Legislature(2007 - 2008)BELTZ 211
04/24/2007 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB120 | |
| HB118 | |
| SB124 | |
| SB102 | |
| SB140 | |
| SB155 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 155 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 28 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 140 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 102 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 124 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 118 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| = | SB 120 | ||
SB 140-LEAVE FOR BONE MARROW DONATIONS
2:23:10 PM
CHAIR ELLIS announced SB 140 to be up for consideration and that
it already had a hearing before this committee.
SENATOR ELTON, sponsor of SB 140, briefly summarized that the
leave donation component of this bill kicks in only when a donor
is selected as a potential donor in and individual case. Section
1 applies the provisions of this bill to private employers who
employ more than 20 people, municipalities and school districts.
He worked with the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce and tried to
address some of its concerns by capping the leave donation that
an employer had to grant at 60 hours.
Sections 2 and 3 are part statutory cleanup and part technical.
Section 4 is the part of the bill that applies the donor program
to state employees. This part of the bill says that the employer
must provide 40 hours minimum and then the caps will be done by
the department in regulation. Section 5 is technical. He noted
that he was speaking to the version M committee substitute. In
the previous version section 4 had a provision that the bill
applied to the Alaska Railroad Corporation. The CS creates a new
section 6 and applies the provisions to the Alaska Railroad
there instead of combining it with section 4.
2:25:36 PM
SENATOR ELTON said a person who is selected as a potential donor
who then becomes a donor has a certain timeframe in which to do
things. Most often a component of the time is travel. The
donation procedure is usually done in Seattle where they try to
do it on Friday because of the recovery time that is necessary
after the donation is made. That is usually done over the
weekend and then the donor is released. The bill removes an
impediment to getting on the register. It means most people
won't have to take personal leave to join a registry.
2:28:09 PM
SENATOR ELTON explained that recently a Juneau boy received a
donation from an out of state person and this made him realize
that it is good state policy to have a pool of people who can
become a donor.
The several fiscal notes are all zero and that played into his
decision as sponsor to include private employers, since the
legislature doesn't normally extend mandates to private
employers. The state didn't believe there would be many donors
and that's why it came up with a zero fiscal note. This will not
have much an impact on private employers.
2:30:25 PM
SENATOR ELTON asked his staff, Paula Cadiente, to join him in
answering questions about this bill. He continued saying,
however, that the fact is that figures from the National Marrow
Donor Program indicate that lack of financial resources can
delay donor searches or limit opportunities for post transplant
care. For patients who qualify for financial assistance, the
Donor Program offers the Marrow Foundation Patient Assistant
Program. In 2006 more than 1000 requests for funds were approved
and more than $4 million were made available to patients in
need. So, a non profit group recognizes there is a financial
impact on donors. This bill is the right thing to do just as
there is a program that the non profit group does.
2:31:22 PM
SENATOR STEVENS asked if the donation procedure really takes a
full week and why there is a difference between public employer
and private employer leave.
SENATOR ELTON responded that he tried to respond to a concern of
the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce that there could be
circumstances in which the employee would want things that would
grow into a bigger issue that would have a bigger financial
impact on businesses. Public employees were left some latitude
for people who write the regulations.
Responding to the first question, Senator Elton said it doesn't
take long to join the registry; it's a simple swab on the cheek.
This bill does not provide for any leave for getting on to the
registry. Once one is selected, a series of tests are made; the
first is a blood test which can be done in a simple way.
However, once you're selected, time is needed even if you live
in an urban area. You have to catch a plane and go to Seattle
where you undergo additional testing. The harvest then occurs
and the person is kept to make sure he didn't suffer any
consequences.
2:34:31 PM
SENATOR BUNDE agreed that people should be encouraged to be
organ and tissue donors, but they are also telling the private
employer they have to give up one week of salary. He asked why
not have the state reimburse private enterprise and that would
encourage people to be organ, tissue or bone marrow donors even
more.
SENATOR ELTON replied that would be the legislature's policy
call, but he cautioned that in most cases private employers will
bend over backwards to accommodate and protect their employees
from a financial hit. So every employer would apply for
reimbursement.
CHAIR ELLIS announced that the proposed CS just arrived.
2:36:31 PM
PAULA CADIENTE, staff to Senator Elton, walked the committee
through the new CS. She said language on page 2, lines 1 - 9
changes the definition of employee to a person who works for a
political subdivision of the state or a private employer. It
also defines "political subdivision." Section 4, on page 3, line
8, deletes the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) because it is
not subject to Title 39. Language is added on page 4 in section
6 to Title 42 to include employees of the ARRC.
2:38:46 PM
CHAIR ELLIS asked if the changes in the definition of "employee
and political subdivision" on page 2 are just for the purposes
of this statute change (for bone marrow).
MS. CADIENTE replied that is correct.
CHAIR ELLIS asked if the change expands the definition of
employee compared to the original bill.
MS. CADIENTE replied that it is actually more restricted. In the
original bill, an employee was a public or private employer.
CHAIR ELLIS asked how the definition of "political subdivision"
is changed.
MS. CADIENTE replied that it is defined as a municipality and
its subdivisions - as most political subdivision are defined.
2:40:06 PM
CHAIR ELLIS said adopting the CS to SB 140 would be held until
the next hearing.
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