Legislature(2015 - 2016)BUTROVICH 205
03/22/2016 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB204 | |
| SB150 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 204 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 150 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 150-DMVA COMMISSIONER MEMBER OF CDVSA
9:28:01 AM
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL called the committee back to order and
announced the consideration of SB 150. He explained that SB 150
would add the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Military
& Veterans' Affairs (DMVA) to the membership of the Alaska
Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA).
9:28:53 AM
LAURIE HUMMEL, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Military &
Veterans' Affairs, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of SB
150. She remarked that her position would be a logical addition
to CDVSA. She noted that she was in daily contact with a full
spectrum of military personnel, veterans, and their families
that encompassed the following:
· 22,800 active-component military personnel.
· 4,100 Nation Guard soldiers and airmen.
· 74,000 veterans.
· 101,000 total service members and veterans with 189,000
dependent family members.
· 290,000 Alaskans, approximately 40 percent of the state's
population.
She said the military personnel, veterans, and family members
have unique perspectives, valuable skills, and talents of great
benefit to their communities; they have extensive experience in
facing social ills that plagues everyone, including sexual
assault and domestic violence on both military and civilian
communities. She set forth that by working with active service
members and veterans every day, she cannot help but share their
experiences, challenges, struggles, and successes in overcoming
sexual assault and domestic violence.
9:31:48 AM
COMMISSIONER HUMMEL stated that the size of the military
community demands that DMVA tackle the difficult issues head-on
and the department was doing so. She asserted that DMVA works to
protect its military men and women from sexual assault and
domestic violence and the department has learned a lot of
valuable lessons as follows:
· Creating safe work places.
· Fostering respectful colleagues.
· Importance of clear knowledge that everyone serves under a
supportive command structure, work environment, and living
environment.
COMMISSIONER HUMMEL revealed that DMVA has done the following:
· Launched and would continue comprehensive and wide-ranging
efforts to raise awareness of sexual assault and
harassment.
· Instituted measures and safeguards to protect victims.
· Initiated the Alaska National Guard Sexual Assault
Prevention Program for 24/7 statewide crisis intervention
and support services to victims of sexual assault.
· Works closely with the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence
and Sexual Assault, and with the Council with Domestic
Violence and Sexual Assault.
She revealed that she chairs monthly meetings to review the
progress of all current and pending sexual assault cases that
touch within the National Guard family. She remarked that she
did not think there was a state, local, or private employer in
Alaska that has aggressively tackled sexual assault and domestic
violence as DMVA.
9:33:24 AM
She summarized that DMVA would welcome an expansion and
strengthening of its connection with CDVSA, the result would
benefit Alaskans statewide. She added that SB 150 would provide
budgetary advantages where DMVA could share information with
CDVSA about programs and services that the department provides
to eligible victims using federal funds for up to 100 percent
continuation pay during recovery and funding intensive
counseling typically by private sector professionals as part of
an integrated approach to maximize the opportunity for survivor
recovery.
She shared sexual assault and domestic violence statistics with
the committee as follows:
· 2008 study found that the average cost of a sexual assault
nationwide is over $150,000.
· 50 percent of victims will not be able to work in their
current jobs for a year after an assault due to the
severity of their mental health injuries.
· Violence and substance abuse constitute up to a third of
the cost of health care nationally, or about $750 billion
dollars a year.
COMMISSIONER HUMMEL set forth that the military ethos dictates
that a battle buddy is never left behind. She stated that DMVA
does not shirk from doing everything possible to enable a sexual
assault or domestic violence survivor to return to full mental
and physical health. She asserted that DMVA has helped set a new
standard for victim and survivor support. She stated that DMVA
has seen solid progress, but work regarding sexual assault and
domestic violence would never be done. She said she was
committed to remaining vigilant and ready to tackle difficult
situations like sexual assault and domestic violence, and looked
forward to working more closely with CDVSA.
9:35:37 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS noted that the majority of CDVSA members had
Juneau addresses. He asked that Commissioner Hummel comment on
CDVSA's geographical diversity.
COMMISSIONER HUMMEL replied that geographical diversity for the
CDVSA was important. She remarked that she was surprised to hear
of so many Juneau locations. She said she would encourage
membership from all around the state to include rural
communities.
SENATOR HUGGINS agreed with Commissioner Hummel. He noted that
CDVSA members included commissioners and deputy commissioners.
He asked why Commissioner Hummel would want to be on the council
rather than the provost marshal or head nurse.
COMMISSIONER HUMMEL replied that the governor requested that she
personally be a member. She opined that her appointment was
perhaps to send a message of how important the issue of sexual
assault and domestic violence was to the administration. She
added that recognizing past issues and concerns within the
National Guard was important in order to show the strongest
encouragement and support from the top of the chain of command.
She stated that should there be a desire for someone other than
herself to represent DMVA on the council, there was a large
number of qualified DMVA individuals that she had full faith and
confidence in.
9:38:41 AM
CARMEN LOWRY, Executive Director, Alaska Network on Domestic
Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA), testified in support of SB
150. She explained that ANDVSA was a coalition of 23 agencies
working to prevent and respond to domestic violence and sexual
assault in Alaska. She set forth that adding the commissioner of
DMVA to CDVSA would provide a person with an understanding of
the challenges military personnel face. She requested that the
committee ensure equity among state and public members that an
additional public member from a rural area be added to CDVSA as
well. She noted that a public member was added when a
representative from the Department of Corrections was added to
the council in 2009 in order to maintain the public-to-state
member ratio.
9:42:11 AM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if Ms. Lowry was asking for another
member or for a public member to be replaced with a rural
member.
MS. LOWRY replied that ANDVSA would ask for another member be
added and that the individual be a rural member as well.
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL noted that CDVSA currently required one
appointment from a rural area.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI reviewed the CDVSA member list and noted
that he did not see a rural address.
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL noted that the law required the governor to
consult ANDVSA for CDVSA appointments. He asked how ANDVSA comes
up with its recommendations.
MS. LOWRY replied that ANDVSA was very much involved in the
nominations list for recommending different kinds of public
members to be placed on the council. She reiterated that ANDVSA
would recommend that an additional public member be added from a
rural area. She detailed that the public membership would
increase from four to five members.
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL concurred that he saw the benefit for an
additional rural-public member.
SENATOR HUGGINS asked if sexual assault and domestic violence
statistics between rural and urban areas were equal.
9:45:25 AM
MS. LOWRY replied that she could not say what the exact numbers
were. She remarked that rural areas present challenges due to
isolation and access to services. She said rural issues compound
victims' safety which was the reason the request for another
rural voice be added to the council.
SENATOR HUGGINS said that he supports balancing the council with
another public member; however, the question for the committee
was whether to add the DMVA commissioner to the CDVSA council.
He asserted that Commissioner Hummel was a super capable lady
and there was nothing negative about her.
9:47:04 AM
At ease.
9:47:28 AM
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL called the committee back to order. He noted
that committee staff pointed out that CDVSA council members were
from other regions in the state, but their mailing addresses
were noted as Juneau.
9:49:13 AM
JAYNE ANDREEN, Chair, President, Alaska Women's Lobby, Alaska
Public Health Association, Douglas, Alaska, testified in support
of SB 150. She specified her background as follows:
· Chair for the statewide steering committee for the Alaska
Women's Lobby, a voluntary group with individuals dedicated
to working to ensure and promote the wellbeing of children,
women, and families.
· President of the Alaska Public Health Association
consisting of approximately 200 statewide members of public
health professionals.
· Spent 16 years working in domestic violence and sexual
assault, specifically as the director of the Council on
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in the 1990s.
She confirmed that the CDVSA public member addresses indicate
Juneau, but the members came from: Anchorage, Unalakleet, Homer,
and Palmer. She added that the language for council member
designation allows for, "Commissioners or their designee." She
noted that state departmental designees have consisted of
commissioners, deputy commissioners, and division directors. She
said each commissioner determines who represents their
department.
MS. ANDREEN revealed that she started working in domestic
violence and sexual violence in Alaska in 1981. She explained
that CDVSA was originally set up to provide a coordinated
response. She detailed that the original seven-member council
consisted of four department representatives and three public
members in order to coordinate expertise between state
government and public members. She noted that CDVSA was touted
across the country when the Violence Against Women Act passed
and the council's membership infrastructure in addressing sexual
assault and domestic violence was pointed out. She revealed that
Senator McKinnon facilitated a task force in the late 2000s that
reviewed CDVSA and she was asked to testify on recommendations
for changes. She noted that a CDVSA council member appointment
was added for the Department of Corrections and she recommended
at the time that balance be maintained by adding a rural-public
member as well.
9:52:46 AM
She summarized that the Alaska Women's Lobby and the Public
Health Association both support SB 150. She added that two
organizations that she represented also supported increasing the
public membership from four to five individuals, resulting in an
11-member council with 6 departments represented and 5 public
members.
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL asked Ms. Andreen to confirm that the council
currently consisted of 9 members.
MS. ANDREEN answered correct.
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL commented that he was surprised that no one
from the governor's office presented the bill. He set forth that
the suggestions presented to the committee would be taken to
heart. He stated that further consultation would occur with the
governor's office regarding SB 150.
SENATOR HUGGINS added that not having representation from the
governor's office was highly unusual and he was embarrassed for
Commissioner Hummel.
9:54:44 AM
VICE-CHAIR COGHILL announced that SB 150 would be held in
committee.