Legislature(2007 - 2008)CAPITOL 106

04/08/2008 03:00 PM House HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES


Download Mp3. <- Right click and save file as

Audio Topic
03:03:54 PM Start
03:04:09 PM SJR18
03:08:25 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ SJR 18 CHILD PRODUCT SAFETY TELECONFERENCED
Moved Out of Committee
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
 HOUSE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                               
                         April 8, 2008                                                                                          
                           3:03 p.m.                                                                                            
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Peggy Wilson, Chair                                                                                              
Representative Bob Roses, Vice Chair                                                                                            
Representative Anna Fairclough                                                                                                  
Representative Sharon Cissna                                                                                                    
Representative Berta Gardner                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wes Keller                                                                                                       
Representative Paul Seaton                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 18                                                                                                  
Requesting  the President  of  the United  States  to direct  the                                                               
United  States Consumer  Product  Safety Commission  to test  the                                                               
materials used  in children's toys and  other children's products                                                               
for toxicity and to make the results publicly available.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED SJR 18 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SJR 18                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: CHILD PRODUCT SAFETY                                                                                               
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) WIELECHOWSKI                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
02/19/08       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/19/08       (S)       HES, L&C                                                                                               
03/14/08       (S)       HES AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205                                                                           
03/14/08       (S)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
03/14/08       (S)       MINUTE(HES)                                                                                            
03/19/08       (S)       HES AT 1:45 PM BUTROVICH 205                                                                           
03/19/08       (S)       Moved SJR 18 Out of Committee                                                                          
03/19/08       (S)       MINUTE(HES)                                                                                            
03/21/08       (S)       HES RPT  5DP                                                                                           
03/21/08       (S)       DP: DAVIS, ELTON, THOMAS, COWDERY,                                                                     
                         DYSON                                                                                                  
03/25/08       (S)       L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211                                                                               
03/25/08       (S)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
03/25/08       (S)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
03/27/08       (S)       L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211                                                                               
03/27/08       (S)       Moved SJR 18 Out of Committee                                                                          
03/27/08       (S)       MINUTE(L&C)                                                                                            
03/28/08       (S)       L&C RPT   2DP 1NR                                                                                      
03/28/08       (S)       DP: ELLIS, DAVIS                                                                                       
03/28/08       (S)       NR: BUNDE                                                                                              
04/06/08       (S)       TRANSMITTED TO (H)                                                                                     
04/06/08       (S)       VERSION: SJR 18                                                                                        
04/07/08       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/07/08       (H)       HES                                                                                                    
04/08/08       (H)       HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
KATHERINE PUSTAY, Staff                                                                                                         
to Senator Bill Wielechowski                                                                                                    
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Responded to  questions on behalf of Senator                                                             
Wielechowski, prime sponsor.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PEGGY WILSON called the  House Health, Education and Social                                                             
Services  Standing  Committee meeting  to  order  at 3:03:54  PM.                                                             
Representatives  Wilson,  Roses,  Gardner,  and  Fairclough  were                                                               
present at the  call to order.  Representative  Cissna arrived as                                                               
the meeting was in progress.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:04:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SJR 18-CHILD PRODUCT SAFETY                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:04:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 18, Requesting the  President of the                                                               
United  States  to  direct the  United  States  Consumer  Product                                                               
Safety Commission to  test the materials used  in children's toys                                                               
and  other  children's products  for  toxicity  and to  make  the                                                               
results publicly available.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:05:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROSES  moved to  report SJR  18 out  of committee.                                                               
There being no objection, SJR 18 was so moved.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:05:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON  commented, "I was  totally amazed, ...  107 recalls                                                               
already."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER  asked if the problem  lies primarily with                                                               
imported,  foreign-made toys,  and  parts, or  if  there is  also                                                               
concern for domestic-made products.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:06:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATHERINE  PUSTAY, Staff,  to Senator  Bill Wielechowski,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature, answered that the  problem stems from the lack                                                               
of a dedicated  watch dog agency, for  domestic, or international                                                               
toy products.   Further,  there is  no government  agency charged                                                               
with testing  toys for  toxicity levels.   The  Consumer Products                                                               
Safety  Commission  monitors  toys  for  chocking  and  ingestion                                                               
hazards,  but not  for  content.   She opined  that  many of  the                                                               
recent problems have arisen with  the globalization movement, and                                                               
the lack  of oversight.   Recalls only  occur when  something has                                                               
become glaringly  apparent.   There is an  inherent faith  on the                                                               
part  of the  consumer, when  purchasing a  child's toy,  that it                                                               
will be safe, she finished.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:08:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON  added that  lead based paint  has been  outlawed in                                                               
the U.S.  for many years,  but that does  not hold true  for many                                                               
countries.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Health, Education and Social  Services Standing Committee meeting                                                               
was adjourned at 3:08 p.m.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects