Legislature(2021 - 2022)BUTROVICH 205

03/22/2021 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 72 SEC. SCHOOL CIVICS EDUCATION TELECONFERENCED
Scheduled but Not Heard
<Bill Hearing Rescheduled to 3/24/2021>
+= SB 20 OUT OF STATE TEACHER RECIPROCITY TELECONFERENCED
<Bill Hearing Canceled>
<Above Item Removed from Agenda>
+= SB 80 PUBLIC SCHOOLS: MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 80(EDC) Out of Committee
+= SB 10 FREE/REDUCED TUITION FOR ESSENTIAL WORKER TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 10(EDC) Out of Committee
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
+= SB 6 RIP FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES/TEACHERS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 6(EDC) Out of Committee
<Bill Hearing Rescheduled from 3/24/2021>
         SB  80-PUBLIC SCHOOLS: MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:21:10 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HOLLAND announced  the consideration of SENATE  BILL NO. 80                                                               
"An Act relating to mental health education."                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
He noted the  proposed committee substitute (CS)  and solicited a                                                               
motion.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:21:24 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES moved  to adopt the work draft CS  for SB 80, work                                                               
order 32-LS0514\B, as the working document.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:21:38 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HOLLAND objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:21:46 AM                                                                                                                    
ED KING, Staff, Senator Roger  Holland, Alaska State Legislature,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska, stated  that committee  members recommended  the                                                               
changes that  appear in  version B. during  the last  hearing. He                                                               
reviewed the  following changes from  version A to version  B for                                                               
SB 80:                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Change #1:                                                                                                             
          Within the intent language of  section 1, the list                                                                    
          of mental health organizations  is replaced with a                                                                    
          more general reference.                                                                                               
             • Page 1, Lines 5-10 of version A, are amended                                                                     
               to read:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
          LEGISLATIVE  INTENT.  It  is  the  intent  of  the                                                                    
     legislature  that  the  Board of  Education  and  Early                                                                    
     Development  develop  guidelines   for  instruction  in                                                                    
     mental health  in consultation  with the  department of                                                                
     Health  and  Social  Services, regional  tribal  health                                                                
     organizations,  and  representatives  of  national  and                                                                
     state mental health  organizations. [REPRESENTATIVES OF                                                                
     MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS  AND REGIONAL TRIBAL HEALTH                                                                    
     ORGANIZATIONS,  INCLUDING  THE   NATIONAL  COUNCIL  FOR                                                                    
     BEHAVIORAL  HEALTH,  PROVIDENCE   HEALTH  AND  SERVICES                                                                    
     ALASKA,   THE    SOUTHCENTRAL   FOUNDATION,   ANCHORAGE                                                                    
     COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES,  INC., THE NORTH STAR                                                                    
     BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM, AND  THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON                                                                    
     MENTAL ILLNESS ALASKA.]                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Change #2:                                                                                                             
          Within  AS 14.30.360(b),  section 3  of the  bill,                                                                    
          the added  language was  adjusted for  clarity and                                                                    
          consistency  with  the  intent  language,  and  to                                                                    
          address    the    concern    of    developmentally                                                                    
          appropriate curriculum.                                                                                               
             • On page 2, line 7 of version A, the phrase                                                                       
               "Health  guidelines  must  provide  standards                                                                    
               for instruction in  mental health" is changed                                                                    
               to  "Guidelines  for  instruction  in  mental                                                                    
               health"  to match  the  intent language.  The                                                                    
               words "developmentally  appropriate" are also                                                                    
               inserted.                                                                                                        
             • On page 2, line 9 of version A, the words                                                                        
               "regional tribal health organizations" are                                                                       
               inserted to match the intent language.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH said the bulk of the suggestions were made by                                                                    
staff to the Mental Health Board, the Suicide Prevention                                                                        
Council, and  the Alcohol and Substance  Abuse Prevention Council                                                               
because they are more consistent with current policy.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:23:18 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  HOLLAND  removed his  objection.  There  being no  further                                                               
objection, version B was adopted.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGHES  observed  that  the bill  now  states  that  the                                                               
Department  of   Health  and  Social  Services   (DHSS)  will  be                                                               
consulted  to ensure  curriculum is  developmentally appropriate.                                                               
The Department of Education and  Early Development (DEED) is also                                                               
involved in  providing technical  assistance. She  expressed hope                                                               
that DEED  will be involved  with technical  assistance regarding                                                               
what is  developmentally appropriate,  but she  acknowledged that                                                               
the way  the language is written  it falls on DHSS.  She asked if                                                               
anyone from DEED can speak to that.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BEGICH said  fiscal  note  speaks to  that  in the  last                                                               
paragraph on page  2. It says, "Transition  language provides the                                                               
State  Board of  Education  and Early  Development  two years  to                                                               
develop  mental health  guidelines." DEED  is the  primary mover,                                                               
but will consult with DHSS.  The consultation language was in the                                                               
original bill as well.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGHES said  that  is  in the  intent  language, but  in                                                               
Section 3,  the guidelines are  with DHSS. She is  confident that                                                               
they will  work together,  but there  is some  disconnect because                                                               
one is  intent language  and the other  says DHSS  will establish                                                               
guidelines.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. KING said  that in Section 3 of the  bill, the first sentence                                                               
of  that refers  to the  state board  of DEED  that will  work in                                                               
consultation  with   DHSS  and   the  other   organizations.  The                                                               
transition  language  states  that  the DEED  state  board  shall                                                               
develop  the mental  health guidelines,  so in  the bill  it does                                                               
fall on DEED.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HUGHES  said that is  helpful and reassuring. It  is good                                                               
to get the discussion on the record  so that it is clear that the                                                               
committee is expressing the importance  of both departments being                                                               
involved.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:27:43 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HOLLAND solicited a motion.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:27:50 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES moved to report  the proposed committee substitute                                                               
(CS)  for  SB 10,  work  order  32-LS0514\B from  committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOLLAND found  no objection and CSSB 10  (EDC) was reported                                                               
from the Senate Education Standing Committee.                                                                                   

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
CSSB6 ver. B.pdf SEDC 3/22/2021 9:00:00 AM
SB 6
SB 80 version B.pdf SEDC 3/22/2021 9:00:00 AM
SB 80
SB 10 Committee Substitute (SEDC).pdf SEDC 3/22/2021 9:00:00 AM
SB 10
SB 80 Explanation of Changes in version B.pdf SEDC 3/22/2021 9:00:00 AM
SB 80
SB 6 Explanation of Changes in version B.pdf SEDC 3/22/2021 9:00:00 AM
SB 6
SB 10 Explanation of Changes in version G.pdf SEDC 3/22/2021 9:00:00 AM
SB 10