03/11/2014 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

            HB 301-AUTOPSIES AND DEATH CERTIFICATES                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:04:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HIGGINS  announced that the  first order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL NO. 301, "An  Act relating to duties and procedures                                                               
of the  state medical examiner  and the Department of  Health and                                                               
Social Services; and relating to death certificates."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
[In front of the committee  was the proposed committee substitute                                                               
(CS)  for HB  301, labeled  28-LS1196\P, Mischel,  2/27/14, which                                                               
the  committee had  adopted  as  the working  draft  on March  4,                                                               
2014.]                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRUITT  moved  to  adopt  proposed  Amendment  1,                                                               
labeled 28-LS1196\P.1, Mischel, 3/7/14, which read:                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, lines 8 - 15:                                                                                                      
          Delete all material and insert:                                                                                       
          "(f)  The state medical examiner shall designate                                                                      
     a  location for  conducting a  post mortem  examination                                                                    
     that is  in the  community closest  to where  the death                                                                    
     occurred if                                                                                                                
               (1)  the state medical examiner has verified                                                                     
     that  a facility  with adequate  technology, personnel,                                                                    
     and  training is  available at  the location  to enable                                                                    
     the  state   medical  examiner   to  direct   a  remote                                                                    
     examination;                                                                                                               
               (2)      the    facility   meets   applicable                                                                    
     standards, including inspection  and accreditation, for                                                                    
     conducting remote post  mortem examinations established                                                                    
     in the  Forensic Autopsy  Performance Standards  by the                                                                    
     National Association of Medical Examiners; and                                                                             
               (3)  the cost of conducting the examination                                                                      
     in the  community closest to  where the  death occurred                                                                    
     is less than the cost  of conducting the examination or                                                                    
     autopsy  at another  location,  including  the cost  of                                                                    
     transporting the  body to and from  another location to                                                                    
     conduct the examination."                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER objected for discussion.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT said that  this amendment would conform the                                                               
proposed  bill  to  the  bill   version  in  the  Senate  Finance                                                               
Committee, and  he suggested  that any  questions be  directed to                                                               
the bill sponsor.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:05:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BOB HERRON,  Alaska State  Legislature, explained                                                               
that proposed  Amendment 1 put  into statute the issues  that had                                                               
been brought  up during the  previous hearings  on the bill.   He                                                               
said  that  the state  medical  examiner  would work  toward  the                                                               
"adequate technology,  personnel, and  training" in order  to use                                                               
telemedicine carts for remote examinations  in order to determine                                                               
whether  remains  were transported  to  the  medical examiner  in                                                               
Anchorage.  He noted that  there was clarification for the return                                                               
of the body  to an appropriate location, instead of  the place of                                                               
death.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:07:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   KELLER  removed   his   objection  to   proposed                                                               
Amendment 1.   There being no further objection,  Amendment 1 was                                                               
passed.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HERRON explained  that the  statewide non-profits                                                               
could use  this package as  a revenue neutral model  [Included in                                                               
members' packets] for a memorandum  of understanding [MOU] to use                                                               
in working with the state medical examiner.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:09:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KELLER  moved to  report  CSHB  301, Version  28-                                                               
LS1196\P,  Mischel, 2/27/14,  as amended,  out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being no objection, CSHB  301(HSS) was moved from the House                                                               
Health and Social Services Standing Committee.