HB 21-SUICIDE PREVENTION COUNCIL MEMBERS  8:08:18 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the first order of business was HOUSE BILL NO. 21, "An Act relating to the membership of the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council." 8:08:20 AM REPRESENTATIVE ANNA FAIRCLOUGH, Alaska State Legislature, introduced HB 21 as joint prime sponsor. She stated that she and Representative Berta Gardner are members of the State Suicide Prevention Council. She directed attention to a handout in the committee packet entitled, "Mending the Net: Suicide Prevention in Alaska," the annual report for fiscal year 2010 (FY 10) from the council. As shown on page 11 of the report, Representative Fairclough stated that suicide is one of the top ten causes of death in Alaska. Page 20, she said, describes a public health model emphasizing community readiness, planning efforts, and outcomes, with an emphasis on community collaboration. 8:09:51 AM REPRESENTATIVE BERTA GARDNER, Alaska State Legislature, as joint prime sponsor, highlighted the changes in the proposed committee substitute, (CS) for HB 21, Version 27-LS0154\B, Bullard, 1/22/11. First, the proposed CS would require someone to serve on the council who brings experience from a military perspective, either as someone currently in service, a retiree, or someone who has worked with military personnel. 8:11:11 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 21, Version 27-LS0154\B, Bullard, 1/22/11, as a work draft. There being no objection, Version B was before the committee. 8:11:30 AM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER noted that the second change proposed in Version B would change the requirement of a youth serving on the council from being in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12, to being "at least  16 years or age but not more than 20 years of age" when appointed. She explained that with this change, somebody who has just graduated from high school, but is, perhaps, just becoming comfortable in his/her ability to speak out as a council member, would be able to serve. 8:12:20 AM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH noted that Chair Lynn had, some time before the meeting, expressed concern that the use of the term "active military personnel" found in the original bill version was ambiguous. She noted that Version B specifies that the term means, for example, that the National Guard would be included. CHAIR LYNN made the distinction that the National Guard works for the state, except when commandeered by the President of the United States, in which case National Guard members are working for the federal government. 8:13:44 AM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER, in response to a question from Chair Lynn, indicated that the results of despair and depression are the same, irrespective of their origins. She said, "It's hard to tease out exactly which threads lead to which behaviors, but there's no doubt that Alaska has leading numbers in all of those areas: alcohol abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and suicide." CHAIR LYNN offered his view that solving the problem of sexual violence, alcohol abuse, and child abuse would result in a decrease in the suicide rate. 8:14:44 AM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH directed attention to page 10 of the aforementioned report, which states that of the 33 percent of those whose death was caused by suicide who were tested for drugs and/or alcohol, 44 percent tested positive for alcohol and 48 percent tested positive for other drugs. She talked about the link between a lack of hope and the occurrence of suicide. 8:15:54 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON expressed appreciation of the suicide prevention efforts that are being made. He said the House Health and Social Services Standing Committee has been talking about vitamin D therapy for people living in areas that don't get much light, and he said that that therapy is more effective than light therapy. He said he looks forward to working with the council in the future, and expressed his wish that the council look at the issues more broadly. 8:17:56 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON said she is pleased at the addition of language related to military personnel. She indicated that suicides spike [between the ages of 15-24], and she said 23 and 24 are the ages at which many of those who have served in the military come back home. She also expressed surprise to have read on page 9 of the report that another group with a high rate of suicide is that of people 85 and older. 8:19:17 AM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH highlighted that in 2009, 140 individuals [in Alaska] committed suicide. She further related that between 2000 and 2009, 1,369 took their own lives. She talked about the impact suicide has on communities. She stated that although the number of suicides in Anchorage is high, the per capita ratio of suicides is considerably higher in rural areas; therefore, she warned the committee members not to jump to conclusions reading just part of the statistics. She reemphasized the observation made by Representative Wilson that the suicide rate is higher for the young and the elderly, and she suggested the high rate of elderly suicides may be in response to life-limiting diseases. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said she and Representative Gardner are honored to be working on this task. She said the council needs the support of the legislature, and she noted that there is a $4,000 fiscal note [included in the committee packet]. She related that the council attempts to "get out into rural Alaska" at least once a year, because those communities are experiencing suicide rates 2-6 times the national average. 8:21:07 AM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER pointed out that there are instances where people die and it is not clear whether or not the cause of death was suicide. She emphasized the value in hearing the stories from people in rural Alaska first-hand. She said that doing so opens discussion of a subject that previously may have been taboo. In response to a question from Chair Lynn, she reiterated that the common denominator of suicide is despair and the inability to believe that a bad situation can get better. 8:23:01 AM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH directed attention to information on page 8 of the aforementioned report, which states that suicide rates among Alaska Natives are higher than of any other ethnicity in the state, and are the highest of any ethnicity in the U.S. She recollected having read that that percentage increases further for Native Alaskan boys. She stressed the importance of prevention and building skills to help young people cope with, for example, a failed relationship. She said village elders are getting involved in the effort to build relationships between youth and elders. She said the first step is talking about suicide and hearing from those who have been affected by it. In response to Chair Lynn, she concurred that an entire community can be affected by the suicide of one of its members. 8:25:12 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER expressed appreciation to Representatives Fairclough and Gardner for the work they are doing. He then directed attention to page 16, which shows funding, and he observed that "the funding doesn't follow the rate." 8:25:53 AM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH explained that in a community, the involvement of individuals sometimes makes a bigger impact than money. The goal, she said, is to use the money to create a synergy inside of communities to bring all resources to the table. Each community's situation is unique, she added. 8:27:07 AM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER observed that there are some communities that seem to be awaiting advice and assistance, while other communities recognize that there is a problem and that the solution comes from within the community. She echoed Representative Fairclough's comment that money is not always the answer. She said money can pay for training, but there is a lot of work that can be done locally, and the council hopes to be "a gathering point" to get that process started through discussion. 8:28:19 AM REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN directed attention to page 12 of report, which shows the percentage of U.S. Census area deaths attributed to suicide from 2000-2008. He asked if there are areas of Alaska that more closely match the national average. 8:29:24 AM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH estimated that 3 percent of Alaska falls within the national range, and said the exact answer is in the report. REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN surmised that the council must be concentrating its efforts on the areas with the highest suicide rates. He asked if former Representative Woody Salmon has been replaced on the board. He then asked how rural areas "get into the conversation." 8:31:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER said she is not sure how to answer that question, because the board's membership is not filled based on district, but rather based on requirements in statute. She emphasized that the perspective of the board is that one suicide is too many, and its members will try to reduce the number of suicides in Alaska no matter what the national average is. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH listed entities from which people are serving: the Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, the Alaska Mental Health Board, the Alaska Federation of Natives, a counselor or someone from secondary schools, a youth, someone who has experienced the death by suicide [of a family member], a person from a rural community not connected by roads, a member of clergy, a person who is under the age of 18, [and one public member]. She offered examples and names. She noted that the members will be in Juneau on January 30 - February 2, and will be visiting legislators in the capitol. 8:34:18 AM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER, in response to a question from Representative Petersen, said the council has not studied what other nations in northern climates are doing regarding this issue; however, she said she thinks other nations are looking at what Alaska is doing. 8:34:51 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON observed that even though data may look good, the problem still persists. She explained that the graph on page 12 of the report shows her community in a good light, but the statistics only go through 2008, and just last month there were two suicides. 8:36:05 AM KATE BURKHART, Executive Director, Advisory Board on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse; Executive Director, Alaska Mental Health Board (AMHB), Division of Behavioral Health (DBH), Department of Health & Social Services, testified in support of HB 21. She stated that the proposed legislation is a direct reflection of the council's determination to respond to public comment. She said the council held a meeting in Fairbanks in October 2010, at which time it heard passionate testimony from young people. That is one reason that the council wants to augment the youth member requirement in statute. She emphasized that the council considers itself responsible to the citizens of Alaska and really listens to what the public has to say. 8:38:56 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON expressed appreciation for the ideas that have been brought forward and stated support of the idea that young people can be effective in the process. He credited a new legislator, Representative Alan Dick, for bringing energy from rural Alaska. He questioned whether the education system prepares young people for diversity and leaving their villages. He suggested that education that is relevant to students may help in eliminating despair, and he opined that the council should be part of that discussion. 8:40:34 AM REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN stated support of the changes proposed in Version B, and expressed appreciation that the joint prime sponsors have continued the work that former Representative Richard Halford began in 2001. He opined that extending the age requirement of the youth member to 20 will be helpful, because the time in a young person's life when he/she is just out of high school can present choices that can be overwhelming and lead to despair. He mentioned there are many military bases in Alaska, and indicated that the addition of language in Version B to include the military is a good idea. 8:42:06 AM REPRESENTATIVE WILSON moved to report the proposed committee substitute (CS), Version 27-LS0154\B, Bullard, 1/22/11, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 21(STA) was reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.