Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 106
03/14/2014 08:00 AM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB214 | |
| HB134 | |
| HB250 | |
| HCR18 | |
| HCR19 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 134 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 250 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HCR 18 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HCR 19 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 214 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HCR 19-SUPPORTING EFFORTS OF RECOVER ALASKA
8:57:03 AM
CHAIR HIGGINS announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 19, Supporting Recover Alaska
in its efforts to reduce the effects of excessive alcohol
consumption.
8:57:18 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BOB HERRON, Alaska State Legislature, paraphrased
from the sponsor statement, which read:
Alaska is "The Great Land"-and we know our great land
takes first place on a number of lists. Year after
year, Alaska tops national state-by-state rankings for
domestic violence, sexual assault, certain serious
illness, and suicide rates. More than just shocking
numbers on paper, these "firsts" are loaded with real-
life stories of hardship and pain. A major factor in
the struggle? Excessive alcohol consumption.
Recover Alaska is a public-private partnership
initiative formed by a dynamic group of concerned
Alaska business, government, and independent leaders.
Together, members share expertise in the criminal
justice and health care systems, community
development, and other fields touching on the causes
and consequences of excessive alcohol consumption.
Working with diverse stakeholders, Recover Alaska
pursues a variety of strategies to effect long-term
change. Strategies include (but are by no means
limited to):
Implementation of a comprehensive statewide
communication and advocacy plan to educate the public
about the negative impacts of excessive alcohol
consumption on individuals, families, communities, and
the state as a whole;
Development of a one-stop-shop for Alaskans to
access accurate information, as well as prevention and
treatment referral services; and
A sincere review of laws governing the sale and
distribution of alcohol in the state.
Recover Alaska is not anti-alcohol, anti-self
determination, or anti-business. Rather, in the
course of seeking to reduce the occurrence and the
aftermath of excessive consumption, Recover Alaska
supports healthier communities and brighter futures
for all Alaskans.
9:02:08 AM
CHAIR HIGGINS asked how this resolution would be distributed.
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON explained that the goal of the proposed
resolution was for recognition by the Alaska State Legislature
that there was excessive alcohol consumption in Alaska, and that
the legislature would strive, in conjunction with Department of
Health and Social Services (DHSS), to address the problem.
9:03:32 AM
CHAIR HIGGINS asked if this proposed resolution would go to the
governor, as it was important for the governor to understand
this request for help with this problem.
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON expressed his agreement, and deferred to
Commissioner Streur.
REPRESENTATIVE NAGEAK expressed his agreement that it was a big
problem and that it was necessary to continue working with
organizations to encourage young people.
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON said that the resolution recognized the
people working with Recover Alaska that want a change for
excessive consumption.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR expressed her appreciation for the
resolution.
9:08:09 AM
[A short video was presented]
9:11:29 AM
DIANE KAPLAN, President and CEO, Rasmuson Foundation, commented
on a letter previously received from Governor Parnell,
explaining his veto that half of the alcohol tax be used for
alcohol programs. He had stated that he would reconsider this
decision if he was persuaded that there were impactful programs
in place, and he had urged that Recover Alaska look at
innovative ways to address the issue. She relayed that Rasmuson
Foundation had convened a broad based, high level group of
policy makers about four years earlier to discuss the issue of
excessive alcohol use. She listed some of the programs with
alcohol related problems that Rasmuson Foundation had supported,
and she pointed out the necessity for Rasmuson Foundation to
work toward the core of the problem. She shared that this was a
joint initiative including participation by Rasmuson Foundation,
the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Department of Health
and Social Services, and the Mat-Su Health Foundation, as well
as members of the judiciary, health providers, and other non-
profits.
9:13:28 AM
ELIZABETH RIPLEY, Executive Director, Mat-Su Health Foundation,
reported that surveys completed during the last year throughout
Alaska had revealed that alcohol and substance abuse was the
"top issue listed by Alaskans as detrimental to their health."
She acknowledged that its impact had drained resources and that,
although many organizations were addressing the issue, the
effect had plateaued and many providers, funders, families, and
individuals were frustrated. She emphasized that, as this hurt
the schools, the communities, the employers, and the State of
Alaska, it affected all Alaskans. She declared that it was such
a complex issue that many organizations stayed away for fear of
not making any impact. She remarked that discussion regarding
the economic impacts of alcohol often focused on the hospitality
industry, although alcohol was not an ordinary commodity and it
had "a terrible social cost" which needed to be acknowledged and
addressed. She stated that the monetary impact to the Alaska
economy was almost $1.2 billion annually. She explained that
the group would focus on the systems and the leadership to
better align efforts and partners. She noted that the Mat-Su
community had also ranked alcohol and substance abuse as the
number one issue, and that the top five health issues in the
community were all related to behavioral health. She said that
the board of directors of the Mat-Su Health Foundation had
selected behavioral health and child trauma as the areas to
focus its funding. She said that $5 million was annually
allocated to raise the health status of people in the Borough.
She pointed out that alignment throughout Alaska by Recover
Alaska to the behavioral health investment efforts for time,
expertise, and money would "really make a bigger dent in this
issue."
9:17:37 AM
JEFF JESSEE, Chief Executive Officer, Alaska Mental Health Trust
Authority, Department of Revenue, expressed his agreement for
the alignment of efforts across a variety of partners, as this
was critical for advancement of solutions to these problems. He
declared that this was the best opportunity he had seen, in his
34 years working in this field, to actually make some progress.
He pointed out that Rasmuson Foundation was leading Recover
Alaska, the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority had identified
alcohol and substance abuse as one its new focus areas, and
Senator Pete Kelly had coordinated a group with the goal to end
fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in Alaska. He noted that
the Mat-Su Health Foundation was also leading a local effort to
deal with this issue, and other wellness coalitions and tribal
partners had dedicated their efforts to change some social norms
and reduce the negative impacts of excessive consumption.
9:19:30 AM
MS. KAPLAN reported that none of the partners were willing to
simply meet and "contribute to a report that's gonna sit on
someone's shelf for the next 20 years." She emphasized that
there was a lot of drinking in Alaska, with very few
consequences, so it was necessary to change the social norms.
She pointed to the tobacco cessation program in the early 1990s
as an example. She shared that change in alcohol consumption
had already started, noting that not there were not too many
three martini lunches anymore. She stated that people now
routinely used seat belts, which was another major social change
in the community. She expressed her belief that this change
could also be accomplished with excessive alcohol consumption.
She pointed out that it was very uncommon to see noticeably
pregnant women drinking in public, as this behavior was subject
to social pressure. She stressed the necessity to have public
and private partners working together, which was the basis for
Recover Alaska. This would be a long term project, noting that
the tobacco cessation effort had taken 20 years, with the first
impacts noticed after 3 years, and acknowledging that the
alcohol program would also take this long. She stated that
private entities made good partners, as they had patient
capital. She reported that Rasmuson Foundation had taken the
lead for the organization of the Recover Alaska efforts. She
said that Rasmuson was actively involved in a review of Title 4,
the state alcohol rules, and this review was chaired by an
officer of the Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant, & Retailers
Association (CHARR). She reported that these 60 active members
were looking at every aspect of the alcohol laws, with a goal
for proposed legislation by 2015 to reduce the amount of
excessive drinking in Alaska. She stated that there would be a
social norms campaign focused on youth, sharing that kids like
to be normal and commenting that cool kids don't drink, so other
kids will want to be like them. She noted that most kids think
every other kid was drinking. She discussed partnerships to
review adverse childhood experiences, including neglect caused
by alcohol. The outcomes in later life of this neglect were an
increased prevalence of obesity, suicide, and other health
conditions, and happiness would be impacted. She stated the
need of a resource in Alaska for people who need help, and
declared that Rasmuson would pilot a one-stop-shop for guided
help to find the available resources.
CHAIR HIGGINS asked about the United Way 211 system.
MS. KAPLAN replied that this system offered no better resources,
as no one kept a list of the available programs, available beds,
assessments, in-patient care, and what insurance was accepted.
She reported that Rasmuson Foundation would pilot this program
in two communities.
9:25:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD commented on the wide spread use of
alcohol on college campuses, and asked how the program would be
implemented.
9:26:54 AM
MS. KAPLAN replied that they were currently working to define
the impact messaging, and she offered an example of the tobacco
alliance messages to teenagers. She said that the Mat-Su
partnership was working with professional media companies to try
out different messages on focus groups of teenagers. She
emphasized that kids would be defining the messages.
9:28:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD suggested reaching out to the youth
leaders.
9:28:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER stated that he had "very little faith in
legislation making the level of changes by itself." He
expressed his support for the partnership described by Mr.
Jessee, as there were "some really tough questions that have to
be brought forward," and he offered FASD as an example.
9:29:39 AM
MR. JESSEE, referencing the aforementioned legislation, said
that the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Board was reviewing the
Title IV alcohol beverage control statutory framework, which he
declared to be a "hodge-podge of additions over time." He
stated that enforcement was inconsistent, and the ABC board had
convened a number of committees to review topics which included
local options, underage drinking, and licensing. He shared that
he was the chair of the licensing committee, that 70 percent of
his committee members were from the [alcohol] industry, and that
the goal was to find common areas of agreement for a public
health oriented approach to alcohol regulation without
negatively impacting the legitimate business interests. He
spoke about the committee review of underage drinking and the
subsequent criminal records for offenders. He explained that
the onerous consequences discouraged police officers from
writing citations. He suggested lowering the criminality of the
offense to be more consistent with law enforcement. He
suggested that legislation for a follow-up to the registration
of kegs found at underage drinking parties could be part of the
solution.
CHAIR HIGGINS offered his belief that a problem which groups
fall into was to think "their mousetrap is better than everybody
else's mousetrap." He declared that there was not any
coordination among the many good groups. He opined that any
group receiving state funding or grants should be required to
have a conference for coordination of efforts. He suggested to
team up with United Way 211 to make that site "the best it could
possibly be, 'cause they're already doin' it." He stated a need
for coordinated efforts.
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD suggested that youth community service
should be an aspect of sentencing for underage drinking.
MS. KAPLAN, in response to Chair Higgins, said that the plan for
the one-stop-shop was for the United Way 211 to be the entryway
into services. This would be supported by a person acting as a
guide to actual services, as currently there was just a list
without any support or follow up help. She noted that United
Way was also a key member of Recover Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR asked if this effort was regional or
statewide, and how it would identify those who need help to best
meet their needs.
MR. JESSEE acknowledged that the group was stealing this idea
from the Tobacco quit line. He declared that the important part
of the one-stop-shop was for someone to help decide what would
be the most effective treatment program, and then check back
with the individual for any follow up support. He declared that
this was a fundamental difference from the 211 referral. He
opined that more information for improvement would be
forthcoming as the system and the services were being utilized.
9:37:43 AM
MS. KAPLAN directed attention to the partnership strategy with
media to raise public awareness. She mentioned the series on
FASD in the Anchorage Daily News (ADN), and reported that
Rasmuson Foundation was funding a full time reporter and part
time photographer at ADN for 18 months to report on alcohol
issues. Referring to the FASD series in ADN, she stated that 50
percent of pregnancies in Alaska were unplanned. She noted that
most women were not thinking about ceasing alcohol consumption
until pregnancy was a reality, and not just a possibility. She
stated that the cost of an FASD child to the family, to the
state, and to the child itself, was enormous.
9:39:42 AM
CHAIR HIGGINS requested project directors: "please do not be
politically correct." He suggested telling the truth.
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER said that he was excited about the program
and the quality of the organizations aligning to address the
problem. He pointed to the "depth of the political ramification
and the visceral reactions that are tied to this issue that you
have to deal with."
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD mentioned that both Mark Hamilton and
Senator (Pete) Kelly were passionately working on eradication of
FASD. She referred to a recently formed Medicaid taskforce. She
offered her belief that this was an important opportunity to
address the issue and reduce the DHSS budget. She suggested
that the Friday night church programs, Recovery Alaska, were
amazing and impressive.
MS. RIPLEY, in response to Representative Reinbold, listed the
medical sector, the education sector, and the business sector as
all identifying alcohol and substance abuse as the number one
issue.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR, pointing to the earlier discussion for
social norms surrounding alcohol abuse, suggested that there be
more empathy and less judgment toward alcohol abuse.
REPRESENTATIVE NAGEAK stated that it was our job to share the
messaging with those who were struggling.
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT acknowledged that this was a monumental
task and he suggested that adults had to be targeted in the
message, as well as kids. He declared that the public norm had
to also be viewed, and he offered an anecdote regarding alcohol
consumption at public functions. He asked that the program
message be expanded beyond kids, declaring that we all had to
keep ourselves, our colleagues, and our friends from excessive
alcohol consumption.
MR. JESSEE offered several anecdotes regarding the atmosphere of
social norms that needed to change.
CHAIR HIGGINS shared an anecdote.
9:49:37 AM
WILLIAM STREUR, Commissioner, Office of the Commissioner,
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), stated "this is
a good thing. What we're doing with this is something that is,
I think, going to get us off of dead center." He shared that
there had been these same challenges for 40 years, and that it
was financially evident that this could not continue in the same
way. He pointed to the negative effects of alcohol and the
amount of money spent on alcohol problems among the divisions in
Department of Health and Social Services. He declared that a
common theme among many departments in the state were the
results from mis-use of alcohol and drugs. He declared the need
for a partnership with "our tribes, with our municipalities,
with our villages, and with our private partners." He expressed
his support for the Recover Alaska group.
9:52:35 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON offered two insights he had gained after
this presentation, one insight was that this was not a project,
as it had no end date, and the second insight was that all 60
legislators had to be involved and supportive. He expressed his
appreciation for Senator Kelly "carrying that banner" for FASD;
however, FASD and not drinking when you were pregnant had been
in the statutes for 25 years. He declared that the proposed
resolution not only recognized Recover Alaska, but it declared
the need for help from everyone.
9:54:48 AM
CHAIR HIGGINS opined that there would be substantial savings
through Recover Alaska, if its efforts could be coordinated with
other groups. He declared that it was a necessity for all the
stakeholders to communicate. He emphasized that jobs were
necessary as it gave value to people's lives.
9:56:05 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER suggested that the final paragraph of the
sponsor statement be phrased more positively to state that
Recover Alaska was willing to take on issues.
CHAIR HIGGINS asked about an earlier reference for a change to
the wording order in the title of the resolution.
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON explained his request for a minor, though
significant, change in the title to now read: "Supporting
Recover Alaska in its efforts to reduce excessive alcohol
consumption and the effects."
9:58:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT suggested a conceptual amendment for the
title to read: "Supporting Recover Alaska in its efforts to
reduce excessive alcohol consumption and its effects."
There being no objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted.
9:58:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report HCR 19, Version 28-
LS1475\A, as amended, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal notes. There
being no objection, CSHCR 19(HSS) was reported from the House
Health and Social Services Standing Committee.
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