HB 255: "An Act establishing the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 255 01 "An Act establishing the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council; and providing for an 02 effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 39.25.120(c) is amended to read: 05 (c) The following positions in the state service constitute the partially exempt 06 service: 07 (1) deputy and assistant commissioners of the principal departments of 08 the executive branch, including the assistant adjutant general of the Department of 09 Military and Veterans' Affairs; 10 (2) the directors of the major divisions of the principal departments of 11 the executive branch and the regional directors of the Department of Transportation 12 and Public Facilities; 13 (3) attorney members of the staff of the Department of Law, of the 14 public defender agency, and of the office of public advocacy in the Department of
01 Administration; 02 (4) one private secretary for each head of a principal department in the 03 executive branch; 04 (5) employees of councils, boards, or commissions established by 05 statute in the Office of the Governor or the office of the lieutenant governor, unless a 06 different classification is provided by statute; 07 (6) not more than two special assistants to the commissioner of each of 08 the principal departments of the executive branch, but the number may be increased if 09 the partially exempt service is extended under AS 39.25.130 to include the additional 10 special assistants; 11 (7) the principal executive officer of the following boards, councils, or 12 commissions: 13 (A) Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission; 14 (B) Professional Teaching Practices Commission; 15 (C) Parole Board; 16 (D) Board of Nursing; 17 (E) Real Estate Commission; 18 (F) Alaska Royalty Oil and Gas Development Advisory Board; 19 (G) Alaska State Council on the Arts; 20 (H) Alaska Police Standards Council; 21 (I) Alaska Commission on Aging; 22 (J) Alaska Mental Health Board; 23 (K) State Medical Board; 24 (L) Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education; 25 (M) Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; 26 (N) Statewide Suicide Prevention Council; 27 (8) Alaska Pioneers' Home managers; 28 (9) hearing examiners in the Department of Revenue; 29 (10) the comptroller in the division of treasury, Department of 30 Revenue; 31 (11) airport managers in the Department of Transportation and Public
01 Facilities employed at the Anchorage and Fairbanks International Airports; 02 (12) the deputy director of the division of insurance in the Department 03 of Community and Economic Development; 04 (13) the executive director and staff of the Alaska Public Offices 05 Commission; 06 (14) the rehabilitation administrator of the Workers' Compensation 07 Board; 08 (15) guards employed by the Department of Public Safety for 09 emergencies; 10 (16) marine pilot coordinator of the Board of Marine Pilots; 11 (17) employees of the unit established under AS 44.37.050; 12 (18) guards employed by the Department of Corrections, other than in 13 state correctional facilities, to carry out the responsibility of the commissioner of 14 Corrections under AS 33.30.071(b); 15 (19) hearing officers and administrative law judges of the Regulatory 16 Commission of Alaska. 17 * Sec. 2. AS 44.29 is amended by adding new sections to read: 18 Article 4. Statewide Suicide Prevention Council. 19 Sec. 44.29.300. Council established. There is established in the Department 20 of Health and Social Services the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council, consisting of 21 14 members, as follows: 22 (1) two members of the senate, appointed by the president of the 23 senate, one of whom shall be a member of the majority and one of whom shall be a 24 member of the minority; 25 (2) two members of the house of representatives, appointed by the 26 speaker of the house of representatives, one of whom shall be a member of the 27 majority and one of whom shall be a member of the minority; 28 (3) 10 members appointed by the governor, as follows: 29 (A) two persons who are employed in the executive branch of 30 state government; 31 (B) one member of the Advisory Board on Alcoholism and
01 Drug Abuse; 02 (C) one member of the Alaska Mental Health Board; 03 (D) one person recommended by the Alaska Federation of 04 Natives, Inc.; 05 (E) one person who is a counselor in a secondary school; 06 (F) one adult who is active in a statewide youth organization; 07 (G) one person who has experienced the death by suicide of a 08 member of the person's family; 09 (H) one person who resides in a rural community in the state 10 that is not connected by road or the Alaska marine highway to the main road 11 system of the state; and 12 (I) one person who is under the age of 18. 13 Sec. 44.29.310. Term of office. (a) The governor shall appoint the members 14 of the council under AS 44.29.300(3)(D) - (I) for staggered terms of four years. 15 (b) The governor shall fill a vacancy of a member on the council appointed 16 under AS 44.29.300(3)(D) - (I) by appointment for the unexpired part of the vacated 17 term. 18 (c) Members of the council serve at the pleasure of the governor. The 19 governor shall replace a member who, by poor attendance or lack of contribution to 20 the council's work, demonstrates ineffectiveness as a member. In this subsection, 21 "poor attendance" means the failure to attend three or more consecutive meetings. 22 Sec. 44.29.320. Compensation, per diem, and expenses. The members of 23 the council who are not state employees are not entitled to compensation for service 24 on the council, but are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards 25 and commissions under AS 39.20.180. 26 Sec. 44.29.330. Officers and staff. (a) The council, by a majority of its 27 membership, shall annually elect a presiding officer and other officers it considers 28 necessary from among its membership. 29 (b) The council may employ a coordinator to assist the council. The 30 coordinator is in the partially exempt service. The coordinator shall be directly 31 responsible to the council in the performance of the coordinator's duties.
01 Sec. 44.29.340. Meetings. The council may meet, by teleconference or 02 otherwise, as often as considered necessary by the presiding officer of the council. 03 Sec. 44.29.350. Duties. The council shall serve in an advisory capacity to the 04 legislature and the governor with respect to what actions can and should be taken to 05 (1) improve health and wellness throughout the state by reducing 06 suicide and its effect on individuals, families, and communities; 07 (2) broaden the public's awareness of suicide and the risk factors 08 related to suicide; 09 (3) enhance suicide prevention services and programs throughout the 10 state; 11 (4) develop healthy communities through comprehensive, 12 collaborative, community-based approaches; 13 (5) develop and implement a statewide suicide prevention plan; 14 (6) strengthen existing and build new partnerships between public and 15 private entities that will advance suicide prevention efforts in the state. 16 Sec. 44.29.360. Annual report. The council shall annually report its findings 17 and recommendations in a report to the governor, the president of the senate, and the 18 speaker of the house of representatives by March 1 of each year. 19 Sec. 44.29.390. Definition. In AS 44.29.300 - 44.29.390, "council" means the 20 Statewide Suicide Prevention Council established under AS 44.29.300. 21 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 22 read: 23 TRANSITIONAL PROVISION. The Statewide Suicide Prevention Council 24 established under sec. 2 of this Act may begin its work June 1, 2001, or upon appointment of 25 its full membership, whichever is earlier. 26 * Sec. 4. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).