Legislature(2015 - 2016)BUTROVICH 205
01/21/2016 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB124 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 124 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 124-EXTEND SUNSET ON AK COMMISSION ON AGING
9:05:08 AM
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL announced the consideration of SB 124.
9:05:54 AM
SENATOR STOLTZE explained that the SB 124 provided an extension
for the Alaska Commission on Aging ("ACoA") to continue its
mission that has a broad constituency among Alaskans. He
detailed that SB 124 provided an 8-year extension and continues
funding. He said his hope is the Senate Finance Committee will
find ACoA to be a worthy function while making tough decisions
on what level of government the state will have. He asserted
that ACoA does good work and the criticisms in its audit will be
addressed in the committee meeting.
9:06:28 AM
DANIEL GEORGE, Staff, Senator Stoltze, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, said SB 124 is an extension for ACoA. He
explained that ACoA was established in Alaska statutes in 1981,
pursuant to the Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965. He specified
that SB 124 is an 8-year extension as recommended by the Alaska
Division of Legislative Audits' 2015 sunset-review.
He detailed that ACoA's 11-member commission and 5-staff members
sets the Alaska State Plan for Senior Services. He explained
that ACoA annually fulfills the federal requirement for the OAA
and allows the state to annually receive approximately $11
million in federal grant funding. He added that a fiscal note
from the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services was
attached. He disclosed that SB 124 had wide support.
9:08:09 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked how funds were distributed and if a self-
adjusting funding mechanism is used when demographics change. He
noted that some areas in the state are growing and other areas
are dormant. He pointed out that the Matanuska-Susitna Valley
("Mat-Su") had difficulty with some programs due to a disparity
in how funds are distributed. He stated that funding
distribution should be addressed before the bill moves.
SENATOR STOLTZE concurred with Senator Huggins that the Mat-Su
has been treated very disparately. He remarked that the Mat-Su
is Alaska's fasted growing area and the only district in the
state that had significant student population growth with 754
new people. He asserted that resources need to be more fairly
divided based upon population rather than old formulas.
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL added that the state's fastest-growing area
also has the fastest growing aging population. He said he hopes
that ACoA takes demographics into account.
9:10:56 AM
KRIS CURTIS, Legislative Auditor, Alaska Division of Legislative
Audit, Juneau, Alaska, explained that the purpose of the sunset
review was to determine whether ACoA should be extended. She
announced that the Alaska Division of Legislative Audit
concluded that ACoA is serving the public's interest by helping
older Alaskans lead dignified, independent and useful lives
through outreach advocacy and education. She added that ACoA
does meet a federal requirement that each state establish an
advisory council to advise the state on aging matters, including
the development, administration and execution of a state plan.
She said the Alaska Division of Legislative Audit recommends the
maximum eight-year extension for ACoA.
She stated that the Alaska Division of Legislative Audit came up
with two operational improvement recommendations for ACoA:
1. The executive director should implement and follow public
notice procedures for all meetings. The Alaska Division of
Legislative Audit found that not all meetings were posted.
Staff was not following their established procedures and
not aware that subcommittee meetings were subject to the
public notice requirement.
2. The chairperson should review and approve legislative watch
lists prior to distribution. The Alaska Division of
Legislative Audit found that a few bills that ACoA
published on its legislative watch list did not relate to
the committee's objectives.
9:13:19 AM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the Alaska Division of Legislative
Audit found issues pertaining to regional disparities.
MS. CURTIS answered that the Division of Legislative Audit did
not pick up on regional disparities. She specified that the
Division looked at general procedures in awarding monies but not
necessarily how much was awarded by each area. She detailed that
the Division of Legislative Audit focused on ACoA's operations.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI addressed the fiscal note and asked if
ACoA's annual $539,700 appropriation was considered high, low or
just about right.
MS. CURTIS answered that the Alaska Division of Legislative
Audit provided historical financial information in its report
for evaluating the reasonableness of ACoA's funding.
SENATOR HUGGINS asked if the Alaska Division of Legislative
Audit reviewed ACoA's funding distribution mechanism and if
demographic adjustments were made. He set forth that ACoA is
ultimately about helping people and the system is not working if
some people are not getting help due to an area's demographics.
9:15:20 AM
MS. CURTIS replied as follows:
Our approach to the audit, like any audit, is to look
at committee minutes to see whether any type of
complaints show up and pursue. We review publications
looking for those issues that we need to follow up.
This particular audit, the equity of amounts actually
given to specific regional areas did not pop on our
radar-screen as something to review. We looked at the
procedure of developing the state-plan, which might
address equities in how the monies are given out. We
looked at their procedure for getting feedback and
whether that feedback was incorporated into their
decision process, which we did find was the case.
SENATOR HUGGINS replied that input will be provided to update
ACoA's system. He specified that he was not insinuating that the
Mat-Su was being picked on, but he was presenting his
constituents' concerns.
MS. CURTIS suggested that a broader-scale audit be considered if
looking at all programs in how funds are given out.
9:16:55 AM
SENATOR COGHILL asked if duplicative-work was an audit issue.
MS. CURTIS replied as follows:
Yes, on pages 15 and 16 of the audit we have sunset
criteria number-11 which examines whether there are
services being duplicated. We did find some areas
where you have duplications between other areas such
as AARP, the Alaska Geriatric Exchange Network; these
agencies share common goals. We looked at how the
agencies were working together, so we do make some
comments about that, but the commission does have a
specific role and they do overlap, but they do have
some specific and unique missions.
SENATOR COGHILL asserted that duplicate services must be
addressed, especially during the state's current budgetary
situation.
SENATOR STOLTZE asked that Denise Daniello, Executive Director
for ACoA, address the committee. He pointed out that the
public's and committee's interest is on distribution and noted
that the topic was going to be a global discussion with a lot of
agencies. He asked that Ms. Daniello address ACoA's mild
criticisms noted in the audit. He added that part of the
committee's function was to assist in fixing the criticisms.
9:20:13 AM
DENISE DANIELLO, Executive Director, Alaska Commission on Aging,
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Juneau, Alaska,
read the following statement:
I just want to thank the Alaska Division of
Legislative Audit as well in providing the audit for
the Alaska Commission on Aging and for their findings
in that they found that the Alaska Commission on Aging
is serving the public's interest by helping older
Alaskans lead dignified, independent and useful lives
which are words from our mission statement through
planning, advocacy, outreach activities and that the
Commission meets the federal requirement for each
state to establish an advisory council to advise the
state on aging matters; that requirement is referenced
in the OAA, Section 306(a)(6)(d); moreover, we want to
thank Senator Stoltze for sponsoring this legislation
on the Alaska Commission on Aging's behalf and for
Alaska's seniors.
The Alaska Commission on Aging is an 11-member
advisory council whose mission is to ensure the
dignity and independence of all older Alaskans, and to
assist them to lead useful and meaningful lives
through planning, advocacy, education and outreach.
The State of Alaska constitutes a single planning and
service area under the terms of the Older Americans
Act, and is designated by Governor Walker that the
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services is the
sole state agency on aging in Alaska. The
responsibilities of a state agency on aging are
carried out jointly in our state by the Division of
Senior and Disability Services and the Commission on
Aging for senior programs that are funded under the
OAA. While the Division of Senior and Disability
Services administers the state and federally funded
senior grant programs, the Alaska Commission on Aging
is responsible for developing the four-year state plan
on senior services, and performing the advocacy and
outreach educational activities in collaboration with
many partners and those responsibilities are spelled
out in the OAA for state agencies under Section
305(a)(1).
Alaska receives approximately $11 million of federal
funding for senior programs and services in this
fiscal year thanks to its compliance with the OAA.
Since the legal inception in 1981, the Alaska
Commission on Aging has remained committed to
assisting older Alaskans gain access to appropriate
and quality services to maintain their health and
independence so that they may remain in their
communities of choosing, living independently for as
long as possible, and to be valued and respected for
their contributions. The Alaska Commission on Aging
provides a focal point in state government for aging
issues.
The work of the Alaska Commission on Aging is now more
important than ever given the state's rapidly growing
population of seniors. According to 2015 population
estimates just released by the Alaska Department of
Labor and Workforce Development, seniors, and this is
defined as people aged 60 years and older, and we use
that age requirement because that's the age
requirement as specified by the OAA, number 120,444
persons and that's a 4.2 percent increase or a gain of
4,902 people from 2014. Seniors represent 16 percent
of the total state population and comprise the fastest
growing age demographic in the state.
9:23:54 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked Ms. Daniello to repeat the senior-
population percentage in the state.
MS. DANIELLO replied 16 percent. She continued as follows:
For the sixth-consecutive year, Alaska continues to
lead all states by having the fastest growing senior
population per capita.
The Alaska Commission on Aging has conducted the
following activities since our last reauthorization in
FY 2008. First of all, we are charged with developing
a four-year comprehensive Alaska State Plan for Senior
Services for the approval by the Alaska Department of
Health and Social Services in order to satisfy a
federal requirement for all states receiving federal
funding for senior programs.
The Alaska Commission on Aging has completed three
state plans since our last reauthorization and in June
of this year we just completed the current state plan
for FY 2016 through FY 2019. The plan has 6 goals with
25-corresponding strategies and 48-performance
measures, and it also includes a funding formula that
describes the distribution of funding for the
department's 9 regions. The state plan was developed
in collaboration with many partners. We have 34
members who served on a state-plan advisory committee
and we provided leadership for that committee.
The Alaska Commission on Aging also prepares the
"Senior Snapshot" and that's published in the Alaska
Commission on Aging's annual report. The Senior
Snapshot is an annual statistical analysis of senior
demographics, use of programs and services by seniors;
it also reports data on indicators pertaining to
senior health, senior housing, senior safety, as well
as senior economic security. We provide a copy of the
Senior Snapshot which is included in the annual report
every year to the Legislature and to the governor.
9:26:23 AM
She continued as follows:
Secondly, the Alaska Commission on Aging provides
annual budget and policy recommendations to the Alaska
Mental Health Trust Authority concerning the needs of
older Alaskans living with Alzheimer's disease and
related dementia who numbered this year approximately
6,600 and these are individuals who are age 65 years
and older with Alzheimer's Disease; this is a very
conservative estimate because it doesn't include
people with younger onset Alzheimer's disease and it
doesn't include people with dementia who are suffering
from other forms of dementia like: vascular dementia,
frontal temporal dementia, Lewy bodies dementia,
Parkinson's disease and many others. If we added all
of those folks together we would probably be closer to
8,000.
Alzheimer's disease is a very serious concern for our
state because Alaska is the state with the fastest
growing senior population per capita and advanced age
is the most serious-risk factor for Alzheimer's
disease, although advanced aging itself is not a cause
for Alzheimer's. We also provide additional
information as requested by the Alaska Mental Health
Trust Authority, at least quarterly, to their trustees
at board and committee meetings.
The Alaska Commission on Aging, in collaboration with
the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, the Alaska
Department of Health and Social Services, and Alaska's
Alzheimer's Resource Agency, published "Alaska's
Roadmap to Address Alzheimer's Disease and Related
Dementias." The "roadmap" provides a very
comprehensive and coordinated approach to address the
multiple and complex challenges that dementia presents
to individuals, their families, caregivers, and to
Alaska's long term care system. The "roadmap" included
for the first time findings from the Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance Survey that included actual
surveillance findings about people in Alaska with
perceived-cognitive impairment.
9:28:52 AM
MS. DANIELLO continued as follows:
Thirdly, we make recommendations directly to the
governor and the Legislature with respect to
legislation, regulations, and appropriations for
programs and services that benefit older Alaskans.
Since our last reauthorization, the Alaska Commission
on Aging advocated successfully for the creation of
the Medicaid Adult Dental Program; establishment and
reauthorization of the Alaska Senior Benefits Program;
creation of the statewide alert system for vulnerable,
older adult, which is also known as the "Silver
Alert;" and we have advocated for several bills to
strengthen elder protection and protection of
vulnerable adults.
Fourthly, the Alaska Commission on Aging helps older
Alaskans lead dignified, independent and productive
lives. We actively encourage participation to inform
our public policy and public budget recommendations by
providing a formal-public comment period during each
quarterly meeting. We sponsor regular community forums
on topics of senior interests and actively ask for
senior input on those issues. We host bi-weekly
statewide, legislative teleconferences during session
to examine and discuss legislation of interest to
seniors. In recent years we've made efforts to
recognize the many issues that face Alaska's
population. We coordinated the Power of Aging
Symposium which provided information about senior
issues, it encouraged senior civic engagement. We also
coordinated the Senior Housing Summit which was the
first and only housing summit in Alaska to address
senior housing issues, specifically. We spearheaded
the Senior Fall Prevention Coalition which was to
address falls which are the number one non-fatal
hospitalized injury for seniors. We also began the
Healthy Body Healthy Brain Campaign to raise awareness
about the relationship of lifestyle with cognitive
health; and we've called attention to fact that
seniors represent a $3 billion industry to the state,
that doesn't include the countless hours of volunteer
and family caregiving, and that seniors greatly
appreciate the programs and services they receive
which are critical to their health and wellbeing and
their ability to live in this state.
9:31:20 AM
MS. DANIELLO continued as follows:
The Alaska Commission on Aging is comprised of 11
members with 7 of our members being of senior age and
they are appointed by the governor to serve four-year
terms. We also have four-designated seats: one for the
Commissioner of the Department of Health and Social
Services, another for the Commissioner of the
Department of Commerce, one for a senior service
provider, and one for the chair of the Pioneer Home
board. As you know, we have a staff of four that
includes the executive director, two planners and an
administrative assistant.
MS. DANIELLO addressed the Alaska Commission on Aging's audit as
follows:
The audit reported two findings, as you have heard, by
the Alaska Division of Legislative Audit, that
requires the posting of public meeting notices for all
of the Alaska Commission on Aging's board and
committee meetings; and secondly, for the Alaska
Commission on Aging's chairperson to review and
approve the Legislative Watch List prior to
distribution. The Alaska Commission on Aging concurs
with these findings and we have amended our policies
and procedures to include corrective actions,
strategies, and those have been implemented.
To address specifically the Legislative Watch List, we
use the Legislative Watch List as a list of
legislation of interest to seniors. When we use it
during the legislative teleconferences, we provide
updates on those bills and how they are moving. We
invite legislators and their staff to come and talk
about those bills and we also ask for senior input to
find out what their opinions are about that
legislation. So now our policies and procedures
require our chair of the Legislative Efficacy
Committee and the chair of our Alaska Commission on
Aging to review the Legislative Watch List prior to
its distribution.
9:33:15 AM
She summarized as follows:
Pending passage of this legislation, the Alaska
Commission on Aging will continue to plan, educate,
and advocate for programs and services that allow
older Alaskans to live with dignity and respect so
that they may remain and live independently for as
long as possible in the least restrictive settings,
and to assure that seniors remain connected to their
family and communities.
SENATOR HUGGINS asked if the term "senior longevity bonus" falls
under ACoA's purview.
MS. DANIELLO replied as follows:
The Alaska Senior Benefits Program is currently
administered by the Division of Public Assistance; it
came into being in FY 2008 and it is a cash-assistance
program for seniors age 65 years and older who meet
the income threshold; it has three tiers for three-
different levels of income, up to 175 percent of
federal poverty level.
The Alaska Senior Benefits Program followed the Senior
Longevity Bonus. When the Senior Longevity Bonus was
in place, it provided a $250 a month benefit to people
age 65 years and older. I believe there was a
connection to a senior's residency and the number of
years living in Alaska. For that reason, there was a
lot of conversation that may not be fair and the
Alaska Senior Benefits Program came into being. I
think the Senior Longevity Bonus is still in state
statute, but it is not funded. The Senior Benefits
Program is the program that is operating today.
9:35:40 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS noted that Juneau recently changed its senior
exemption for sales tax. He asked if ACoA has received feedback
from this change.
MS. DANIELLO answered yes. She declared that Ms. Marie Darlin
would address Senator Huggins' question. She conceded that
Juneau's tax exemption change was an important issue for seniors
that have opinions on both sides.
9:37:37 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked if the committee should be aware of issues
pertaining to seniors that reside at the Alaska Pioneer Homes.
MS. DANIELLO replied that ACoA has received positive feedback
about the care residents receive at the Alaska Pioneer Homes.
She noted that discussions have occurred on the possibility for
the Alaska Pioneer Homes to be privatized and ACoA wants to
ensure that the same level of care continues should the Alaska
Pioneer Homes be privatized.
SENATOR STOLTZE shared that he was baffled by the governor's
recent budget conference that singled out Alaska Pioneer Homes
and the Division of Agriculture as the only items that could be
cut from the budget.
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL announced that the committee would take
public testimony.
9:40:56 AM
RACHEL GREENBERG, Executive Director, Mat-Su Senior Services,
Palmer, Alaska, stated that the organizations she represents
supports the continuation of ACoA. She asserted that ACoA is a
statewide agency that looks out for all seniors. She pointed out
that ACoA develops the funding formula, but funds are actually
distributed through the Division of Senior Disability Services.
She addressed previous concerns regarding funding distribution
disparity and revealed that the State Plan for Senior Services
is developed every four years. She opined that a lot of the
disparity was actually coming from within the Mat-Su region and
not necessarily the funding formula itself.
SENATOR STOLTZE commended the Alaska Commission on Aging members
for their service.
9:46:05 AM
DAVID LEVY, Senior Services Coordinator, Aging and Disability
Resource Center, Municipality of Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska,
declared that the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission supports
SB 124.
9:48:17 AM
GORDON GLASER, Public Member, Alaska Commission on Aging,
Anchorage, Alaska, revealed that he is the past president of the
Anchorage Senior Activity Center and noted their support for SB
124 as well. He asserted that ACoA provides a valuable service
to the state.
9:52:14 AM
AMANDA LOFGREN, Program Officer, Alaska Mental Health Trust
Authority, Anchorage, Alaska, stated that ACoA was an invaluable
partner to the trust, especially as Alaska continues to have the
fastest growing senior population in the United States.
SENATOR STOLTZE thanked the Alaska Mental Health Trust for their
work with senior beneficiaries.
SENATOR HUGGINS commented that a reference guide for aging
services provided by various state agencies would be beneficial.
9:57:11 AM
MARIE DARLIN, Advocate, American Association of Retired Persons-
Juneau (AARP), Juneau, Alaska, stated that AARP supports ACoA.
She addressed Juneau's senior sales tax change and revealed that
only certain types of foods will continue to be exempted. She
pointed out that the City and Borough of Juneau faces the same
fiscal challenges as the state where a committee was appointed
to address all tax exemptions, not just the senior exemption.
SENATOR STOLTZE commended Ms. Darlin for her service.
10:05:02 AM
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL asked if Senator Stoltze would like to bring
SB 124 up for a motion or hold the bill.
SENATOR STOLTZE replied that the committee was ready to move SB
124, but the real issue pertained to the Senate Finance
Committee in reviewing the bill and ultimately making the tough
decision.
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL asked that one question be submitted to the
Senate Finance Committee that addressed the interagency receipts
that include federal money. He specified that he would like to
know what the "blend" was.
SENATOR STOLTZE noted the ACoA's appropriation in the fiscal
note was $537,000.
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL asked if Senator Stoltze would like to make a
motion.
SENATOR STOLTZE summarized that SB 124 was a continuation of
funding that links to federal requirements. He said the state's
link allowed the state to continue addressing nutrition through
Meals-on-Wheels as well as welfare checks for seniors in remote
areas. He commended the original legislators that sponsored the
bill for ACoA.
10:11:08 AM
SENATOR STOLTZE moved to report SB 124 from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).
10:11:19 AM
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL closed public testimony.
10:11:49 AM
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL announced that seeing no objection, SB 124
moved out of committee.