Legislature(2017 - 2018)GRUENBERG 120
03/27/2018 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| SB152 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 152 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 152 - SEPT. 11: PATRIOT DAY
CHAIR TUCK announced that the only order of business would be
SENATE BILL NO. 152 "An Act establishing September 11 of each
year as Patriot Day."
1:03:28 PM
SENATOR KEVIN MEYER, Alaska State Legislature, advised that SB
152 officially designates September 11 of each year as Patriot
Day for the State of Alaska. He explained that the dictionary
describes a patriot as a person who loves, supports, and defends
his/her country and its interest with devotion. This definition
is appropriate for the terrorist attacks September 11, 2001.
Almost 3,000 people were killed in those attacks, making it the
worst attack of terrorism ever on United States soil. The
nation was inspired by the heroic sacrifices of its first
responders, fire fighters, law enforcement, and military. He
said he found it interesting that many regular citizens
responded to the cries for help and the shrieks of terror, and
in the process, many gave the ultimate sacrifice. On October
25, 2001, a bi-partisan resolution designating September 11 as a
national day of mourning was introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives by 11 Republicans and 11 Democrats. The
legislation designating September 11 as Patriot Day was passed
by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate
unanimously, and signed into law by President George W. Bush on
December 18, 2001. In observance of Patriot Day, the flag of
the United States is flown at half-staff at the White House, all
United States government buildings, and establishments
throughout the country and the world. Flags are encouraged to
be displayed in individual American homes and a moment of
silence is observed in many places to correspond with the
attacks beginning at 8:46 a.m., when the first airplane struck
the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Each year, the
Alaska governor issues a formal proclamation recognizing
September 11, yet its title has varied between governors, such
as Commemoration Day, Patriot Day, or National Day of Service
and Remembrance. According to the research, most states do
refer to it as Patriot Day, and according to the definition of
patriot, he said he found it appropriate to make it official and
call the day, Patriot Day. This legislation officially
recognizes September 11 as Patriot Day in the State of Alaska,
it not only honors and remembers those individuals who were
injured or killed during these terrorist acts, but also pays
tribute to the military who are still fighting terrorism. He
advised that almost 2,100 Alaska patriots were deployed last
fall from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) to Afghanistan
to continue to fight the war on terrorism on behalf of all
Americans.
1:08:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD asked whether there was a reason the
state was not already embracing and celebrating September 11
with a passion.
SENATOR MEYER reiterated that somewhere along the line its title
varied between the governors of Alaska, and this legislation
would officially make it Patriot Day no matter who was governor.
1:09:12 PM
CHAIR TUCK advised the committee that his office worked with the
sponsor earlier to craft an amendment to include Post-Traumatic
Stress Injury Awareness Day in this legislation. He offered his
belief that it is appropriate for both of these bills to come
together, such that the state is not only honoring those who
experienced the traumas on September 11, 2001, but also
recognizes that many people from that incident and other
incidents, whether during a time of war, emergency, or trauma,
have suffered some sort of post-traumatic stress injury in their
lives.
1:10:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER referred to Chair Tuck's amendment and
asked whether a post-traumatic stress injury is limited to those
who are military or first responders because he was trying to
understand the nexus between that and Patriot Day.
CHAIR TUCK responded that post-traumatic stress injury is not
limited to first responders or the military, it is for anyone
who has suffered any type of adverse life changing experiences.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked the nexus with that definition of
post-traumatic stress injury and Patriot Day.
CHAIR TUCK responded that the amendment recognizes Patriot Day
as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the people
who suffered post-traumatic stress injury; and June 27 of each
year recognizes Post-Traumatic Injury Awareness Day.
1:11:26 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked why that date was chosen.
CHAIR TUCK answered that June 27 is recognized nationwide, and
the legislature passed a resolution two years ago recognizing
June 27. Subsequently, he noted, that date is recognized
annually in other states, and this resolution includes Alaska
rather than the necessity of passing a resolution every year.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked the reason June 27 was chosen
nationally.
CHAIR TUCK replied that it was a national effort by "Honor For
All," but he could not recall why June 27 was chosen. This
resolution passed through this committee last year, he
reiterated.
1:12:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH shared his experience during the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001. Many of the nation's brave men
and women were impacted and deployed overseas into extremely
difficult situations, often returning to the states with post-
traumatic stress injuries. He commented that he was unsure he
would ever celebrate that day because for patriotism, he has
July 4. Remembering a tragedy as anything but a tragedy and
having any import beyond the tragedy is personally difficult for
him; however, he thanked Chair Tuck for bringing this amendment
forward. In moving forward, he said, it is his hope that the
nation will never take its eyes off of the full truth of the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
1:14:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX moved to adopt Amendment 1, 30-LS1014\A.1,
Radford/Laffen, 3/21/18, which read as follows:
Page 1, line 1, following "Day":
Insert "; and establishing June 27 of each year
as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day"
Page 1, line 3:
Delete "a new section"
Insert "new sections"
Page 1, following line 12:
Insert new material to read:
"Sec. 44.12.170. Post-Traumatic Stress Injury
Awareness Day. Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness
Day is established on June 27 of each year to promote
awareness of persons suffering from post-traumatic
stress injury and to encourage Alaskans to reach out
to those persons to provide support and eliminate the
stigma associated with post-traumatic stress injury.
Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day may be
observed by suitable observances and exercises by
civic groups and the public."
CHAIR TUCK objected.
1:15:11 PM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD shared her experience during the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. She referred to the
amendment and asked whether anyone was following up on the
families who lost loved ones, and whether they are receiving
care.
SENATOR MEYER answered that that is a difficult question to
answer. He said he does not know whether the families who lost
love ones on "that day" are receiving care, but he does know
that if the state will honor and remember this day always as
Patriot Day, that in some way the families are helped.
It has been almost 20 years since the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001 and people are starting to already forget
what happened that day, the legislature needs to make sure that
in Alaska that does not take place, he stressed.
1:17:54 PM
CHAIR TUCK shared his own experience during the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001. He referred to post-traumatic
stress injuries, and paraphrased the sponsor statement as
follows: "any event that makes you fear for your safety,
especially if the event feels unpredictable and uncontrollable."
He opined that many Americans felt that way on that day and the
symptoms may include: "flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety,
as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event." He related
that he was unsure the nation has fully healed from those
attacks almost 20 years ago. Chair Tuck described that it will
be a "generational thing" and memories will eventually die out,
but the nation must never forget. Similar to Pearl Harbor, this
event brought the nation together because it was grieving, it
was in fear, and it tried to figure "it" out together as one
nation.
1:21:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER noted that this legislature has proposed
and enacted Indigenous People Day, African-American Soldier
Highway Day, Alaska Reads Day, and Sexual Assault Awareness
Month, and this legislation proposes to add Patriot Day and
Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Day. He asked the number of people
residing in Alaska who are affected by post-traumatic stress
injury.
CHAIR TUCK answered that he does not know the number of people
affected by post-traumatic stress injury. He advised that the
term was first post-traumatic stress disorder and it was changed
to post-traumatic stress injury due to the stigma of a disorder.
People are not born with this injury, it happens as a reaction
to an experience beyond their control and its unpredictability,
it is well known that many people suffer from this injury.
Especially, he pointed out, those in the military and first
responders because they see and experience trauma that the
average person does not experience. The goal here is to make
sure there is a day allowing these individuals to obtain
treatment, help, and a place to talk and share, which is a
pathway to healing from those traumatic experiences.
Designating June 27 designating Post-Traumatic Stress Injury
Awareness Day was passed by 27 states, and the United States
House of Representatives and the United States Senate also
recognizes that day, it is a day everyone unites around people
and offers an opportunity to talk about their experiences.
1:23:48 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether there was a previous Post-
Traumatic Stress Injury Day, and whether this creates a
different holiday.
CHAIR TUCK answered that has not been a Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder Day because the term was changed prior to any day being
selected.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether there is any distinction in
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-
5) between post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic
stress injury.
CHAIR TUCK answered that this amendment simply recognizes Post-
Traumatic Stress Injury Day as June 27.
1:24:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX commented that there was a discussion on
this issue in the House Special Committee on Military and
Veterans' Affairs a few years ago and the professionals changed
this to "injury" rather than "disorder."
CHAIR TUCK advised that he has some numbers based on percentages
that were enclosed in the committee packet for House Bill 100,
passed last year. It is well known that post-traumatic stress
injury often happens with military and first responder service,
but it is not limited to those services. He advised that as to
those children suffering from adverse childhood experiences,
more than 60 percent of children ages zero-17 years' experience
or witness at least one traumatic event during those years,
according to a 2009 study. Post-traumatic stress injury can
manifest due to domestic violence and abuse, physical assault,
violence, and sexual victimization. When reviewing the
military, during the Vietnam War, approximately 30 percent of
the servicemen and servicewomen experienced post-traumatic
stress injury; 10 percent in the Gulf War; 60 percent in
Afghanistan, Operation Endearing Freedom; and 12-20 percent in
Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom, he explained.
1:27:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether adverse childhood
experience disorder is a type of post-traumatic stress injury.
CHAIR TUCK offered that there are adverse childhood experiences
that could be looked at as post-traumatic stress injury if it
had a long-term effect on the child with the symptoms described
earlier.
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ clarified that adverse childhood
experiences are a set of defined experiences that can take place
in childhood resulting in post-traumatic stress injury, but
there is no such thing as adverse childhood experiences
disorder.
1:28:42 PM
CHAIR TUCK advised that normally the Department of Military &
Veterans' Affairs staff would be online, but they are in
Kotzebue and out of cell phone range. Verdie Bowen, Veterans
Affairs Administrator, expressed support for this amendment and
Mr. Bowen asked that the committee move this amendment forward.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER requested a letter, document, or e-mail
verifying Mr. Bowen's request "would be good. I've actually
heard him express those same thoughts though."
1:29:21 PM
CHAIR TUCK withdrew his objection. There being no objection,
Amendment 1, A.1, was adopted
1:29:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER suggested a conceptual amendment to SB
152, page 1, lines 9-10, after the word "providers," delete the
language "from violent acts." Thereby, he explained, making the
applicability of Patriot Day broader. The military, first
responders, and healthcare providers, do not only protect people
from violent acts, they protect people against diseases, which
are not violent acts.
1:30:41 PM
SENATOR MEYER responded that he has no objection to removing the
language and he would leave it up to the committee. He related
that to him, Patriot Day is for the people responding, maybe not
necessarily to violent acts, but are courageously responding.
1:31:06 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 2 to
SB 152, page 1, lines 9-10, after the word "providers," delete
the language "from violent acts."
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD objected and offered her belief that
there must be a definition of "protecting us from something" and
she wanted to open the conceptual amendment up for discussion.
1:31:49 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER explained that the conceptual amendment
goes to his desire that certain people are not excluded. He
acknowledged that many people stand on the frontlines, sometimes
in a violent attack and/or actual terrorism, but there are
others, such as healthcare providers who stand ready to cure and
protect people through public health immunizations, public
health, and environmental protections against disease. The
military's very presence deters violent acts from actually
taking place, "I guess if you actually have to go to weapons
free, you've lost the first engagement." He reiterated that the
military's presence not only protects against violent acts, it
deters violent acts from taking place in the first place, and
the conceptual amendment is a desire for the legislation to be
broader and more encompassing.
1:32:55 PM
CHAIR TUCK referred to SB 152, page 1, lines 6-9, and commented
that he understands that "to serve and protect our nation" could
be simply security, which is serving and protecting the nation,
watching the nation's borders, protecting its borders,
surveillance and/or anything else.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER remarked that a great number of people
enlisted following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,
much as when Pearl Harbor was attacked.
1:34:12 PM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD withdrew her objection. Although, she
said, she does not know whether this was intended to be
specifically for people who have suffered acts of violence, and
she was not sure whether the conceptual amendment might broaden
the language too much.
CHAIR TUCK stated that the objection to Conceptual Amendment 2
was removed. There being no objection, Conceptual Amendment 2
was adopted.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER noted some confusion as to whether the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, should be celebrated as
"9/11 Day or Patriot Day." Everyone who observed the awful
terrorist attacks appreciates the service to our country by
healthcare providers, military, and law enforcement, and he said
he appreciates the chance to clearly label this day as Patriot
Day.
1:36:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX moved to report SB 152 30-LS1014\A, as
amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and
the accompanying zero fiscal notes. There being no objection,
House CS for Senate Bill 152(MLV) moved from the House Special
Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.
1:36:39 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 1:36 p.m.
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