04/08/2025 03:15 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

        HB  96-HOME CARE EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ADV BOARD                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:08:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA  announced that the  first order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 96, "An  Act establishing the Home Care Employment                                                               
Standards Advisory  Board; relating to payment  for personal care                                                               
services; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:09:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX, as prime sponsor,  provided a brief recap of                                                               
the history  of HB  96.  He  said that HB  96 would  establish an                                                               
advisory board to address challenges with home care in Alaska.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:10:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX moved to adopt  Amendment 1 to HB 96, labeled                                                               
34-LS0297\I.1, Radford, 4/2/25, which read as follows:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 6, lines 2 - 3:                                                                                                       
          Delete "enrolled with"                                                                                                
          Insert "certified by"                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX explained  that  Amendment  1 would  clarify                                                               
previous concerns regarding HB 96.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MINA  removed  her  objection   to  the  motion  to  adopt                                                               
Amendment 1.   There being no further objection,  Amendment 1 was                                                               
adopted.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:11:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX moved to adopt  Amendment 2 to HB 96, labeled                                                               
34-LS0297\I.2, Radford, 4/5/25, which read as follows:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
          Page 5, lines 11 - 23:                                                                                                
               Delete all material and insert:                                                                                  
               "(c)  The department shall take the                                                                              
          recommendations  of the  board into  consideration                                                                    
     when      setting  rates for  covered services.  If the                                                                    
     rate set by    the  department  for a  covered  service                                                                    
     differs   significantly  from the  rate recommended  by                                                                    
     the board,     the commissioner shall  notify the board                                                                    
     and the chair  of  each  legislative  committee  having                                                                    
     jurisdiction of     health   and  social   services  in                                                                    
     writing."                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX explained  that Amendment  2 would  simplify                                                               
the  process  of producing  the  annual  report by  the  advisory                                                               
board.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MINA  removed  her  objection   to  the  motion  to  adopt                                                               
Amendment 2.   There being no further objection,  Amendment 2 was                                                               
adopted.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:12:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS  moved to report  HB 96, as amended,  out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There  being no  objection,  CSHB  96(HSS)  was                                                               
reported out  of the  House Health  and Social  Services Standing                                                               
Committee.