00                            SENATE BILL NO. 91                                                                          
01 "An Act extending the governor's declaration of disaster emergency to address the                                       
02 opioid epidemic; and providing for an effective date."                                                                  
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section                          
05 to read:                                                                                                                
06       FINDINGS. The legislature finds that                                                                              
07            (1)  high rates of heroin use and prescription opioid misuse remain the driving                              
08 factor behind the unintentional drug overdose epidemic and related deaths in the state;                                 
09            (2)  in 2012, the state's prescription opioid overdose death rate was more than                              
10 double the rate in the United States, and the state's heroin-associated overdose death rate was                         
11 50 percent higher than the national rate;                                                                               
12            (3)  from 2009 to 2015, the number of heroin-associated deaths in the state                                  
13 more than quadrupled;                                                                                                   
14            (4)  since 2015, deaths from fentanyl and new synthetic opioids have been                                    

01 documented in the state;                                                                                                
02            (5)  to address this public health emergency, on February 14, 2017, the                                      
03 governor issued a declaration of disaster emergency;                                                                    
04 (6)  in the declaration, the governor authorized the commissioner of health                                             
05 and social services and the state medical officer to coordinate a response to the disaster,                             
06 including establishing a statewide overdose response program and a statewide medical standing                           
07 order allowing local and regional overdose response programs, health care officials, first                              
08 responders, and the general public to have the ability to dispense and administer directly an                           
09 opioid overdose drug;                                                                                                   
10 (7)  a declaration of disaster emergency under AS 26.23.020 may not remain                                              
11 in effect longer than 30 days unless extended by the Alaska State Legislature; and                                      
12 (8)  it is necessary to extend the declaration of disaster emergency issued                                             
13 February 14, 2017, to address adequately the opioid epidemic.                                                           
14    * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
15 read:                                                                                                                   
16 OPOIOD EPIDEMIC; EXTENSION OF DISASTER EMERGENCY. Under                                                                 
17 AS 26.23.020, the Thirtieth Alaska State Legislature extends to February 14, 2018, the                                  
18 declaration of disaster emergency issued by the governor on February 14, 2017, declaring the                            
19 current opioid epidemic a public health disaster emergency.                                                             
20    * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
21 read:                                                                                                                   
22       RETROACTIVITY. This Act is retroactive to March 15, 2017.                                                       
23    * Sec. 4. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).