05/14/2003 09:40 AM Senate FIN

                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 229(FIN)                                                                                             
     "An Act relating to special medical parole and to prisoners                                                                
     who are severely medically or cognitively disabled."                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was  the second  hearing for  this bill in  the Senate  Finance                                                            
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Wilken stated  this bill relates to "parole for medical and                                                            
cognitive  disability"  and "gives the  Alaska Board  of Parole  the                                                            
flexibility to  grant or deny medical parole. This  authority allows                                                            
the Board to  release severely disabled  prisoners from confinement                                                             
and gives the  Department of Corrections  relief from the  high cost                                                            
[of] providing medical service."                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Amendment #1: This amendment  inserts language into the title of the                                                            
committee substitute, following "disabled" to read as follows.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     An Act relating to  special medical parole and to prisoners who                                                            
     are severely  medically or cognitively disabled;  relating to a                                                            
     severe   acute  respiratory   syndrome  control  program;   and                                                            
     providing for an effective date.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
This  amendment  also inserts  two  new  bill  sections on  page  1,                                                            
following  line 3, and  one new  bill section  on page 4,  following                                                            
line 12 to read as follows.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
          Section  1. The uncodified  law of the State of  Alaska is                                                            
     amended by adding a new section to read:                                                                                   
                PURPOSE. (a) The purpose of sec. 2 of this Act is to                                                            
     clarify  the  law  and  expressly  establish   a comprehensive                                                             
     program  for  health care  decisions  to control  severe  acute                                                            
     respiratory   syndrome   (SARS)   in  this   state,   including                                                            
     reporting,  examinations, orders, and detention  to protect the                                                            
     public health.                                                                                                             
          (b)  The purpose of sec.  3 - 7 of this Act is  to clarify                                                            
     standards  for special medical parole and to  address prisoners                                                            
     who are severely medically or cognitively disabled.                                                                        
          Sec.  2. AS 18.15  is amended by  adding a new section  to                                                            
     read:                                                                                                                      
                     Article 1A. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome                                                              
          (SARS).                                                                                                               
                     Sec.    18.15.112.   SARS    control    program                                                            
          authorization.  (a)  A severe acute  respiratory  syndrome                                                            
          (SARS)  control program  is authorized by the department.                                                             
          The  SARS control  program  shall be  administered in  the                                                            
          same   manner  and   has  the   same  powers,   authority,                                                            
          obligations,  and limited  immunities as does the  program                                                            
          for  the  control  of  tuberculosis  under  AS  18.15.149,                                                            
          except for the following:                                                                                             
                     (1) the provisions of the control program                                                                  
          described in AS 18.15.120(1) and (7);                                                                                 
                     (2) reports to state medical officers under AS                                                             
          18.15.131;                                                                                                            
                     (3) examinations of persons under AS 18.15.133;                                                            
                     (4) title to and inventory of equipment                                                                    
          allotted to private institutions under AS 18.15.140;                                                                  
                     (5) the screening of school employees under AS                                                             
          18.15.145.                                                                                                            
                (b) In this section, "SARS" or "severe acute                                                                    
          respiratory syndrome" means the infectious disease caused                                                             
          by the SARS-CoV or the SARS coronavirus and the mutations                                                             
          of that disease.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     …                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
          Sec. 8. Sections 1 and 2 of this Act take effect                                                                      
     immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Green moved for adoption.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Wilken  reminded this amendment  relates to the  discussion                                                            
of the previous hearing  regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome                                                            
(SARS).                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Green clarified  this  amendment expands  current  statute                                                            
relating to tuberculosis to include SARS.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Taylor commented in favor of the amendment.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman  asked if an updated fiscal note would  be necessary                                                            
to incorporate the provisions of this amendment.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
DOUGLAS BRUCE,  Division of Public Health, Department  of Health and                                                            
Social Services, answered the fiscal note would be "zero".                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Without objection the amendment was ADOPTED.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Taylor offered  a  motion to  report  CS HB  229 (FIN),  as                                                            
amended,  from   Committee  with   individual  recommendations   and                                                            
accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
There was no objection  and SCS CS HB 229 (FIN) MOVED from Committee                                                            
with  fiscal   note  #2  of  ($500,000)   from  the  Department   of                                                            
Corrections,  fiscal  note #3  of $367,700  from  the Department  of                                                            
Health and Social Services,  Medicaid Assistance, and fiscal note #4                                                            
of $8,700 from  the Department of Health and Social  Services, Adult                                                            
Public Assistance.