House Convenes

I invite the members, staff, press, and guests in the galleries to stand and be led in prayer by House Chaplain Brother Richard Hamlin, senior pastor, Faith Baptist Church of Cabot, and to remain standing for the Pledge of allegiance to be led by Representative Lane Jean. Right Heavenly Father, we want to begin today by lifting up, uh, the family of Representative Duke, and her brother-in-law that's passed away. God, we pray that you're the God of all come, uh, we pray you do. Uh, we also pray God for this, that magnificent virtue of humility, uh, virtue that we probably would not recognize if you did not set it in such stark contrast. Uh, with the, he told us of the 7 things. Uh, pride goes promise to bless Members, please indicate your presence by pushing your yellow present button. Prepair the machine, madam clerk. As everyone recorded their presence. Cast up the ballot, Madam Clerk. With 97 members present, chair sees a quorum. Are there any requests for leave? Representative Rich Richardson for what purpose? Leave Representative Mark Perry, please, I leave granted for Representative Mark Perry. So granted. Representative Long, for what purpose? You're recognized. Requesting leave for Representative Cameron Cooper. His leave granted for representative Cooper. So granted. Representative Matthew Shepherd moves that we dispense with the reading of the previous day's journal with no objections so ordered are the reports from select committees. Madam Clerk, are there any reports from standing committees, any unfinished business? Are there executive communications, Madam Clark, you're recognized. Speaker of the House. Dear Mr. Speaker, this is to inform you that on January 27th, 2025, I reviewed and approved the following measures from the fiscal session of the ninety-fifth General Assembly. House Bill 1080, Act 2, House Bill 1001 Act 3, House Bill 1108, Act 4, House Bill 1109, Act 5, House Bill 1110, Act 6, House Bill 1111, Act 7. House Bill 1113 Act 8. House Concurrent resolution 1002. Sincerely, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Governor of Arkansas. Thank you, Madam Clark. Members of this time, I'd like to recognize in the back of the house chamber, Sergeant Austin Ley from the regulatory Services Division and Corporal Trey Keller from the Highway Patrol Administration Division, both of Little Rock. Gentlemen, thank you for your service. Would you please make them welcome? Members also with us today, our doctor of the day is Dr. Alicia Spence, Doctor of Family Medicine, a guest of Representative John Milligan from Jonesboro, please make her welcome. Members in the East gallery, we have a group here today, a special group of, uh, students from Access Arkansas. Would you please make them welcome? We thank you for being here. They are guests here today of Representative Julie Mayberry and also in the East Gallery today. Uh, one day late from a, uh, very special birthday. We have the father of Representative Steven Meeks, uh, our friend David Meeks. Please welcome him and wish him a happy birthday. Madam Clark, please read. Mr. Clark, please read House Resolution 1009. House Resolution 1009 to recognize by Representative Beatty to recognize and celebrate Arkansas Forestry Day at the state Capitol on January 21st, 2025. Representative Beatty, you're recognized. Is it? now. Members last week, I came to the well, uh, to speak, uh, about forestry Day at the Capitol. Today is to formally present the resolution, uh, so that I could present that to the Arkansas Forestry Association. So I'm here to present and ask for your support on House resolution 1009. To recognize and celebrate Arkansas Forestry Day at the state Capitol. As a January 21st, 2025. Thank you with that. I appreciate it. Madam Clark, please read the resolution in name only. To recognize and celebrate Arkansas Forestry Day at the state Capitol on January 21st, 2025. Representative Beatty has explained the resolution. Would anyone like to speak against the resolution. Would anyone like to speak for the resolution? Representative Beatty is closed for the resolution. Question before the house is the passage of House resolution 1009. All those in favor say aye. pose nay, the eyes have it. Congratulations, Representative Beatty, your resolution is adopted. Remember that's the end of the morning hour. We'll now go to your red calendar, Madam Clark, please read House Bill 1071. House Bill 1071 by Representative Scott Richardson to amend the Frank Buroughs Publicity Rights Protection Act of 2016 and to provide protections for an individual whose photograph, voice, or likeness is reproduced through means of artificial intelligence. Representative Richardson, you are recognized to explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, members. I bring before you House Bill 1071. Uh, this bill is essentially just a cleanup bill with a minor update for emerging trends and technologies. Uh, the Frank Bres publicity rights Protection Act of 2016 protects an individual's right to control the commercial use of their name, signature, and likeness. So essentially this act established a property right to the commercial use of an individual's identity. The idea of leveraging the computer to manipulate an image, a series of images or sounds to produce a lifelike representation of an individual performing an act that didn't occur in reality. Was, uh, mostly science fiction in 2016 when the Frank Broyles publicity Rights Protection Act was passed. Today, however, leveraging AI generative tools to create a video of, let's say, our own famous members here in the house. Um, to enjoy, let's say, a biscuit feast from the buttered biscuit. And then Leveraging that video as an endorsement for the buttered biscuit is very much in the realm of possibilities. And in our current law might be considered a bit of a loophole. So this, in order to combat this, House Bill 1071 addresses this in 3 or 4 different places within the current law to make it, um, easily to understand that, uh, AI generative materials is included in that particular law. And with that, I'm happy to take any questions. See none, I'd appreciate a good vote. Representative Richardson has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Would anyone like to speak for the bill? Representative Richardson is closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of House Bill 1071, prepare the machine, Madam clerk. So everyone voted. Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot, Madam Clerk. The vote of 95 e, 1 nay, and one present. The bill has passed. Madam Clerk, please read House Bill 1005. I spent 1,005 by Representative Ra to amend the law regarding tuition waivers for Arkansas National Guard soldiers and airmen to include programs of study leading to a post-secondary certificate or credential. Representative Ray, you were recognized to explain the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Um, colleagues, House Bill 1005 updates the National Guard tuition waiver program and improves it by allowing guardsmen to use their tuition waiver for a post-secondary credential or certificate. In addition to a degree-seeking program. So, by way of background, the National Guard tuition waiver program was created in 2017, um, my predecessor, former Representative Doug House, was actually the lead sponsor on that. I know many of you served with him and it was created as a basically an employee benefit for our guardsmen, as you, I'm sure are aware. One of the biggest challenges facing all of the armed services is recruitment and retention. And there were a lot of other states around us that had, uh, tuition waiver programs for their guardsmen. And so we created one in 2017, um, To help with guard recruitment. Since the program was implemented, there's approximately 400 to 500 guardsmen a year that take advantage of this great employee benefit, but the way the program is currently structured, it only allows for tuition waivers for those enrolled in a degree, uh, producing program, but we know that there are a lot of worthwhile, uh, certificates and credentials that are not associated with a degree program, but that helped significantly with workforce development, skills development, uh, and including in many professions that are in high demand, things like HVAC, EMT, welding, uh, the elements of manufacturing, such as machining, CNC, quality control, things like auto mechanic, diesel technician, collision repair specialist, high voltage linemen, those are just a few examples. Uh, a couple of things I'll mention about this. One, I see this in large part as a workforce development tool. Um, I think by this point, we all have come around to understanding that we need more Americans and more Arkansans, um, working in the skilled trades. And obviously, we also need people seeking degrees, but we need people all throughout, um, all, all throughout that continuum of credentials. And our guardsmen represent some of Arkansas's finest citizens. They are here for us, uh, in moments of crisis, whether it's assisting, uh, stranded passengers on a roadway during an ice storm, whether it's helping clear debris in the aftermath of a tornado, or whether it's helping our border patrol on the southern border, secure our nation's borders. Uh, and if you think about it, this policy is really directed in, in the same direction as Representative Lundstrom's constitutional amendment with The lottery scholarship last session, which passed with almost 90% of the vote at the ballot. So, um, with that, I'll be happy to take any questions about the bill. Saying none, we appreciate a good vote. Representative Ray has explained the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill? Would anyone like speak for the bill. Representative Ray is closed for the bill. The question before the House is the passage of House Bill 1005. Prepare the machine, madam clerk. Everyone voted. Everyone voted. Cast up the ballot, Madam Clerk. The vote of 98, 0 nay, 0 present. The bill has passed. Members feel turned to your yellow calendar. Madam Clerk, please read Senate Bill 53 Senate Bill 53. Representative Juni, you're recognized to explain the. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like if we have one bill. This is, uh, Senate Bill 53. This is the continuing education bill that our county officials have to do that we Through the years have mandated on them, just for the county treasurer. The circuit clerk, Uh, the county collector in the uh county coroner. They're continuing education, money is provided out of special revenue that the county's raised from fees, no additional money, there's no increase on the appropriation. Any questions? Saying no, you're one vote is for the bill and the emergency clause, Mr. Speaker, the clerk read the bill a 3rd time. Madam Clark, read the bill for the 3rd time. 53. Anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill Representative Jean closed for the bill. Question before the house is the passage of Senate Bill 53. Prepare the machine. If everyone voted. Members, your one vote is for the bill and the emergency clause. Cast up the ballot, Madam Clerk. With a vote of 97, 0, nay, 0 Represented Meeks, for what purpose? Motion, please. hear your motion. After the announcements reading of the bills, transferring the bills, placed in the calendars on the desk, members amending their own bills with their own amendments, members withdrawing their own bills, finalizing resolutions, reading communications, and any remaining committee reports. I move that we adjourn until 1:30 tomorrow afternoon. That's a proper motion. It's not debatable. All in favor say aye. Nay, motion carries. Any announcements from committee chairs. Representative Jean, for what purpose? Recognized Uh, members it was on the calendar, but, uh, visiting with Senator Dismay and staff, uh, and was waiting on the pay plan to come out, there will be no joint budget tomorrow morning. Representative Kavanaugh, for what purpose? you're at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning in room 151. Representative Underwood, for what purpose? Holcomb, for what purpose? Announcement. You're recognized. Public transportation will meet in the morning at 10:00 a.m. Mac B. Representative Wooldridge, for what purpose? You're recognized. Public health will meet tomorrow, 15 minutes upon adjournment, room 1:30. Representative Warren, for what purpose? Announcement, you're recognized. Joint retirement will meet 15 minutes upon adjournment of the House and Senate, uh, tomorrow afternoon. Representative Brooks, for what purpose? You're recognized will be in the morning at 10 a.m. in room 138. Representative Meeks, for what purpose? Announcement, recognized. Uh, just put it on your radar, the organizational meeting of the technology committee will be Wednesday at noon. Wednesday at noon. Thank you members. Representative Kavanaugh, for what purpose? You're recognized. Um, we just want to make an announcement that the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care will be having a reception tonight from 5 to 7 and it's in the new venue, the Capitol District Event Center. Seeing no other announcements, we are adjourned. Representative Doby, for what purpose? Announcement. You're recognized. Members, we have a birthday amongst us.