05/06/2025 03:15 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

          HB 141-PUBLIC BUILDINGS: CHANGING FACILITIES                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:37:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA  announced that the  final order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO. 141,  "An  Act  relating to  universal  changing                                                               
facilities in public buildings."                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MEARS  moved  to  adopt  the  proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS) for  HB 141,  labeled  34-LS0610\N, A.  Radford,                                                               
5/4/25, as the working document.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:38:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GRIFFIN SUKKAEW, Staff, Representative  Ashley Carrick, on behalf                                                               
of  Representative  Carrick, prime  sponsor,  gave  a summary  of                                                               
changes from Version  A to Version N  of HB 141.   He stated that                                                               
version  N would  change  the word  bathroom  to restroom,  which                                                               
conforms  to statute.   He  stated that  Section 1  of Version  N                                                               
expands on the  reasons that public restrooms may  be exempt from                                                               
having   a   universal   changing  facility,   further   defining                                                               
"practicable".                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:40:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRAY  noted   concern  about  universities  being                                                               
required to have many universal changing facilities.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   ASHLEY   CARRICK,  Alaska   State   Legislature,                                                               
suggested  that the  language of  Version N  is suitably  narrow.                                                               
She  said  that  she  would  be  open  to  clarifying  that  "not                                                               
practicable" would include  having too many buildings  in a given                                                               
area.   She emphasized that the  intention of HB 141  would be to                                                               
increase access to universal changing rooms.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:41:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK,  in  response  to  Representative  Prax,                                                               
stated that  she hopes the changes  in Version N of  HB 141 would                                                               
generate a lower and more determinate fiscal note.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:42:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA  [treated her  previous objection  for the  purpose of                                                               
discussion  as  removed].   There  being  no  further  objection,                                                               
Version N was before the committee.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:42:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY referenced the  prior fiscal note of $75,000.                                                               
He noted  that the  portable changing  table costs  about $1,500.                                                               
He considered  whether the fiscal  note could be changed  to only                                                               
include portable changing facilities.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:43:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX  made suggestions  based on  a survey  of the                                                               
public restroom facilities in the  Capitol building and the Terry                                                               
Miller Legislative  Building.  He  said that 3  portable changing                                                               
facilities could cover those two  buildings for a cost that would                                                               
be suitable  for him.   He said  40 changing facilities  could be                                                               
enough, rather  than installing  200 across  the state,  and that                                                               
could achieve the objective of HB 141 more quickly.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:45:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK said that she  believes the language of HB
 is  sufficiently broad.  She  said that HB 141  would support                                                               
the installation of portable  universal changing facilities; they                                                               
do not have to be permanently installed to a building.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:47:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRAY said  that the  difference between  this and                                                               
installing  ramps,  for example,  is  that  a freestanding  table                                                               
could be moved in  and out of the bathroom.  He  said that HB 141                                                               
would have to be treated  like an Americans with Disabilities Act                                                               
(ADA) compliance issue.   He asked how willing  the sponsor would                                                               
be  to change  the fiscal  note  of HB  141 from  $38 million  to                                                               
$200,000.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:48:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ANDY  MILLS, Legislative  Liaison,  Office  of the  Commissioner,                                                               
Department of Transportation &  Public Facilities, responded that                                                               
portable  changing  tables  would  be an  excellent  solution  to                                                               
consider.   He  added  that portable  tables  still need  storage                                                               
solutions.  He noted that the  funding in fiscal note is based on                                                               
the universal  changing facility installation at  the Ted Stevens                                                               
Anchorage  International  Airport.    He  said  he  believes  the                                                               
language of HB  141 is broad enough to  include portable changing                                                               
facilities.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:50:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY referred  to page 2, lines 4-5,  in Section 1                                                               
of Version  N of  HB 141.   He asked  if a  loophole could  be to                                                               
change  the designation  of  a public  restroom  to a  non-public                                                               
restroom prior to renovations.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. MILLS responded that this language could be updated.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK said  that she would like  to further work                                                               
with DOT&PF and  committee members to look at  other solutions to                                                               
achieve the intent  of HB 141.   She said that she  sees value in                                                               
considering portable  changing tables  but appreciates  Mr. Mills                                                               
logistical concerns.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:52:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRAY noted  that were  the money  available, they                                                               
would  make  all universal  changing  facilities  permanent.   He                                                               
emphasized that, due  to budget concerns, the  committee needs to                                                               
find the  cheapest solution,  even if  it is  not the  most ideal                                                               
solution.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:53:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MINA   opened  public   testimony  on   HB  141.     After                                                               
ascertaining that  there was  no one who  wished to  testify, she                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:54:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX  referenced the  issue  of  a roundabout  in                                                               
Fairbanks.   He  said that  he believes  a blinking  yellow light                                                               
might  have solved  most of  the issue,  as opposed  to the  very                                                               
expensive   installation  of   a   roundabout.     He   expressed                                                               
apprehension  regarding DOT&PF's  involvement  in another  issue.                                                               
He asked  for a survey  to help reduce  the potential cost  of HB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:55:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MILLS  responded  that  DOH  has  obtained  a  comprehensive                                                               
dataset regarding how  roundabouts improve safety.   He said that                                                               
DOT&PF is open  to surveying more locations  to better understand                                                               
the logistics of different public buildings.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MILLS,  in  response  to Representative  Prax,  stated  that                                                               
DOT&PF always appreciates flexibility.   He said he would like to                                                               
do  research on  portable  tables and  to find  out  if there  is                                                               
liability  associated with  portable  changing  tables in  highly                                                               
trafficked areas.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX responded that  he understands that universal                                                               
changing facilities are  not a federally driven  requirement.  He                                                               
said that there is some need to be addressed.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:59:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA announced that HB 141 was held over.