, and this is a state board approved bill.
Speaker 144
57:44
Thank you. Senator Hammer, don't you briefly explain the
Chris Madison
Unverified
57:48
amendment to, do you mind if I just yield to Chris? I think it'd
be quicker. Thank you. So from comments last time we were having issues addressing the assist or ID portion of this bill, so we have struck that all out. The only thing that remains at this point is that a nursing home administrator, if they are assisting a resident in marking their ballot that they have a witness, much like you do when you go vote if a poll worker's assisting you, you've got two poll workers. And there was one
minor tweak. I had a meeting with my, my local election task force, the smart folks that actually run elections. And they identified in Section 3, the marking or delivering because really the delivering doesn't need to be witnessed, so this amendment strikes or delivering out of Section 3, and then on Section 4, it strikes the forecasting and then the added language delivering, so it makes it much cleaner that the witness is there to witness the marking of the ballot. Great. All right, a motion adopted by Senator Tucker, seconded by
Senator Payton. All in favor. Say aye opposed. All right, congratulations. Your amendment's been adopted.
All right, Senator, recognize explain your bill as amended. OK. We had pretty lengthy discussion
Chris Madison
Unverified
58:53
last time on this. I'd like to yield to Chris to blend the two together and take questions at that time, Mr. Chairman. right, Chris, go ahead. Thank you, Senators
and Mr. Chairman. So as I said, we've stricken all of the assister ID. I'm gonna run a separate bill that addresses ID and some of the issues you raised. This solely focuses now on the nursing home administrator and requires a witness if the
administrator is helping them fill out their ballot. That's what it is, right. Members who heard an explanation of
Speaker 230
59:22
the bill. Any questions from the committee. Alright, I'll send any
questions, don't see anybody set up speak for or against. With that center, you're to close for your bill. Thank you. Appreciate the
Chris Madison
Unverified
59:34
advice given by the committee before we've respected that and incorporating it in this bill and so hope you could give us a good vote and with that I make a motion do pass as amended as amended. Got a motion to pass as amended by Senator Hammer.
Seconded by Senator Payton in a discussion on the motion see none. All
Speaker 125
59:52
in favor say aye. Opposed. Congratulations, Senator, your bill passes. Thank you, Mr. Chair members. All right, see
no further. Anybody else in here to run a bill? All right, see you. Yes, sir, on
Chris Madison
Unverified
1:00:04
the bill I've got uh dealing with the treasure. I want to pass over but I like to keep it on the 23, that we'll keep that on the act. Thanks Hammer. Alright, members,
see no further business come before this committee. We are adjourned.
Agenda
CALL TO ORDER - Sen. Scott Flippo
SB299 K. Hammer TO REQUIRE A PERSON ASSISTING A VOTER TO PRESENT PHOTO IDENTIFICATION; AND TO REQUIRE A STAFF MEMBER TO WITNESS AN ADMINISTRATOR ASSISTING A RESIDENT OF A LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY WITH ABSENTEE VOTING.
SB343 Irvin TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING STATE-OWNED MOTOR VEHICLES; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PUBLIC PROPERTY; AND TO AMEND THE AUTOMOBILE AND PICKUP TRUCK ACQUISITION ACT FOR THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.
SB344 Irvin TO TRANSFER THE HEALTHY EMPLOYEE LIFESTYLE PROGRAM FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSFORMATION AND SHARED SERVICES; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PROGRAM.
SB351 J. Dismang TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ETHICS AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE; TO AMEND PORTIONS OF INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1990; AND TO AMEND PORTIONS OF INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1996.
SB353 Hester TO AMEND THE DATE OF THE PRIMARY ELECTION; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PREFERENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION SHALL BE HELD IN MARCH; AND TO CHANGE THE DATE OF THE FISCAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
HB1568 Childress TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EXAMINATIONS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND POSTMORTEM EXAMINATIONS; AND TO AMEND THE LAW REQUIRING A POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION WHEN A DEATH IS BY APPARENT DRUG, ALCOHOL, OR POISON TOXICITY.
SB370 Irvin TO TRANSFER THE ARKANSAS WINE PRODUCERS COUNCIL FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, HERITAGE, AND TOURISM; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
ADJOURNMENT
Documents
| Title | Type | Pages | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda — STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE, Mar 6, 2025 | Agenda | 3 | Official source ↗ |
Speakers
Senator Scott Flippo Chair
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Senator Bart Hester
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Speaker 24
Lindsay Bailey
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Chair
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Senator Alan Clark
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Speaker 36
Senator John Payton
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Senator Jonathan Dismang
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Senator Clarke Tucker
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Senator Kim Hammer
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Chris Madison
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Representative Paul Childress
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Senator Missy Irvin
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Speaker 90
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Senator Dan Sullivan
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