03/12/2020 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

         HB 307-EXPANDING PRISONER ACCESS TO COMPUTERS                                                                      
                [Contains discussion of SB 209.]                                                                                
                                                                                                                              
3:01:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL NO. 307, "An  Act relating to living conditions for                                                               
prisoners."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:02:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  moved to adopt Amendment  1, Version 31-                                                               
LS1663\A.2, Radford, 3/12/20, which read:                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, lines 8 - 9:                                                                                                       
          Delete "and reintegration into society"                                                                           
          Insert "or the prisoner's compliance with a                                                                       
    reentry   plan    or   case   plan    developed   under                                                                 
     AS 33.30.011"                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, lines 11 - 12:                                                                                                     
          Delete "as part of a reentry plan or case plan                                                                    
     developed under AS 33.30.011"                                                                                          
          Insert "health care"                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON objected for discussion purposes.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FIELDS   relayed  that  it  is   important  for  people                                                               
reentering society to  use a computer to access  "health care" to                                                               
maintain health  coverage, for addiction  treatment, and  to sign                                                               
up for Medicaid [health care insurance].                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS asked for  the position of the Department                                                               
of Corrections (DOC) on the proposed amendment.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:03:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KELLY HOWELL,  Special Assistant to the  Commissioner, Department                                                               
of Corrections (DOC), responded that  it was DOC's intent that HB
 include situations such as application for health benefits.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS  asked whether  subparagraph (I)  [page 3,                                                               
lines   6-13,  of   HB   307]  would   apply   to  obtaining   an                                                               
identification (ID).                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. HOWELL replied  that obtaining an ID is not  addressed in the                                                               
proposed  legislation;  however,  there  are  other  sections  in                                                               
statute  allowing for  DOC to  assist  reentering offenders  with                                                               
obtaining a state ID.  She  mentioned a Senate bill [SB 209] that                                                               
proposes  requiring  collaboration   between  the  Department  of                                                               
Administration (DOA) and DOC.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON  offered his understanding  that Medicaid                                                               
does not cover inmates in a  prison facility but does if they are                                                               
hospitalized.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:05:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LAURA BROOKS,  Health Care Administrator, Division  of Health and                                                               
Rehabilitation,  Department of  Corrections (DOC),  answered that                                                               
he  is correct  that federal  regulation  does not  allow DOC  to                                                               
charge for inmate health care unless  the inmate is admitted to a                                                               
hospital for 24  hours or more.  She stated  that under Amendment                                                               
1, DOC  could assist inmates  with applying for Medicaid  as part                                                               
of  their reentry  plans.   Currently  offenders  fill out  paper                                                               
applications 30 days prior to  release; this causes a backlog for                                                               
the  Department  of  Health and  Social  Services  (DHSS),  since                                                               
Medicaid applications are typically  now electronic.  Amendment 1                                                               
would  allow offenders  to submit  an electronic  application for                                                               
Medicaid  while  they  are  incarcerated,  alleviating  the  DHSS                                                               
backlog.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  THOMPSON removed  his objection  to Amendment  1.                                                               
There being no further objection, it was so ordered.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HOWELL,   in  response  to   Representative  Kreiss-Tomkins,                                                               
confirmed that  SB 207 is the  bill before the Senate  that would                                                               
foster  greater collaboration  between DOC  and DOA  for securing                                                               
IDs for inmates upon release.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FIELDS  asked  how  extensive   the  bill  language  is                                                               
regarding coordination with DOA.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. HOWELL explained  that SB 207 would require DOA  to mail to a                                                               
DOC facility  - at the  applicant's request  - an ID  or driver's                                                               
license; it would  require the two departments  to collaborate in                                                               
good  faith to  ensure that  an inmate,  who is  sentenced to  an                                                               
active  term of  imprisonment of  120 days  or more,  is provided                                                               
with a state  ID card prior to release.   She maintained that DOA                                                               
and DOC  have been  working towards  this collaboration  and will                                                               
continue to support it.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS  asked whether  corresponding language  should be                                                               
added to HB 307.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. HOWELL  opined that  the department would  not be  opposed to                                                               
inserting such language.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:09:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FIELDS  opened  public  testimony on  HB  307.    After                                                               
ascertaining  that there  was no  one who  wished to  testify, he                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   VANCE   expressed   her  appreciation   to   the                                                               
department for addressing her concerns.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY offered her support for HB 307.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:10:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS moved  to report HB 307,  as amended, out                                                               
of   committee   with    individual   recommendations   and   the                                                               
accompanying zero  fiscal note.   There being no  objection, CSHB
(STA)  was  reported from  the  House  State Affairs  Standing                                                               
Committee.