00 SENATE BILL NO. 220 01 "An Act establishing a community health worker certification; relating to medical 02 assistance coverage for certified community health worker services; and providing for 03 an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05  * Section 1. AS 18 is amended by adding a new chapter to read: 06 Chapter 11. Community Health Workers.  07 Sec. 18.11.010. Community health worker certification. (a) The department 08 shall adopt regulations regarding the certification of community health workers, 09 including 10 (1) the scope of practice for certified community health workers; 11 (2) the minimum qualifications, including education and training 12 requirements, for certification; 13 (3) the standards and requirements for education and training programs 14 established to certify community health workers; 01 (4) the continuing education requirements to renew a certificate; 02 (5) the minimum qualifications, including education, training, and 03 experience, that a certified community health worker must meet to provide education, 04 training, or continuing education to other certified community health workers; 05 (6) criteria for denying, suspending, and revoking a certificate when 06 necessary to protect public health and safety and a process for an individual to appeal 07 a decision by the department that denies, suspends, or revokes a certificate; and 08 (7) a schedule of fees to be paid upon application for an initial 09 certificate or renewal of a certificate. 10 (b) The department may adopt regulations that allow for reciprocity 11 agreements with other states that offer community health worker certification. 12 Sec. 18.11.020. Community health worker certification application;  13 requirements. (a) An individual may apply to the department for a certificate to 14 practice as a certified community health worker on a form prescribed by the 15 department. 16 (b) The department shall issue or renew a certificate to an applicant who meets 17 the qualifications set out in this chapter and regulations adopted under this chapter and 18 pays the applicable fees. A certificate is valid for two years. 19 (c) The department shall waive the minimum education and training 20 requirements for certification for an applicant who has, within the previous three 21 years, completed at least 960 hours of paid or volunteer experience providing services 22 within the scope of practice of a certified community health worker in a licensed 23 health care facility or in the service of a licensed health care provider. 24 (d) An individual may provide services within the scope of practice of a 25 community health worker and hold out publicly as a community health worker without 26 obtaining a certificate under this section. 27 Sec. 18.11.030. Definitions. In this chapter, 28 (1) "certified community health worker" means a community health 29 worker who holds a valid certificate; 30 (2) "community health worker" means an individual who provides 31 nonmedical services as a liaison between health and community service providers and 01 users of those services, to facilitate access to and coordinate medical and behavioral 02 health services and improve the quality of service delivery and medical and behavioral 03 health outcomes; 04 (3) "department" means the Department of Health; 05 (4) "health care facility" has the meaning given in AS 18.20.499. 06  * Sec. 2. AS 47.07.030(b) is amended to read: 07 (b) In addition to the mandatory services specified in (a) of this section and the 08 services provided under (d) of this section, the department may offer only the 09 following optional services: case management services for traumatic or acquired brain 10 injury; case management and nutrition services for pregnant women; certified  11 community health worker services; personal care services in a recipient's home; 12 emergency hospital services; long-term care noninstitutional services; medical 13 supplies and equipment; advanced practice registered nurse services; clinic services; 14 rehabilitative services for children eligible for services under AS 47.07.063, substance 15 abusers, and emotionally disturbed or chronically mentally ill adults; targeted case 16 management services; inpatient psychiatric facility services for individuals 65 years of 17 age or older and individuals under 21 years of age; psychologists' services; clinical 18 social workers' services; marital and family therapy services; professional counseling 19 services; midwife services; prescribed drugs; physical therapy; occupational therapy; 20 chiropractic services; low-dose mammography screening, as defined in 21 AS 21.42.375(e); hospice care; treatment of speech, hearing, and language disorders; 22 adult dental and dental hygiene services; prosthetic devices and eyeglasses; 23 optometrists' services; intermediate care facility services, including intermediate care 24 facility services for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities; skilled 25 nursing facility services for individuals under 21 years of age; and reasonable 26 transportation to and from the point of medical care. 27  * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 28 read: 29 MEDICAID STATE PLAN; WAIVERS. The Department of Health shall, as 30 necessary for federal approval by the United States Department of Health and Human 31 Services, submit amendments to the state plan for medical assistance coverage or apply for 01 any waivers necessary to implement sec. 2 of this Act. 02  * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 03 read: 04 TRANSITION: INITIAL REGULATIONS. (a) Before adopting the regulations 05 required under AS 18.11.010, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, the Department of Health shall 06 seek recommendations from a statewide or nationally recognized community health worker 07 organization regarding 08 (1) core competencies required for the certification of community health 09 workers, including education and training; 10 (2) the type of examination or other means best suited to assess competency 11 for certification; 12 (3) standards and requirements for education, training, and continuing 13 education programs for certified community health workers; 14 (4) minimum education and training standards for certified community health 15 workers who provide education, training, or continuing education to other certified 16 community health workers; 17 (5) standards of professional conduct for certified community health workers; 18 and 19 (6) other matters the Department of Health determines are necessary. 20 (b) In this section, "certified community health worker" and "community health 21 worker" have the meanings given in AS 18.11.030, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act. 22  * Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 23 read: 24 CONDITIONAL EFFECT; NOTIFICATION. (a) Section 2 of this Act takes effect 25 only if, on or before July 1, 2031, the United States Department of Health and Human 26 Services 27 (1) approves waivers or amendments to the state plan submitted under sec. 3 28 of this Act; or 29 (2) determines that approval of the waivers or amendments to the state plan 30 for medical assistance coverage submitted in accordance with sec. 3 of this Act is not 31 necessary. 01 (b) The commissioner of health shall notify the revisor of statutes in writing within 30 02 days after the United States Department of Health and Human Services approves the waivers 03 or amendments to the state plan or determines that approval of the waivers or amendments is 04 not necessary. 05  * Sec. 6. If sec. 2 of this Act takes effect, it takes effect on the day after the date the United 06 States Department of Health and Human Services approves the waivers or amendments to the 07 state plan or determines that approval of the waivers or amendments is not necessary.