03/09/2017 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

         HCR 3-APRIL 2017: CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:41:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ announced that the  final order of business would                                                               
be HOUSE CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION NO. 3, Proclaiming  April 2017 as                                                               
Child Abuse Prevention  Month; and proclaiming April  7, 2017, as                                                               
Go Blue Friday.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:41:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MAGDALENA  OLIVEROS,  Staff,  Representative Geran  Tarr,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature, stated that  the proposed resolution nominated                                                               
the month  of April to  be named  and recognized as  "Child Abuse                                                               
Prevention Month" and proclaimed April  7, 2017, to be recognized                                                               
as "Go Blue  Friday."  She explained that "Go  Blue Friday" would                                                               
allow Alaskans statewide to wear  blue as a symbolic gesture that                                                               
child abuse  would not be  tolerated in  Alaska.  By  speaking up                                                               
and raising  awareness, Alaskans could  stand together to  put an                                                               
end  to  the  violence,  and  be a  part  of  the  effort  toward                                                               
prevention.   She offered a  history of the national  child abuse                                                               
prevention  month,   and  pointed   out  that  it   recognized  a                                                               
commitment  and   dedication  to  implementing   and  identifying                                                               
solutions to  ending child  abuse.  She  stated that  every year,                                                               
many  states recognized  the month  of April  to stand  strong in                                                               
support of  children.  She  reported that  Alaska had one  of the                                                               
highest rates  of child abuse  in the country  - 42 out  of 1,000                                                               
children were victims of abuse -  and that in 2014, the Office of                                                               
Children's Services had received  more than 40,000 allegations of                                                               
harm.   She noted that  children who  were subject to  abuse were                                                               
more likely  to become abusers  and engage in  criminal activity,                                                               
as  well as  have  more psychological  and physiological  issues.                                                               
She  declared  that every  child  deserved  a  safe home  and  an                                                               
opportunity to  grow into a  responsible member of society.   She                                                               
emphasized that everyone  needed to work together  to support the                                                               
children in the state.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:44:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GERAN TARR,  Alaska  State Legislature,  directed                                                               
attention to the "Alaska OCS  Protective Service Reports Received                                                               
During  2016"  [Included in  members'  packets]  and shared  that                                                               
these reports  were produced  monthly.   She offered  her opinion                                                               
that  these reports  should be  monitored  closely, pointing  out                                                               
that the  total number  of alleged victims  of physical  abuse in                                                               
this report was equal to the  total number of students at Wasilla                                                               
High  School, at  East  High  School, and  half  the students  at                                                               
Juneau-Douglas High School.   She declared that  the numbers were                                                               
staggering, reporting  that rates of  child abuse in  Alaska were                                                               
six  times the  national average.   She  opined that  this was  a                                                               
public health  crisis, as well as  a moral crisis.   She directed                                                               
attention   to  the   handout  about   ACEs  (Adverse   Childhood                                                               
Experiences) [Included  in members'  packets] and  explained that                                                               
the challenge  presented by the current  fiscal situation offered                                                               
an opportunity to better understand  the cost to society from the                                                               
impact of child abuse, estimated to  be in excess of $700 million                                                               
annually.  She reported that  these Adverse Childhood Experiences                                                               
had impacts on  relationships, the ability to keep  jobs, and the                                                               
engagement in risky  behaviors.  She added that there  was also a                                                               
physiological impact,  which included obesity and  diabetes.  She                                                               
declared that,  not only was there  a cost benefit to  the health                                                               
care  system,  but  there  was an  added  benefit  for  healthier                                                               
communities, stronger  individuals, and a healthier  Alaska.  She                                                               
offered her  belief that the state  did not have "a  handle on it                                                               
enough"  to not  have  this resolution  presented for  discussion                                                               
each year.   She stated that  it was necessary to  be reminded of                                                               
the  violence   in  our  communities,  the   families  that  were                                                               
struggling, the  children that were  impacted, and the  ways that                                                               
could be  offered for a  solution.   She explained that  "Go Blue                                                               
Friday" provided  a day for everyone  to be a participant  in the                                                               
process,  as everyone  could wear  blue  or have  a blue  button,                                                               
which  could spark  conversation.   She expressed  a strong  hope                                                               
that  more  people  than ever  would  participate  and  encourage                                                               
others to seek out help, which could help prevent child abuse.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SULLIVAN-LEONARD asked  why she  chose the  color                                                               
blue.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TARR  explained that  blue was the  national color                                                               
for child abuse prevention.   She suggested that the House Health                                                               
and Social Services Standing Committee all wear blue.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:51:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PATRICK ANDERSON  stated that he  had sent in  written testimony.                                                               
He shared  that, in 2003,  he had left  law practice in  order to                                                               
pursue  "a very  nebulous vision  of healing."   He  referenced a                                                               
paper he had written in 2009  in which he stated that health care                                                               
costs  could be  reduced  by  50 percent  by  addressing a  "lean                                                               
health  care" management  system,  which  would include  programs                                                               
that  addressed child  abuse and  neglect.   He pointed  out that                                                               
there was  a "huge cost  to childhood acquired trauma,"  an issue                                                               
for which  criminal penalties could  not be legislated.   He said                                                               
that the original Adverse Childhood  Experiences study found that                                                               
22 percent of a  predominantly white, middle class, well-educated                                                               
population  had  identified sexual  abuse  in  their lives.    He                                                               
stated  that the  legal definition  of child  abuse did  not take                                                               
into   account   all   the  iterations   of   adverse   childhood                                                               
experiences,  and did  not adequately  reflect these  costs.   He                                                               
suggested that policy  dialogues needed to go  further to include                                                               
the programs which supported the  elimination of child abuse.  He                                                               
declared his support for HCR 3.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:56:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ  closed public  testimony  and  stated that  the                                                               
resolution would be held over.