2004-03-02                     Senate Journal                      Page 2363
SB 301                                                                                            
The Health, Education and Social Services Committee considered                                      
SENATE BILL NO. 301 "An Act relating to the Alaska Pioneers'                                        
Home, and the Alaska Veterans' Home; relating to eligibility for                                    
admission to the Alaska Pioneers' Home and Alaska Veterans' Home;                                   
relating to state veterans' home facilities; making conforming                                      
amendments; and providing for an effective date" and recommended it                                 
be replaced with                                                                                    

2004-03-02                     Senate Journal                      Page 2364
          CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 301(HES) "An Act                                                   
          relating to the Alaska Pioneers' Home and the Alaska                                      
          Veterans' Home; relating to eligibility for admission                                     
          to the Alaska Pioneers' Home and Alaska Veterans'                                         
          Home; relating to the eligibility of residents for the                                    
          Alaska Pioneers' Home and the Alaska Veterans'                                            
          Home for general relief assistance; relating to state                                     
          veterans' home facilities; making conforming                                              
          amendments; and providing for an effective date."                                         
                                                                                                    
and further recommends the adoption of the following Health,                                        
Education and Social Services Committee Letter of Intent:                                           
                                                                                                    
                               Letter of Intent                                                    
                                                                                                    
          It is the intent of the legislature in passing Senate Bill                                
          301 relating to an Alaskan Veterans Home that the                                         
          Department of Health and Social Services will                                             
          convert the Palmer Pioneers' Home to be a state                                           
          veterans' home approved by the U.S. Department of                                         
          Veterans' Affairs. After the conversion, the                                              
          department should continue to maintain a Pioneers'                                        
          Home waiting list for the Palmer Home. It is the                                          
          intent of the legislature that the home will provide                                      
          75% of the resident capacity for veterans and 25% of                                      
          the resident capacity for others selected from the                                        
          Pioneers' Home waiting list.                                                              
                                                                                                    
          The legislature encourages the department to actively                                     
          work to fill all vacant beds using the current                                            
          Pioneers' Home waiting list prior to certification of                                     
          the Home as a state veterans' home.                                                       
                                                                                                    
Signing do pass: Senator Dyson, Chair; Senator Green. Signing no                                    
recommendation: Senator Guess.                                                                      
                                                                                                    
The following previously published fiscal information applies:                                      
 Fiscal Note No. 1, Department of Health and Social Services                                        
                                                                                                    
The bill was referred to the Finance Committee.