03/12/2008 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

HB 400 - MITIGATING FACTOR: CARE FOR DRUG OVERDOSE                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:54:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  400,  "An Act  relating to  a  person who  seeks                                                               
medical assistance for a person experiencing a drug overdose."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:55:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AURORA  HAUKE,  Staff  to Representative  Beth  Kerttula,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature, relayed  that Representative Kerttula, sponsor                                                               
of HB 400,  introduced the bill to allow for  a mitigating factor                                                               
for  calling   "911"  to  obtain   emergency  help   for  someone                                                               
experiencing  a drug  overdose.   In  response to  Representative                                                               
Samuels, she explained  that the way HB 400 was  drafted does not                                                               
require the person in need of  help to actually have overdosed on                                                               
drugs.   The  bill  allows for  consideration  of factors  during                                                               
sentencing  if  the person  who  called  "911" thought  that  the                                                               
person had overdosed on drugs.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS relayed  that from his experience as  a hotel owner,                                                               
drug  overdoses happen  and some  people  can be  saved with  the                                                               
provisions in HB 400.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:59:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved to report  HB 400 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  HB 400 was reported  from the                                                               
House Judiciary Standing Committee.