02/03/2015 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

         HB 39-PUBL EMPL HEALTH INS; WELLNESS COMMITTEE                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:05:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 39, "An  Act establishing the  Advisory Committee                                                               
on Wellness;  and relating to  the administration of  state group                                                               
health insurance policies."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:06:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:06:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VAZQUEZ  moved to  adopt Amendment 1,  labeled 29-                                                               
LS0227\A.3, Wayne, 1/30/15, which read:                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, following line 22:                                                                                                 
          Insert new subsections to read:                                                                                       
          "(g)  On or before the second Monday in December                                                                      
     of each year, the  commissioner of administration shall                                                                    
     deliver to the governor,  the senate secretary, and the                                                                    
     chief clerk of  the house of representatives  a copy of                                                                    
     reports the commissioner has made  in the preceding 12-                                                                    
     month period under  (f) of this section  and notify the                                                                    
     legislature that the reports are available.                                                                                
          (h)  On or before the second Monday in December                                                                       
     of  each  year,  the  committee shall  deliver  to  the                                                                    
     governor, the senate secretary,  and the chief clerk of                                                                    
     the   house  of   representatives   a  written   report                                                                    
     containing the  recommendations the committee  has made                                                                    
     in  the preceding  12-month period  under  (e) of  this                                                                    
     section and  notify the legislature that  the report is                                                                    
     available."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Reletter the following subsection accordingly.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:06:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON objected for discussion.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VAZQUEZ explained that  proposed Amendment 1 would                                                               
require   the   wellness   committee  and   the   Department   of                                                               
Administration  to  provide the  governor  and  the Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature  with  copies  of the  wellness  recommendations  and                                                               
responses  by  the  Department  of  Health  and  Social  Services                                                               
produced during the  last year.  These copies would  be due on or                                                               
before the second  Monday in December of each year.   She pointed                                                               
out that this would "close the  loop and get the information back                                                               
to the Legislature."                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:07:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SEATON pointed  out that  subsection (g)  of the  proposed                                                               
amendment required  the commissioner of administration  to submit                                                               
a  report  of  the  actions   by  the  administration,  and  that                                                               
subsection   (h)   required   the  committee   to   deliver   its                                                               
recommendations.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:07:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TARR  asked  to   clarify  that  members  of  the                                                               
committee  would  serve  without   compensation,  and  that  this                                                               
proposed amendment would not change the fiscal note.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SEATON  replied  that testimony  from  the  Department  of                                                               
Administration during  the prior meeting stated  that addition of                                                               
this proposed amendment would not change the zero fiscal note.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:08:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SEATON removed  his  objection.   There  being no  further                                                               
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEATON said that HB 39, as amended, would be held over.