04/14/2018 10:00 AM Senate FINANCE

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 215(FIN)                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to program receipts; and relating to                                                                      
     fees for services provided by the Department of Health                                                                     
     and Social Services."                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:35:29 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bishop detailed  that the bill had  been heard on                                                                    
April 11,  2018. He asked  the sponsor's staff to  provide a                                                                    
recap of the bill.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
ELIZABETH  DIAMENT,   STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE   PAUL  SEATON,                                                                    
detailed the bill  would give fee authority  to the Division                                                                    
of  Public Health  to charge  program receipts  and fees  to                                                                    
recoup  some   of  its  costs  for   public  health  related                                                                    
programs.  The  bill  would   expand  the  department's  fee                                                                    
authority to charge fees by regulation to recoup costs.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson asked if there  had been any opposition to the                                                                    
bill from user groups that may be affected by the charges.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Diament replied  that the  only  reservations had  been                                                                    
from  Alaska State  Hospital  and  Nursing Home  Association                                                                    
(ASHNHA) in the House  Health and Social Services Committee.                                                                    
The association's  concern had  been about public  input and                                                                    
process  at the  beginning  of the  regulatory process.  She                                                                    
noted that Section  3 had been added to the  bill to address                                                                    
the  concern. The  section would  require  a public  scoping                                                                    
meeting  for each  regulation in  order for  the public  and                                                                    
stakeholders to  have a chance  to comment  before something                                                                    
moved   to  the   regulatory  process.   She  reported   the                                                                    
association was supportive of  the legislation after Section                                                                    
3 had been added.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
10:37:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  asked if  the sponsor  had heard  from Native                                                                    
health corporations in rural areas.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Diament  deferred the  question  to  the Department  of                                                                    
Health and Social Services.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JILL  LEWIS, DEPUTY  DIRECTOR,  DIVISION  OF PUBLIC  HEALTH,                                                                    
DEPARTMENT OF  HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES,  replied that the                                                                    
division  had not  heard any  opposition from  tribal health                                                                    
corporations.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson asked specifically about 638 contractors.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Lewis  replied that  the  division  had not  heard  any                                                                    
concerns  or  opposition  except  the  previous  concern  by                                                                    
ASHNHA, which  had later  provided a  letter of  support for                                                                    
the legislation.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
10:38:58 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator  von Imhof  asked if  other  state agencies  charged                                                                    
fees for data collection.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Lewis responded  that she  could not  say definitively.                                                                    
She believed  other agencies charged for  data and analysis.                                                                    
A lengthy fee report was  produced annually by the Office of                                                                    
Management and Budget listing all of the individual fees.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson asked  if the department had  concern it would                                                                    
miss things like STDs, TB  checks and other related items if                                                                    
a fee to  have the checks done was  implemented. He wondered                                                                    
if the department was concerned an epidemic may occur.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Lewis responded that the  types of fees addressed by the                                                                    
bill  were mostly  administrative  charges and  professional                                                                    
services fees that would be  charged to the industry and not                                                                    
to individuals.  There were exceptions  in statute,  so fees                                                                    
would not be  charged when not in the  public interest, when                                                                    
it did  not support public  health, and when in  response to                                                                    
communicable  disease investigations.  The division  did not                                                                    
and would not charge in those situations.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:40:58 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator Micciche noted in the  last meeting on the bill, the                                                                    
committee had been left with  the impression that MRI and CT                                                                    
imaging equipment  was not inspected. He  clarified that the                                                                    
machines were  all currently required  to be  inspected; all                                                                    
imaging equipment in the state was inspected.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bishop  added he  had also  asked to  verify that                                                                    
the   equipment  was   all   operating   according  to   the                                                                    
manufacturers' recommended standards.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Micciche  MOVED  to REPORT  CSHB  215(FIN)  out  of                                                                    
committee with  individual recommendations  and accompanying                                                                    
fiscal note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  215(FIN) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendation  and  with  one  previously  published                                                                    
fiscal impact note: FN2 (DHS).                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:42:17 AM                                                                                                                   
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:44:37 AM                                                                                                                   
RECONVENED