Joint Budget Committee sends multiple bills and amendments forward; special language and personnel items referred to subcommittees

The Joint Budget Committee adopted a slate of reports, amendments and appropriations and routed several items to subcommittees on Feb. 27.

Representative Johnson, reporting for special language, said the subcommittee “adopted amendments for Senate Bill 38, Department of Health Licensing and Regulation Boards” and other bills; the committee then adopted the special language report. Representative Richmond reported the personnel committee met and said personnel-related positions were being transferred to the Department of the Inspector General; Richmond said there are “16 positions in total being transferred to inspector general along with an increase of 2,000,000 in the regular salaries matching in operations appropriation.” The committee adopted the personnel report.

Several bills and amendments were approved by voice vote, with no roll-call tallies recorded in the transcript. Highlights recorded in the meeting include:

- Senate Bill 22 (Department of Inspector General): reported ready and adopted as “do pass as amended.” - Senate bill listed as “3 33” (cash appropriation of $3,000,000 for construction of a police station facility at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff): Senator Flowers described the project and asked for passage; the committee passed the appropriation. - Amendment to Senate Bill 124 (University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture): Senator Caldwell said the amendment would provide $6,500,000 annually to the Division of Agriculture; committee adopted the amendment. - Amendment to House Bill 1163 (labor and licensing commission): added $35,000 to support complaint investigations for home inspectors; committee adopted the amendment; department staff said the funds would allow use of third-party contractors rather than creating a full-time investigator position. - Senate Bill 359 (Department of Education grant program): a $1,700,000 cash-funded grant program for comprehensive out-of-school programs; committee referred the bill with special language. - Senate Bill 362 (youth organization grants): $2,000,000 with special language; referred to special language. - Governor's letter 15 (amendment to House Bill 1096 shifting medical tobacco settlement responsibilities within Department of Human Services): adopted. - House Bill 1103 (Department of Corrections Community Correction Division): reported ready for do pass and approved. - House and senate capital-improvement bills and appropriations for AETN, the School for the Deaf, and the Building Authority were approved; multiple smaller capital items and amendments were also adopted.

Committee chairs sent most governor letters (14, 16–25 series) to the personnel subcommittee; special language items were scheduled for a special language meeting and the committee set the next joint meeting and subcommittee schedules.

All listed approvals in the transcript were taken by voice vote (members responding “Aye”); the transcript does not record individual roll-call votes or recorded tallies.