00             CS FOR SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 4(HES)                                                             
01 Relating to public health and a health compact.                                                                         
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS Alaska continues to lead the nation in negative health indicators,                                      
04 including tobacco use and alcohol abuse; and                                                                            
05       WHEREAS state residents continue to rank poorly in rates of obesity and lack of                                 
06 physical activity compared to other states, and these negative indicators can lead to long-term                         
07 illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases that require costly and ongoing                          
08 health care; and                                                                                                        
09       WHEREAS the state ranks second in the nation in per capita public health costs,                                 
10 spends billions of dollars annually on health-related costs, and despite these substantial                              
11 expenditures on health care, the state continues to rank low in the overall health of its                               
12 population; and                                                                                                         
13       WHEREAS the demand for financing costly treatment continues to rise and spending                                
14 for less costly and more effective preventative health measures is decreasing; and                                      
15       WHEREAS the state has a high rate of uninsured residents who often cannot afford                                
16 preventative health care programs or medical assistance when sick, resulting in a higher                                

01 incidence of long-term illness that often leads to catastrophic levels of debt; and                                     
02       WHEREAS the high number of uninsured residents in the state translates into poor                                
03 physical and financial health; and                                                                                      
04       WHEREAS the state needs qualified health care workers to occupy the many unfilled                               
05 health care professional positions statewide; and                                                                       
06       WHEREAS Alaska residents speak many languages, and the lack of qualified                                        
07 translators creates barriers to accessing health information and treatment; and                                         
08       WHEREAS health experts point to personal lifestyle choices as the greatest indicator                            
09 of a person's health;                                                                                                   
10       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature invites all state departments, all                             
11 local governments, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, and every man, woman, and                               
12 child of the state to join the Alaska Health Compact; and be it                                                         
13       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Health Compact is an individual and                                            
14 voluntary commitment by each Alaskan to take pride in the healthy choices made to promote                               
15 personal health and well-being, and each Alaskan is encouraged to share through various                                 
16 media personal health successes and experiences with each other.                                                        
17       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Emil Notti, Commissioner,                              
18 Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development; the Honorable Joe                                          
19 Schmidt, Commissioner, Department of Corrections; the Honorable Roger Sampson,                                          
20 Commissioner, Department of Education and Early Development; the Honorable Karleen                                      
21 Jackson, Commissioner, Department of Health and Social Services; the Honorable Walt                                     
22 Monegan, Commissioner, Department of Public Safety; the Honorable Mark R. Hamilton,                                     
23 President, University of Alaska; and Richard I. Mauer, Chair, State Board of Education and                              
24 Early Development.