03/21/2024 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                                                                                                                                
         HCR 15-MENTAL HEALTH MONTH; TARDIVE DYSK WEEK                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:31:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX  announced that the  final order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION  NO.  15 Designating  May  2024  as                                                               
Mental Health Awareness Month; and  designating May 5 - 11, 2024,                                                               
as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:32:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RILEY  NYE,   Staff,  Representative  Mike  Prax,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  explaining  that HCR  15  would  shine a  light  on                                                               
mental  health  awareness  and  said  that  a  large  portion  of                                                               
Alaskans have  a mental health  condition. He explained  that HCR
  would designate  may as  mental Health  awareness month,  and                                                               
this  would allow  for  mental  health to  become  a priority  in                                                               
Alaska.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:34:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX opened public testimony on HCR 15.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:35:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ANN  RINGSTAD, Executive  Director, National  Alliance on  Mental                                                               
Illness Alaska,  Testified in  support of HCR  15. She  said that                                                               
NAMI's mission  is to eliminate  stigma with mental  illness, and                                                               
complimented Mr. Nye's analysis. She  said that more than half of                                                               
the people in the United  States Affected by Mental health issues                                                               
didn't  seek out  treatment. She  said anyone  is susceptible  to                                                               
mental health issues,  and that NAMI provides  this resolution to                                                               
increase  awareness and  treatment of  mental health  issues. She                                                               
said this resolution is important for mental health awareness.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:38:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX asked about the statistics of anti-psychotic drugs.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  RINGSTAD  said  there  are  many  physiological  effects  of                                                               
medication,  and  that many  under  prescription  don't seek  out                                                               
help.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  PRAX   asked  if  there  are   alternative  treatments  to                                                               
medication.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. RINGSTAD said she is  not a physician, but recommended people                                                               
go to a provider to discuss alternative treatments.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:39:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER asked  if there  is an  understanding for                                                               
the cause of the high rate of serious mental illness in Alaska.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. RINGSTAD  responded, "Who  knows?" She  said that  all anyone                                                               
can  do  is  focus  on awareness  and  direct  resources  towards                                                               
treatment of those affected.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   SADDLER  said   there   are  several   different                                                               
observance  months and  weeks, and  asked how  making May  mental                                                               
health awareness  month would impact mental  health awareness and                                                               
treatment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  RINGSTAD   answered  that  it  would   give  legislators  an                                                               
opportunity to bring to light the issue.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:42:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX closed public testimony on HCR 15.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 4:42 p.m. to 4:43. p.m.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:43:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved to report  HCR 15 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes. There being  no objection, HCR 15 was reported  out of the                                                               
House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:43:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 4:43 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:46:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX  announced that the  final order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION NO.  9,  Recognizing  the need  for                                                               
parity  in  the provision  of  mental  health and  substance  use                                                               
disorder  medical assistance  benefits in  the state;  and urging                                                               
the Department of Health to  adopt regulations that ensure parity                                                               
in  the provision  of mental  health and  substance use  disorder                                                               
medical assistance benefits in the state.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE  moved to  adopt and attach  Fiscal Note                                                               
LEG-SESSOMB Component #0 to HCR 9.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
There  being  no  objection,  the fiscal  note  was  adopted  and                                                               
attached  to  HCR  9,  [previously  moved  out  of  committee  on                                                               
03/19/24].                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[HCR 9 was held over.]