Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
05/07/2025 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB138 | |
| HB156 | |
| HB178 | |
| HB110 | |
| SB54 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 156 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 138 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 110 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 54 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 178 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 178-MEDICAL DEBT: INFORMATION, DISCRIMINATION
4:23:03 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that the next order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 178, "An Act relating to medical debt and
consumer credit reporting agencies; relating to discriminatory
practices based on the medical debt of a person; and providing
for an effective date."
4:23:43 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease at 4:23 p.m.
4:24:19 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS entertained amendments.
4:24:25 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE moved to adopt Amendment 1 to HB 178,
labeled 34-LS0569\N.1, Gunther, 5/1/25, which read as follows:
Page 1, line 10:
Delete "the person's medical debt"
Insert "a medical debt the person has had for
less than 12 months"
Page 2, line 3, following "debt":
Insert "the person has had for less than 12
months"
Page 2, line 12, following "debt":
Insert "a person has had for less than 12 months"
Page 2, line 26, following "debt":
Insert "a person has had for less than 12 months"
Page 2, line 31, through page 3, line 1:
Delete "the person's medical debt"
Insert "a medical debt the person has had for
less than 12 months"
Page 3, lines 3 - 4:
Delete "the person's medical debt"
Insert "a medical debt the person has had for
less than 12 months"
Page 3, lines 5 - 6:
Delete "the medical debt of a person"
Insert "a medical debt a person has had for less than
12 months if the person is"
Page 3, line 9:
Delete "the person's medical debt"
Insert "a medical debt the person has had for
less than 12 months"
Page 3, line 13:
Delete "person's medical debt"
Insert "medical debt the person has had for less
than 12 months"
Page 3, line 20, following "debt":
Insert "a consumer has had for less than 12
months"
Page 3, line 24, following "debt":
Insert "a consumer has had for less than 12
months"
Page 3, line 25, following "use":
Insert "that"
CO-CHAIR FIELDS objected.
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE stated that she was concerned about
longstanding large debts. She explained that Amendment 1 would
keep an individual's medical debt hidden if the debt is 12
months or less outstanding. She stated that the amendment was
concurrent with general practices for credit reporting, as they
typically do not report medical debt less than a year old.
4:25:25 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GENEVIEVE MINA, Alaska State Legislature, as
prime sponsor, answered questions during the hearing on HB 178.
She offered her appreciation for the amendment but stated that
she opposed the amendment. She reported that, due to increased
scrutiny on the correlation between medical debts and credit
trustworthiness, major credit reporting entities had stopped
reporting delinquent medical bills less than 12 months old. She
stated that there are individuals who are taking longer than 12
months to resolve their medical bills due to negotiations with
both insurance companies and the hospitals.
4:26:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER offered his appreciation for the
amendment, noting that he liked the nuanced approach. He stated
that he felt 12 months was reasonable accommodation. He offered
his support for the amendment.
A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Saddler, Coulombe,
and Nelson voted in favor of the motion to adopt Amendment 1 to
HB 178. Representatives Burke, Carrick, Hall, and Fields voted
against it. Therefore, Amendment 1 failed to be adopted by a
vote of 3-4.
4:28:13 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS moved to adopt Amendment 2 to HB 178, labeled
34-LS0569\N.3, Gunther, 5/1/25, which read as follows:
Page 1, line 5, through page 2, line 27:
Delete all material.
Page 2, line 28:
Delete "Sec. 2"
Insert "Section 1"
Delete "a new subsection"
Insert "new subsections"
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
Page 3, following line 13:
Insert a new subsection to read:
"(c) In this section, "medical debt" has the
meaning given in AS 45.85.800(c)."
Page 3, lines 14 - 15:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK objected for purposes of discussion.
CO-CHAIR FIELDS explained that employers tend to conduct
background checks when hiring new employees, which typically
include credit scores in the application process. He explained
that the amendment would remove "medical debt" as a "protected
class" in employment for the purpose of simplifying the proposed
bill.
4:28:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA offered her support for the amendment. She
stated that, originally, HB 178 contained provisions regarding
discrimination from employers and prospective landlords related
to medical debt. She noted that landlords typically ask about
medical debt, whereas employers typically do not explicitly ask
about medical debt. She stated the intended focus of the
proposed bill was landlords, rental applications, and credit
reports.
4:29:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK removed her objection to the motion to
Amendment 2 to HB 178. There being no further objection,
Amendment 2 was adopted.
4:29:46 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER moved to adopt Amendment [3] to HB 178,
as amended, labeled 34-LS0569\N.5, Gunther, 5/5/25, which read
as follows:
Page 1, line 1:
Delete "relating to medical debt and consumer
credit reporting agencies;"
Page 3, line 15:
Delete "has the meaning given in AS 45.85.800(c)"
Insert "means an obligation for the payment of
money arising out of an agreement or contract, express
or implied, for the provision of health care services,
products, or devices; "medical debt" does not include
debt charged to a credit card or an extension of
credit made by a financial institution to a borrower"
Page 3, line 16, through page 4, line 8:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following bill section accordingly.
CO-CHAIR FIELDS objected.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER explained that the amendment would remove
Section 4 of the proposed legislation, noting that Section 4
bars a medical collections agency from reporting a medical debt
to a credit agency. He stated that the committee had previously
heard conflicting legal advice about whether Section 4 violates
federal laws that preempt states from passing laws that regulate
medical debt. He argued that by removing Section 4 from the
legislation, it resolves the legal issue, thus making passage of
HB 156 easier.
4:30:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA stated that she opposed the amendment,
noting that Section 4 of HB 178 was a critical part of the
proposed legislation. She argued that, according to the case
law, there was no narrow preemption that would supersede the
states ability from regulating credit reports in such a way that
would prohibit the reporting of medical debt. She noted that
there have been many legal memos due to the complexity of the
issue.
4:31:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER offered his appreciation but suggested
that avoiding that legal conflict would be preferable.
4:31:58 PM
A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Nelson, Coulombe,
and Saddler voted in favor of the motion to adopt Amendment 3 to
HB 178, as amended. Representatives Burke, Carrick, Hall, and
Fields voted against it. Therefore, the motion to adopt
Amendment 3 failed to be adopted by a vote of 3-4.
4:32:36 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS moved Amendment 4 to HB 178, as amended, labeled
34-LS0569\N.6, Gunther, 5/6/25, which read as follows:
Page 3, line 15:
Delete "AS 45.85.800(c)"
Insert "AS 45.48.800(c)"
CO-CHAIR HALL objected.
CO-CHAIR FIELDS explained that Amendment 4 would fix a technical
drafting error, which referenced the wrong statute with regards
to the definition of "medical debt." He further asked the prime
sponsor whether the amendment was appropriate.
REPRESENTATIVE MINA confirmed the amendment appropriately
references "medical debt" as it related to the proposed
legislation. She thanked Representative Saddler for noticing
the drafting error.
CO-CHAIR HALL removed her objection. There being no further
objection, Amendment 4 to HB 178, as amended, was adopted.
4:33:41 PM
CO-CHAIR HALL moved to report HB 178, as amended, out of
committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying
fiscal notes.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER objected.
A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Carrick, Nelson,
Burke, Hall, and Fields voted in favor of the motion to report
HB 178, as amended, out of committee. Representatives Coulombe
and Saddler voted against it. Therefore, CSHB 178(L&C) was
reported out of the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee
by a vote of 5-2.