ALC Peer: Aug. 12, 2025

Senator Jonathan Dismang If we can, let’s go ahead and take our seats. Members, we’re going to go ahead and get started. We’re probably about five minutes behind if that clock’s on time, or behind like it normally is. I’m going to recognize Senator Wallace to open us in prayer. [Prayer] All right, members, we’re going to operate like we normally do in Peer, at least when I’m chairing. And so we’re going to go through each Section. 

So we’re going B1 through 4, then I’m going to go back and I’m going to ask if you have a question on B1, B2, B3, B4. And then we’ll either approve or we’ll pull out whatever we need to do to take action on that Section. My request is, if you have a question on B4, don’t hit your button on B1. Okay, so wait until we get to B4, or B3. All right, just please wait and hit your button when that item comes up. That way I’m not calling on you to say, no, I actually have a question on B3 or 4. All right. Thank you. All right, with that. 

Various Appropriation Requests

Staff Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’re in Section B. These are various temporary appropriation requests. The first item is B1. This is a letter from the Department of Health, Minority Health Commission. This is for $1 million in spending authority. It’s to support the maternal health outreach campaign by doing education, awareness, and access initiatives. They will use fund balances as directed by code to reduce their balances. 

B2 is a letter from Department of Energy and Environment Oil & Gas Commission. It’s for 278,000 in appropriation. This is to replace the roof at the state geologist sample library. It’s supported by proceeds from the sale of their building. 

B3 is a letter from the Department of Public Safety, Division of State Police. It’s for $120,000. This is to pay for two Ford Transit vans for the training Section. It’s supported by a transfer from the restricted reserve fund. That was back in April. 

B4 is a letter from the Secretary of State. It’s $20,000 in appropriation. It’s to design and construct the Unborn Children Monument, and it’s supported by private donations. Mr. Chair, those are all the VTA requests. 

Senator Jonathan Dismang All right, thank you. Members, Representative Pilkington, question on B1. 

Minority Health Commission campaign

Representative Aaron Pilkington Thank you Mr. Speaker. Is anyone here from the Department of Health or Minority Health Commission? I’d just like a little more details on how this million dollars will be spent for awareness. 

Meg Mirivel Good morning, Meg Mirivel, Director of Communications for the Health Department. This is for a total $3 million campaign for maternal health statewide. We have a contractor already, Stone Ward. They’re in the planning stage of the campaign, so they’re doing stakeholder interviews and focus groups for target audiences. And then we’ll put together a comprehensive campaign across the state with multiple platforms to reach the target audience with our maternal health messages. 

Representative Aaron Pilkington Do we have any more specifics on what that campaign’s going to look like? Is there a certain area? I mean, obviously, it’s the Minority Health Commission. So I imagine it’s minorities it’s going to be focused on. I just would like a little more detail for a million dollars. 

Meg Mirivel Sure. So through the planning phase, we’ll get more into specifics, but it will be statewide. It will target all audiences. This funding in particular will go towards minority audiences. We’ll look at radio, including rural radio, digital, social media, TV, basically all platforms in order to reach the target audiences. 

Representative Aaron Pilkington Okay, thank you. 

Senator Jonathan Dismang Do we have any other questions on B1? All right. Seeing none, thank you all. B2? 3? Or 4? Seeing none, we need a motion to approve items B1 through 4. We’ve got a motion. We’ve got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those a favor signify by saying aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Items B 1 through 4 have been approved. Section C.

ARPA Requests

Staff Thank you Mr. Chair. We’re in Section C. These are the American Rescue Plan appropriation requests. The first five items are direct federal awards from a federal department to a state agency. The last two items are to provide appropriation for the awards that were made by the executive and approved by ALC. 

C1 is a request from the Department of Health. It’s for $10.2 million. They have a grant from the CDC for the healthcare associated in antimicrobial resistant infections program, for advanced molecular detection, sequencing, and analytics, and for data modernization. 

Next item is on page 4. Page 4 is C2. This is a request from Arkansas Tech University. It’s for $124,000. They have a grant from the Align program to pay adjunct faculty, technologies, furniture and supplies supporting the increased practical nursing program capacity. 

Next item is on page 9. On page 9 is C3. This is University of Arkansas Fort Smith. It’s a reallocation of previously awarded appropriation. They’re moving 45,000 in spending authority from match and operating expenses to salaries. This is to correct their budget from the first request. Their purpose remains supporting the Align Nursing Program at Mercy. 

Next item is on page 15. On page 15 is C4, also University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. This is also a reallocation of previously awarded appropriation. It’s going to correct their budget. It’s moving 55,000 in spending authority from salaries and operating expenses to match conference and travel and professional fees. This is for the Align Program for Nurses at Western Arkansas Technical Center. 

Next item is on page 21. On page 21 is C5, Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. 31.5 million is the appropriation request. They have a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to provide funding to local education agencies and districts. These funds are already obligated but have not been funded due to policy changes in a court case. A letter from the federal department explains the court intervention. 

On page 24 is the next request. This is C6 on page 24. This begins the state awards. C6 is a request from Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Services, Office of Skills Development. It’s 17.7 million. This is a state award to make grants for the Align Nursing Program and career pathways for LPNs. This is not new money. This is the continuing appropriation for the program into fiscal year 26. 

Next item is on page 26. On page 26 is C7, Department of Agriculture. Another reallocation of previously awarded appropriation. They’re moving almost $118 million in water-related projects and waste storm water projects to a combined line item to allow the department to reallocate savings from one project to budget shortfalls in another. Mr. Chair, that is the end of ARPA requests. 

Senator Jonathan Dismang All right, thank you. Members, do we have any questions on C1? C2? 4? C5? Senator Irvin.

Senator Missy Irvin Thank you, Mr. Chair. Could we just get a little bit of an explanation? I read the letter here in the litigation just about these funds and just can we just give a little more information on C5 by somebody from the department? 

Senator Jonathan Dismang If you could just recognize yourself for the committee, and then, Senator Irvin, you’re recognized to restate your question. 

Greg Rogers Thank you. Greg Rogers, Department of Education. 

Education fund obligation period

Senator Missy Irvin Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and Mr. Rogers. I know that we went through quite a process here with our legislative action about these funds. And so can you just give us a little bit more detail and information about this court case and what the status of these funds are and directly to who, what schools, or could you just give us a little more information? 

Greg Rogers Yes, ma’am. So this was the third round of the different COVID funds that we received. During those, the districts got an extension on the liquidation period. These funds actually expired last year, but the federal department of education gave an extension on liquidation. 

The funds had to be obligated either by PO or invoice or something to show the obligation that period to qualify for the liquidations. So after the extended liquidation period went through, there was a pause put on that liquidation in March. So that’s why we didn’t make this request into the annual operations plan, waiting to see if there was additional. During that time, the US Department of Education asked for additional information about how the funds were being used because they can be used for anything from a construction to an HVAC to a curriculum, overcoming learning loss, whatever it needed coming out of COVID to make the district better. 

So at the end of that, the feds released their pause and have now allowed us to have liquidation of those funds. So we need the appropriation to give these out to school districts. The school districts, they’re all over the state that still have some liquidation funds remaining of these funds. 

Senator Missy Irvin I see. I see. And the litigation just allowed for the continuation of the liquidation process? 

Greg Rogers Yes, ma’am. 

Senator Missy Irvin Okay. Thank you. There’s no recovery from the federal government for these funds? It’s just giving them more time to–

Greg Rogers To liquidate the funds.

Senator Missy Irvin –expend, to liquidate? Okay, thank you. 

Senator Jonathan Dismang All right. Thank you. Members, any other questions on C5? Seeing none, thank you. All right.  6. Any questions? Or C7? All right, seeing none, I need a motion to approve items C1 through 7. I’ve got a motion. I’ve got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. All those opposed. Motion carries. Section D 

IIJA Requests

Staff Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’re in Section D. These are Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriation requests. The first one, D1, is a request from Department of Energy and Environment, Division of Environmental Quality. It’s for 1.6 million appropriation. They have a grant from the U.S. Department of Interior to refurbish acid mine drainage sites. 

D2 is also a request from Energy and Environmental Quality. It’s for 1.6 million. They have another grant from the US Department of the Interior to remediate two surface coal mines. D3 is a request from the Department of Transportation for $280 million. This is to spend federal funds from IIJA in the second quarter. All projects using these funds are listed in a report after the request on pages 6 through 24. Mr. Chair, those are all the requests for IIJA. 

Senator Jonathan Dismang All right, thank you. Members, do we have any questions on D1, D2, and D3? And I’d recommend you taking a look at the IIJA report. With that, seeing no questions, we need a motion to approve items D1 through 3. We’ve got a motion. We’ve got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Section E. 

Restricted Reserve Transfers

Staff Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’re in Section E. These are restricted reserve fund transfer requests. The first one is a letter from the Department of Shared Administrative Services. This is the Division of Building Authority. It’s a $100,000 transfer. It’s from the various general discretionary majority vote set-aside account within the fund. This is to do hazardous material cleanup at the Army Navy Hospital. The property was used by Arkansas Rehabilitation Services until 2019. The agency operated a residential vocation rehabilitation center, which included automotive painting and other trade skills that involved hazardous materials. 

The next item is a letter from DHS Division of Asian Adult Behavioral Health is for a $2 million transfer from the various general discretionary majority vote set-aside account. This is to cover food costs for senior citizen centers. 

Senator Jonathan Dismang All right, thank you. Members, do you have any questions on E1 or E1? All right, seeing no questions, I need a motion to approve items E1 and E1. I’ve got a motion. I’ve got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. We’re to our review items, Section F. 

Review Items

Staff Thank you, Mr. Chair, we’re in Section F. These are appropriation and or fund transfer requests. F1 is a letter from the Public Defender Commission, Commission for Parent Counsel. Special language allows the commission to request appropriation transfers. The commission requests transferring 25,000 from extra help to a legal services refunds reimbursements line item. The letter explains several changes in their attorney roster accounts for the need for the transfer. 

F2 is a memo from the Department of Shared Administrative Services Division of Building Authority. Special language also allows an appropriation transfer for state properties entering the Sustainability Revolving Loan Fund program. The request shows an agreement between the Division of the Building Authority and ASU Jonesboro that will require $2.9 million in spending authority to be transferred. The loan will be used to replace two roofs that will improve energy efficiency by over 22%. The included payment schedule shows $145,000 payments twice a year until July 2034. Mr. Chair, those are all the requests.

Senator Jonathan Dismang Thank you. Members, do we have any questions on F1? F2? All right, I’ve got a motion to review. I’ve got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Items F1 and F2 are reviewed. Section G. 

Cash Fund requests

Staff Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’re in the cash fund appropriation request. The first item is a letter from Department of Corrections Division of Community Correction. It’s for $500,000 in appropriation. This is to provide spending authority for the new Department of Correction headquarters, which hosts Shared Services, Probation and Parole, Sentencing Commission, Post-Prison Transfer Board, U.S. Marshals, and also warehouse space that is rented to other departments. It is supported by the rental income. 

G2 is a letter from the Department of Agriculture for $2.9 million. This to conduct water studies. It’s supported by fees and principal and interest payments on previous loans. 

G3 is a letter from Parks, Heritage and Tourism. It’s for $264,000. This is to provide matching funds for a grant from the US Economic Development Administration for the Build to Scale program. 

G4 is a letter from Public Safety Division of State Police. It’s $7.6 million. This is to construct barracks at Camp Robinson. It’s supported by the Arkansas State Police Foundation. 

G5 is a letter from the State Board of Election Commissioners. It’s $188,000. It’s to retain and pay outside counsel for a court case regarding the board’s rule on voter registration. It’s supported by a transfer from the Restricted Reserve Fund that was made back in August of 24. Mr. Chair, those are all the cash requests. 

Senator Jonathan Dismang All right, thank you. Members, any questions on G1? 2? 3? 4? G5? All right, seeing none, we’ve got a motion to review. We’ve got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Section H. 

Staff We’re in Section H. There’s one budget classification transfer request from the Department of Public Safety Division of Emergency Management. It’s a $14,000 appropriation transfer from operating expenses to conference and travel. It’s to provide match for training needs. 

Senator Jonathan Dismang Do we have any questions on H1? Seeing no questions, we’ve got a motion to review. We’ve got a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor say aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. H1 is reviewed. Section I. 

Staff Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Section I, this is the Overtime Appropriation Request. It’s from the Secretary of State. It’s for $116,900 in appropriation. It’s to cover overtime and matching to maintain adequate staffing at the Capitol. 

Senator Jonathan Dismang Members, any questions on I1? All right, seeing no questions, we’ve got a motion to review. We’ve got to second. Any discussion on the motion, seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Item I1 is reviewed. On the reports, do we have any questions on the reports? If not, I’m going to recognize Senator Irvin on L1. 

UAMS ranked Top 10% in cancer care

Senator Missy Irvin Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the committee. And I wanted to just give an update. Representative Andy Davis, well, former Representative Andy Davis couldn’t be here today, but it’s just really exciting to let you all know that UAMS is now rated among the top 10% nationally for cancer care by US News and World Report in its 2025-2026 Best Hospitals ranking, the only hospital in Arkansas to make the list of the nation’s cancer centers. 

This high-performing designation is up 14% from the previous years and it shows just consistent improvement in quality and patient outcomes. This has been years of investment in clinical trials, innovative cancer research, cutting-edge technology and physicians and scientists. There are currently over 190 scientists that are now at the Cancer Center researching cancer and providing outreach. And the score reflects patient survival, nursing excellence, overall patient quality of care and stay. 

And so I just want to remind everybody that the National Cancer Institute designation, that was something that this general assembly supported through legislation, and we as a state have invested our dollars into this process and it’s paying off. To reach 10%, top 10% nationally, is just incredible. And so they will be submitting their formal application for National Cancer Institute designation in January of 2026. So we are well on our way. 

And just really exciting to share this because this was something that we did collaboratively and in partnership with the executive branch and the general assembly supporting UAMS to reach NCI designation. So just excellent news and I just wanted to highlight and share that with the report on behalf of UAMS. Thank you. 

Senator Jonathan Dismang All right, thank you for that update. Members, do we have any other business or do you have any questions on the reports? All right, seeing none, with that, we are adjourned. Thank you for your time this morning.