02/06/2018 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
      HOUSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                     
                        February 6, 2018                                                                                        
                           3:35 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Ivy Spohnholz, Chair                                                                                             
Representative Bryce Edgmon, Vice Chair                                                                                         
Representative David Eastman                                                                                                    
Representative Jennifer Johnston                                                                                                
Representative Colleen Sullivan-Leonard                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Sam Kito                                                                                                         
Representative Geran Tarr                                                                                                       
Representative Matt Claman (alternate)                                                                                          
Representative Dan Saddler (alternate)                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 236                                                                                                              
"An Act extending the Alaska senior benefits payment program."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HB 236 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 313                                                                                                              
"An Act relating to payments to providers and covered persons                                                                   
and recovery of payments by health care insurers."                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     - SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB 236                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: EXTEND SENIOR BENEFITS PAYMENT PROGRAM                                                                             
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) KAWASAKI                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
04/17/17       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/17/17       (H)       HSS, FIN                                                                                               
04/25/17       (H)       HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
04/25/17       (H)       -- MEETING CANCELED --                                                                                 
04/27/17       (H)       HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
04/27/17       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
04/27/17       (H)       MINUTE(HSS)                                                                                            
05/04/17       (H)       HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
05/04/17       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
05/04/17       (H)       MINUTE(HSS)                                                                                            
02/06/18       (H)       HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT KAWASAKI                                                                                                   
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Answered questions  on HB 236 as the sponsor                                                             
of the bill.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:35:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR IVY SPOHNHOLZ  called the House Health  and Social Services                                                             
Standing   Committee    meeting   to    order   at    3:35   p.m.                                                               
Representatives   Spohnholz,   Sullivan-Leonard,  Johnston,   and                                                               
Edgmon  were  present  at  the call  to  order.    Representative                                                               
Eastman arrived as the meeting was in progress.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
         HB 236-EXTEND SENIOR BENEFITS PAYMENT PROGRAM                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:36:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ announced  that the only order  of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO.  236,  "An Act  extending  the Alaska  senior                                                               
benefits payment program."                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:36:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   SCOTT   KAWASAKI,  Alaska   State   Legislature,                                                               
reported  that, as  the bill  had  been introduced  in 2017,  the                                                               
interim had  been spent making the  bill better.  He  stated that                                                               
the proposed  bill was "about  keeping grandparents in  the state                                                               
and making sure that grandparents  have the opportunities to play                                                               
with  their grandchildren,  not have  to move  down to  the Lower                                                               
48."   He noted that, although  it was a small  benefit, it would                                                               
go  a long  way  toward  ensuring that  the  families could  stay                                                               
together.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:37:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ  said that  "we're  all  a  big fan  of  keeping                                                               
grandparents in the state."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:38:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EDGMON  moved  to  report  HB  236,  labeled  30-                                                               
LS0754\A, out  of committee  with individual  recommendations and                                                               
the accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:38:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EASTMAN  objected.     He  reflected  on  earlier                                                               
decisions made  by the  legislature which  impacted seniors.   He                                                               
said that this was a half  way measure that would not restore the                                                               
cut to the  permanent fund distribution.  He pointed  to the need                                                               
for the legislature to decide  whether that cut would be restored                                                               
and  offered  his belief  that  the  permanent fund  distribution                                                               
decision should come first.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:39:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN maintained his objection.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:39:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A  roll   call  vote  was  taken.     Representatives  Spohnholz,                                                               
Sullivan-Leonard, Johnston, and Edgmon voted  in favor of HB 236.                                                               
Representative Eastman voted  against it.  Therefore,  HB 236 was                                                               
reported out  of the  House Health  and Social  Services Standing                                                               
Committee by a vote of 4 yeas - 1 nay.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:40:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:42:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Health  and  Social  Services   Standing  Committee  meeting  was                                                               
adjourned at 3:42 p.m.