03/15/2001 09:41 AM Senate FIN

     HOUSE BILL NO. 112                                                                                                         
     "An  Act relating  to  information  and services  available  to                                                            
     pregnant  women  and  other  persons;   and ensuring   informed                                                            
     consent  before an abortion may  be performed, except  in cases                                                            
     of medical emergency."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
This  was the first  hearing  for this  bill in  the Senate  Finance                                                            
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator Green moved for  adoption of CS SB 112 22-LS0423\L, 3/12/01,                                                            
as a working draft. Without objection, it was ADOPTED.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
HANS NEIDIG,  Staff  for Senator Green,  read a  statement into  the                                                            
record as follows.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     SB 112 would place  employees of the Alaska Mental Health Trust                                                            
     Authority  (AMHTA) in the exempt service, while  establishing a                                                            
     minimum salary for the Long Term Care Ombudsman.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     SB 112  was introduced at the  request of the AMHTA  to address                                                            
     concerns  about  their ability  to  function efficiently  as  a                                                            
     state corporation.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Unlike  other state boards, commissions  and authorities  whose                                                            
     employees   are  placed   in  the  exempt   service  under   AS                                                            
     39.25.110(11),  the  AMHTA's employees  are not  in the  exempt                                                            
     service. This is despite  the fact that the fiduciary duty owed                                                            
     to  the beneficiaries  by  the  Trust requires  that  employees                                                            
     perform  at  the highest  levels  of  competency,  since  their                                                            
     actions  could jeopardize the  assets and/or management  of the                                                            
     Trust.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Additionally,  this legislation  establishes  a minimum  salary                                                            
     for the Long Term  Care Ombudsman at a Range 21. Establishing a                                                            
     minimum  salary  of the  Long  Term  Care Ombudsman  will  help                                                            
     ensure  that  a qualified  individual  can  be hired  for  this                                                            
     crucial position.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator Green  pointed out that the MHTA brought a  request for this                                                            
legislation  to the  Senate Health,  Education  and Social  Services                                                            
Committee.  She  added  that  the  request  is in  response  to  the                                                            
relocation of the Long Term Care Ombudsman position to the MHTA.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman  asked  why  Section  4  was  eliminated  from  the                                                            
original bill  in the committee substitute. This section  allows the                                                            
legislation  to  take  effect  only if  Executive  Order  102  takes                                                            
effect.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator Green shared that  the governor had introduced the executive                                                            
order that transfers  the Long Term Care Ombudsman  to the MHTA. She                                                            
explained that  the deadline in which  the legislature could  object                                                            
to the EO has  passed, and therefore the order became  effective and                                                            
Section 4 is no longer necessary.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Ward offered  a motion to  report, CS  SB 112 22-LS0423\L,                                                             
3/12/01 from Committee,  with accompanying zero fiscal note from the                                                            
Department of Revenue,  Mental Health Trust Authority Budget Request                                                            
Item (BRU).                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There was no objection and the bill MOVED from Committee.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
AT EASE 9:45 AM / 9:46 AM