03/23/2017 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

         HCR 2-RESPOND TO ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:11:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ announced that the next order of business would                                                                 
be HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 2, Urging Governor Bill                                                                      
Walker to  join with the  Alaska State Legislature to  respond to                                                               
the public  and behavioral health  epidemic of  adverse childhood                                                               
experiences  by establishing  a  statewide  policy and  providing                                                               
programs to address this epidemic.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GERAN TARR, Alaska  State Legislature, stated that                                                               
the proposed resolution  urged the governor and  the Alaska State                                                               
Legislature to work together to  address the public health crisis                                                               
from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Alaska.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:11:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ opened public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:12:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TREVOR  STORRS,  Executive  Director,  Alaska  Children's  Trust,                                                               
reported  that Alaska  Children's  Trust was  the statewide  lead                                                               
organization  focused  on  the  prevention  of  child  abuse  and                                                               
neglect.   He  stated that  adverse childhood  experiences (ACEs)                                                               
had  an  increasing  toll on  Alaskans  throughout  their  lives.                                                               
Those  people with  high  ACE scores  were  less healthy,  earned                                                               
less, and  required more  expensive social  programs.   He stated                                                               
that a  person with 4  or more ACEs was  12 times more  likely to                                                               
attempt suicide,  10 times  as likely to  use injection  drugs, 7                                                               
times as  likely to be  an alcoholic, 3  times more likely  to be                                                               
unable  to work  and  twice as  likely to  earn  $20,000 or  less                                                               
annually.  He added that they would  be 2 times as likely to drop                                                               
out of  high school.   He declared that ACEs  had a high  cost in                                                               
human and economic terms. He stated  that it was necessary to get                                                               
to the  root cause of the  issues or the need  for services would                                                               
increase.   He  declared that  support of  HCR 2  would start  to                                                               
change old  practices which did  not work, and  instead encourage                                                               
investment in  programs that got  to the root  of the issue.   He                                                               
encouraged support for the proposed resolution.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:14:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ closed public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:14:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EDGMON moved  to report  HCR 2  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HCR 2 was moved from the House                                                               
Health and Social Services Standing Committee.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:15:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.