2005-05-08                     House Journal                      Page 1785
                                                                                                    
HCS CSSB 125(FIN)                                                                                   
Second Reading                                                                                      
Amendment No. 1 as amended                                                                          
                                                                                                    
YEAS:  36   NAYS:  0   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  4                                                   
                                                                                                    
Yeas:  Anderson, Berkowitz, Chenault, Cissna, Coghill, Croft,                                       
Dahlstrom, Elkins, Foster, Gara, Gardner, Gatto, Gruenberg,                                         
Guttenberg, Harris, Hawker, Holm, Joule, Kapsner, Kelly, Kerttula,                                  
Kohring, Kott, LeDoux, Lynn, McGuire, Meyer, Moses, Neuman,                                         
Olson, Ramras, Salmon, Samuels, Stoltze, Thomas, Wilson                                             
                                                                                                    
Absent:  Crawford, Rokeberg, Seaton, Weyhrauch                                                      
                                                                                                    
And so, Amendment No. 1 as amended was adopted.                                                     
                                                                                                    
Amendment No. 2 was offered  by Representative Cissna:                                               
                                                                                                    
Page 41, following line 28:                                                                         
 Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                 
   "* Sec. 54.  The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by                           
adding a new section to read:                                                                       
 MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WAIVER APPROVAL;                                                                
LEGISLATIVE INTENT.  (a) The Department of Health and Social                                        
Services shall proceed immediately to seek federal approval to amend                                
the home and community based waiver program for the state under                                     
Medicaid to add adult companion services for older Alaskans and for                                 
adults with physical disabilities as a reimbursable service either as a                             
separate service or as a service that may be combined with other                                    
waivers, including respite or chore services or personal attendant                                  
services.  The services may be combined only if the combination                                     
results in greater efficiency in administering the program and is more                              
beneficial to the recipient of waiver services.                                                     
 (b) It is the intent of the legislature to restore nonmedical care,                                
supervision, and socialization provided through companion services to                               
functionally impaired adults who are eligible for home and community                                
based waivers for older Alaskans and for adults with physical                                       
disabilities.  Companion services were formerly provided as part of                                 
respite service before the amendments to 7 AAC 43.1040.  Effective                                  
May 15, 2004, the Department of Health and Social Services was                                      
prohibited from paying for respite services that allow a primary