04/18/2017 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Proclaiming April 2017 as Child Abuse Prevention                                                                           
     Month; and proclaiming April 7, 2017, as Go Blue                                                                           
     Friday.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:34:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GERAN TARR, SPONSOR, explained the bill:                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Child  abuse in  Alaska  is a  chronic and  devastating                                                                    
     problem.  In 2014,  the Office  of Children's  Services                                                                    
     statistics  showed that  there were  40,000 allegations                                                                    
     of child  maltreatment, meaning abuse  or neglect  of a                                                                    
     person under 18 years of age.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Children  subject to  abuse are  more likely  to become                                                                    
     abusers themselves.  They are also 9  times more likely                                                                    
     to engage  in criminal  and other  anti-social behavior                                                                    
     than   children   who   do  not   experience   neglect.                                                                    
     Emotionally   and  physically,   abuse  has   long-term                                                                    
     effects   including   improper  brain   formation,   an                                                                    
     inability to  trust, low self-esteem, and  an increased                                                                    
     vulnerability   to   posttraumatic   stress   disorder,                                                                    
     sexually transmitted  diseases, heart  disease, cancer,                                                                    
     and depression.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Every child deserves a loving  family, a safe home, and                                                                    
     the  opportunity   to  grow  into  an   upstanding  and                                                                    
     responsible  member   of  society.  We  have   to  work                                                                    
     together to support our children.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     This  resolution proclaims  April 2017  as Child  Abuse                                                                    
     Prevention  Month in  an effort  to raise  awareness of                                                                    
     child abuse nationally and in-state.  In 1983, the U.S.                                                                    
     Legislature proclaimed  April the first  National Child                                                                    
     Abuse  Prevention   Month  to  show  a   commitment  to                                                                    
     identifying  and implementing  solutions  to end  child                                                                    
     abuse. As  a result, child abuse  and neglect awareness                                                                    
     activities  are  promoted  across  the  country  during                                                                    
     April  of   each  year.   Many  governors   also  issue                                                                    
     proclamations  to encourage  initiatives and  events in                                                                    
     their respective states.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     The high rates of child  abuse in Alaska must stop, and                                                                    
     recognition and  an open discussion are  ways to assist                                                                    
     in breaking  this painful cycle. I  invite all citizens                                                                    
     in Alaska to  join me on April 10th, 2017  to wear blue                                                                    
     as  a symbolic  gesture that  child abuse  will not  be                                                                    
     tolerated and  we stand together  in putting an  end to                                                                    
     the abuse.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Gara  thanked  the  bill  sponsor.  He  wondered                                                                    
whether the bill was permanent or make it an annual basis.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative Tarr replied there  was an amendment that had                                                                    
been distributed  to deal  with the  issue. She  stated that                                                                    
the issues were important  to address annually. She remarked                                                                    
that the amendment would name the 2018 dates.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:39:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TREVOR  STORRS,  ALASKA  CHILDREN'S  TRUST,  ANCHORAGE  (via                                                                    
teleconference),  spoke in  support of  the legislation.  He                                                                    
wanted to  reduce the  deficit and pass  the bill  which was                                                                    
about  engaging  the community  at  all  levels to  actively                                                                    
prevent child abuse and neglect.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster  MOVED to  ADOPT Amendment  1, 30-LS0280\A.1                                                                    
(Glover, 4/18/17) (copy on file).                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative Tarr explained the  amendment that would name                                                                    
April of 2018 as the "go blue" Friday.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Gara explained the zero fiscal note.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson  MOVED to  REPORT CSHCR 3(FIN)  out of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
There being  NO OBJECTION, it  was so ordered.  CSHCR 3(FIN)                                                                    
was   REPORTED   out  of   committee   with   a  "do   pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with   one  previously  published  zero                                                                    
fiscal note: FN1 (HHSS Committee).