Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106
02/24/2022 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB308 | |
| HSCR2 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 292 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 308 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HSCR 2 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
February 24, 2022
3:09 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Liz Snyder, Co-Chair
Representative Tiffany Zulkosky, Co-Chair
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
Representative Zack Fields
Representative Ken McCarty
Representative Christopher Kurka
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Mike Prax
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 308
"An Act relating to dementia awareness."
- MOVED HB 308 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE SPECIAL CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 2
Disapproving Executive Order No. 121.
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 292
"An Act relating to home and community-based services; and
providing for an effective date."
- BILL HEARING CANCELED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 308
SHORT TITLE: DEMENTIA AWARENESS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) STUTES
02/07/22 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/07/22 (H) HSS, FIN
02/15/22 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM DAVIS 106
02/15/22 (H) Heard & Held
02/15/22 (H) MINUTE(HSS)
02/17/22 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM DAVIS 106
02/17/22 (H) Scheduled but Not Heard
02/24/22 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM DAVIS 106
BILL: HSCR 2
SHORT TITLE: DISAPPROVING EXECUTIVE ORDER 121
SPONSOR(s): HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
02/22/22 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/22/22 (H) HSS
02/22/22 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM DAVIS 106
02/22/22 (H) Heard & Held
02/22/22 (H) MINUTE(HSS)
02/24/22 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM DAVIS 106
WITNESS REGISTER
FATE PUTNAM, Staff
Representative Louise Stutes
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided comments during the hearing on HB
308 on behalf of Representative Stutes, prime sponsor.
ADAM CRUM, Commissioner
Department of Health and Social Services
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Responded to questions during the hearing
on HSCR 2.
ANDREW DUNMIRE, Attorney
Legislative Legal Services
Legislative Affairs Agency
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Responded to questions during the hearing
on HSCR 2.
STACIE KRALY, Director
Civil Division (Juneau)
Department of Law
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Responded to questions during the hearing
on HSCR 2.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:09:21 PM
CO-CHAIR TIFFANY ZULKOSKY called the House Health and Social
Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:09 p.m.
Representatives McCarty, Spohnholz, Fields, Snyder, and Zulkosky
were present at the call to order. Representative Kurka arrived
as the meeting was in progress.
HB 308-DEMENTIA AWARENESS
3:10:14 PM
CO-CHAIR ZULKOSKY announced that the first order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 308, "An Act relating to dementia
awareness."
3:11:09 PM
FATE PUTNAM, Staff, Representative Louise Stutes, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Stutes, prime sponsor
of HB 308, told the committee that the sponsor's office has been
working with the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)
on the proposed legislation. He stated that the fiscal note has
also been addressed.
3:11:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY voiced support for HB 308 and asked about
the possibility of having the legislation sunset because of
funding.
MR. PUTNAM responded that a sunset could work if the funds are
not available in the future. In response to a follow-up
question, he estimated the sunset would be in 5 years.
3:13:54 PM
CO-CHAIR SNYDER moved to report HB 308 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, HB 308 was reported out of the House
Health and Social Services Standing Committee.
3:14:20 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 3:14 p.m. to 3:18 p.m.
HSCR 2-DISAPPROVING EXECUTIVE ORDER 121
3:18:51 PM
[Due to technical difficulties, a brief portion of audio was not
recorded but the information was captured from the secretary's
log notes.]
CO-CHAIR ZULKOSKY announced that the final order of business
would be HOUSE SPECIAL CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 2, Disapproving
Executive Order No. 121.
CO-CHAIR ZULKOSKY observed that it seemed odd for an
administration to put forward an executive order in its last
year. She asked whether the department had considered a "relief
valve" or backup plan.
3:20:48 PM
ADAM CRUM, Commissioner, Department of Health and Social
Services, responded that the idea for EO 121 came from long-
tenured staff within the department. As it moves forward, he
said, this staff will be present to ensure the success of the
bifurcation of DHSS into the Department of Health (DOH) and the
Department of Family and Community Services (DFCS). He said
there is also stakeholder support. He indicated there would be
opportunity for more legislative oversight. In response to a
follow-up question, he gave examples of how EO 121 could lead to
success with staffing, oversight, and internal functions.
3:26:21 PM
CO-CHAIR ZULKOSKY requested a list of metrics be given to the
committee.
3:26:44 PM
CO-CHAIR SNYDER asked for clarification of a concern Mr. Dunmire
had expressed in writing about Section 133. She offered her
understanding that he had quoted Section 134.
3:27:20 PM
ANDREW DUNMIRE, Attorney, Legislative Legal Services,
Legislative Affairs Agency, explained that he had addressed a
transitional provision which grants DHSS and the two new
departments the authority to create their own regulations. The
granting of rule-making authority, he explained, typically comes
from the legislature.
CO-CHAIR SNYDER requested a response from the Department of Law
(DOL).
3:28:34 PM
STACIE KRALY, Director, Civil Division (Juneau), Department of
Law, said Section 133 is a transitional provision which would
allow the administration "to effectuate the executive order
through necessary regulation changes." She explained that not
having this ability would not be an effective use of having the
power. She expressed that creating regulatory authority, which
does not exist, would not be taking legislative power. She
explained that the authority to create regulations in the
administering of these programs exists under Title 47. She
stated that DOL would not consider this to be a substantive
change. She pointed out that previous executive orders have
been similar concerning this issue.
3:31:21 PM
CO-CHAIR SNYDER asked Mr. Dunmire if he agreed that the language
has been seen before [in similar situations].
3:31:38 PM
MR. DUNMIRE replied that he does not know the answer, but he
would research the issue and follow up to the committee.
3:31:55 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS offered a question to be answered at a
later time. The question concerned whether the division
directors had done an analysis to determine an adequate level of
frontline staff.
[HSCR 2 was held over.]
3:32:56 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Health and Social Services Standing Committee meeting was
adjourned at 3:33 p.m.
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