Legislature(2025 - 2026)
2025-07-30 House Journal
Full Journal pdf2025-07-30 House Journal Page 1369 HB 55 The following was enrolled, signed by the Speaker and Chief Clerk, President and Secretary of the Senate, and the engrossed and enrolled copies were transmitted to the Office of the Governor at 11:30 a.m., May 27: CONFERENCE CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 55 "An Act making appropriations for the operating and capital expenses of the state's integrated comprehensive mental health program; and providing for an effective date." The following letter dated May 20 to Mr. Brent Fisher, Chair, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, was attached: "Dear Mr. Fisher: Pursuant to the requirements of AS 37.14.005(c), this letter and the enclosed report describe the funding for FY26 Mental Health programs. The appropriations contained in HB 55 follow the FY26 Mental Health Trust Authority's funding recommendations for the State's integrated comprehensive mental health program. While the statute requires reporting only on general fund expenditures, information regarding expenditures of Authority receipts is also included in the attached report. 2025-07-30 House Journal Page 1370 Below are the funding differences in HB 55, relative to the Governor's FY26 Mental Health Trust Authority budget proposal and the recommendations of the Trust. Operating • Legislature denied the Governor's request for $200.0 GF/MH to extend support for the Strengthening Healthcare Access Recruitment Program (SHARP); • Legislature initiated a fund source change in the Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery Grants allocation which replaced $518.0 GF/MH with AD T&P Fund, and then initiated a corresponding fund source change in the Therapeutic Courts allocation to replace $518.0 AD T&P Fund with GF/MH in order to align fund sources with their statutory designation; • Legislature added a new $100.0 GF/MH Increment to the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion allocation to increase funding for dementia education and prevention; • Legislature increased funding by $2,700.0 GF/MH for early intervention and infant learning programs and added a new $3,020.0 GF/MH Increment to fund the expansion of infant learning programs, for a total addition of $5,720.0 GF/MH in the Early Intervention/Infant Learning Programs allocation; • Legislature denied the Governor's request for $750.0 GF/MH to support a crisis call center in the Behavioral Health Administration allocation; • Legislature denied the Governor's request for $200.0 GF/MH to extend direct support for professional training and development in the Senior and Disabilities Services Administration allocation; • Legislature decremented $45.0 GF/MH from the base in the Senior and Disabilities Services Administration allocation, which was equal to an amount absent from the Governor's request and related to a Trust recommendation to extend the development of targeted outcome data using GF/MH only and withdrawing prior MHTAAR support; • Legislature denied the Governor's request for $50.0 GF/MH to extend crisis intervention team and behavioral health training and programs for first responders in the Alaska State Trooper Detachments allocation; • Legislature denied the Governor's request for $200.0 GF/MH ($300.0 was recommended by the Trust but only $200.0 was requested) to extend the Alaska Training Cooperative in the University's Anchorage Campus allocation. 2025-07-30 House Journal Page 1371 Capital • Legislature approved the Governor's request for $575.0 GF/MH for home modifications and upgrades through the Senior and Disability Services Division, which was half the Trust's recommendation of $1,150.0; • Legislature approved the Governor's request for $700.0 GF/MH for coordinated community transportation in the Alaska Transit Office, which was below the Trust's recommendation of $1,000.0; • Legislature approved the Governor's request for $1,750.0 AHFC Div for Alaska Housing Finance Corporation beneficiary and special needs housing; this deviates from the Trust's recommendation to use GF/MH; • Legislature approved the Governor's request for $9,200.0 AHFC Div for Alaska Housing Finance Corporation's homeless assistance program; this deviates from the Trust's recommendation to use GF/MH and is greater than the Trust's recommended funding amount of $2,850.0. The attached report provides a summary of FY26 Operating & Capital appropriations included in HB 55. If you have questions regarding the enclosed reports, please contact Valerie Rose of the Legislative Finance Division at 465-5411. Sincerely, /s/ /s/ Representative Josephson Senator Hoffman Conference Committee, Chair Conference Committee, Vice-Chair Enclosures 1. FY26 Mental Health Appropriations Summary (HB 55)"