House Rules

Uh, we'll go around the, the committee and, and hear from each of the members. Uh, my name's John Eubanks. I represent District 46 in West Central Arkansas, uh, whereas this is my 6th term on rules. This is the first time that I've chaired this committee. Unfortunately, but anyway, uh, welcome, and I don't know if there's a sign out sheet out there for anybody. That may wish to speak for or against the The bills we're going to hear today, but we'll go ahead and, and, uh, hear from the rest of the members. Shad Pierce, District 40, North, North Central Arkansas. 2nd time to be sitting here and proud to be here. Jeff Wordlaw District 94, South Arkansas. Steve McGee, District 56, Conway, Arkansas. Lessees District 58, uh, Cersei, Arkansas area. Thank y'all for, uh, Your patience. I'm Dwight Toge state representative District 38 covers southern part of Craighead County, part of Pointsett, part of Jackson. It's an honor for me to serve on this committee. Thank you. Uh, Representative Jeremiah Moore serving District 61. I covered the southeast side of Jackson County, all of Woodruff County, the eastern third of Prairie County, a little over half of Monroe County, and most of Arkansas County, and this is my 2nd term on rules. Glad to be here. Glad to serve. Uh, Representative RJ Hawk, District 81, Saline County, uh, portion of Benton, almost all of Bryant's, uh, and, uh, this will be my first time on rules. Representative Mindy McAlinden, House District 10. I have Bentonville, Bella Vista, and a little portion of Centerton, uh, 2nd term, but first time on rules, and I'm happy to be here. Matt Duffield, District 53, Russellville, second term on rules, honored to, uh, continue, uh, to work for the Arkansas taxpayers in this capacity. Thank you for coming. Hi, I'm Brett McKenzie. I represent the fine folks of Rogers, Gateway, Garfield, Novoca, Northwest Arkansas. First time on rules. Nicole Clowney, District 21, which is Fayetteville. Go hogs. Carol Day, which is district, um, District 100, which Texicana, Arkansas, and then I've been on rules for 4.5 terms. I took representative Branscombe's spot when he resigned, so it's been a while. Glad to be back. Representative DM bought District 87, Sevier County, Howard Count, a portion of Howard County and all of Little River County. And this is my 6th term to be on this committee, and I'm glad to serve it. I'm Ken Ferguson, district, uh, 64 parts of Jefferson, Lincoln and Desha County, and this is my, I think 3rd term on roads. All right. Thank you, members. We're gonna go ahead and get started. We have 3 bills we're gonna hear today. Uh, we're gonna, uh, begin with HR 1001, uh, Representative Eaves. If you'll introduce yourself for the record, you're recognized. OK. Representative Les Eaves District 58. Jill Thayer Bureau of Legislative Research. You recognize. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members, these are, uh, Uh, rules changes that we're going to need to make that will allow, uh, the house rules to match the joint rules. I've got Ms. Jill Thayer here it's gonna explain some of them, but it's gonna change, I believe, representative Eve, so you have an amendment? Yes. Would you like to present the amendment first. I don't even have an agenda, to be honest with you at this point, OK. It's just what I get for doing favors. Yeah, uh, the amendment to page 27 deletes lines 17 through 22. That's the amendment. All right, we have a motion to adopt the amendment. All in favor say aye. Opposed nay, most of the amendment is adopted. You may present the bill as amended. Thank you. Uh, as I was saying, this will get the house rules changed to match the joint rules. It changes section 38P and also 38 R. Those have to do with, uh, health benefit plans, uh, one of them changes the bill filing deadline. Uh, it changes who the bill filing deadline effects. The other one changes who the fiscal impact uh effects. And uh any questions. I've got, like I said, Miss Thayer here that can answer some questions or help give you more information. Any questions from the committee? See no what's the will of the committee. Have a motion due pass. All in favor say aye. And he opposed? You've, uh, passed your bill, Representative Eaves, I feel your pain now. where are we at? Representative John E. Banks. I'm gonna be presenting, uh, House Bill 1080. You're recognized. OK. This bill is an act to repeal the requirement for a fiscal impact statement for any proposed legislation imposing a new or increased cost obligation for health benefit plans, or on an entity of the state. Now, uh, this bill came about, uh, it was recommended by Siegel, our consultant who we, uh, had hired to deal with the EBD plans, and it, it was, uh, Sort of uh unintended consequence that it included the higher ed. Institutions of the state, so it required 8 different fiscal impacts for each bill and each uh amendment to that bill. So, What The bureau has decided it since uh One Legislature can't bind another legislature that this was something that actually needed to be in our joint rules. And so, but, we're going to repeal this statute, and I believe the Senate passed the joint rules in committee today and They're going to have it on their floor tomorrow, uh, after, uh, we adopt those joint rules, this requirement for the fiscal impact dealing with the EBD program will be in our joint rules. And so that will be something that would be adopted with each new legislature. And I'd be glad to take any questions. Any question by the committee? Have a motion do pass. Anybody in audience signed to speak. It's closed for his bill have him up. Problem. Any further discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor say aye. That was opposed likewise. Congratulations. Congratulations your bill passed. All right, members, we're going on to House Bill 1056, uh, Speaker Evans, are you ready to present that bill? You'll identify yourself for the record, you'll be recognized. Representative Brian Evans, District 68. Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the committee, I, I trust you've had some time as I, I filed this bill early. Um, to, to go through it and, and hopefully have a good understanding of what, uh, the goal and name of this is over the last, uh, at least last 3 years, uh, I've just had a growing uh burden, uh, and heart for what we are trying to do as a state in regards to our relations with our military, uh, most especially also with our veterans across the state, um, with the booming growth in the operation and the mission at the base in Fort Smith. With the continued growth in population that we have it's Little Rock Air Force Base Camp Robinson, uh, with a lot of the work that's going on behind the scenes with the former base in Bloville with the booming economy up there. Uh, our population across this state of active duty military and those that choose once they leave here, they come back here. Uh, and I believe that we have a duty to continue to serve them just as they serve us while they are wearing that uniform. And so for some time, I've just felt like that we as a body, uh, no offense, uh, to, to any previous legislature. Uh, but that we have on our end of the house have just kind of stuck military affairs on the back end of aging children and youth and not really giving these individuals, the attention. Uh, and, and the courtesy that I think they deserve, and I don't think that we've ever not, uh, taken up any type of bill that that has come before this committee, but I think it's time that we make this a priority, uh, and I'm grateful to Senator Hester that he has joined me in this. The Senate is also kind of in the same position that we've been in is that there's just not been a committee of focus, and I think it's time that we do that. And so I propose that we form, uh, the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs. that will meet uh at any time at the call of those chairs, put a lot of focus on the appointments to those committee of folks that have a direct interest, a direct family tie to the military, uh, and so that we can take up this focus. I applaud the governor for her recent appointment, uh, the new, uh, secretary of Veterans Affairs who we have worked with us on this uh initiative. I've worked with, uh, the wing commanders at Little Rock Air Force Base on this and the excitement, uh, that they have. know that we are here for them and that we're going to dedicate a specific amount of time to working on their behalf. And so, uh, that's what this bill does is it, it, uh, adds this committee uh to house rules. I'll be happy to try to take any questions. Speaker Evans, I have one, question. I've had some people ask me when was this going to go into effect. I see there's an emergency clause, so it's the committee gonna be formed and be active in this session. So if I understand the process, this is the first step of that process is, uh, to adopt this and add this into our house rules, uh, and I would certainly yield the parliamentarian to correct me if I, if I say something wrong on this. Once this is adopted in the house rules, uh, once it passes off the floor tomorrow. Uh, we had the full sport. already. I know, uh, within the Senate, uh, then that will add it into rules, then we will have to come back, uh, and we will actually have to amend, uh, the rules to, to put it into the actual rule book, uh, and then follow that up with a resolution to amend and take the military affairs name out of the aging Children and Youth Committee, and so it's just, it's really just some procedural issues where this really just starts with the approval of this committee. I would think that, you know, typical time frame of moving a piece of legislation within 2 weeks, we can have this all completed, have that committee appointed, uh, the Senate has their appointments already made to it and we would be ready to start taking up bills. Uh, we actually have, uh, 2 or 3 bills right now that we know that have been filed that would, that would, uh, that would go to this committee and so we are holding those bills, uh, until that time and, and, and the bill sponsors are aware of that. Seeing no questions, are you, uh, Is there anyone in the audience that'd like to speak for or against this. Bill. Saying no, no, you, you're clothes for the bill for the bill. I appreciate a good vote. I have a motion to pass. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing none all in favor, say I. Oppose nay. Congratulations, Speaker, you passed the bill. Clarific As a point of clarification, we need to go back and uh I failed to state that HR 1001 passed as amended. So seeing no other business, uh, I'm sure the future meetings may get a little more exciting, so, uh, stay tuned. We're adjourned. Yeah.