02/16/2024 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

        SB 166-MENTAL HEALTH/PSYCHEDELIC MED. TASK FORCE                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:43:12 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN announced  the consideration  of  SENATE BILL  NO.                                                              
166,  "An   Act  establishing   the  Alaska   mental  health   and                                                              
psychedelic medicine  task force;  and providing for  an effective                                                              
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:43:33 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:45:17 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN reconvened the meeting.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:45:37 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DUNBAR,  speaking as sponsor  of SB 166, noted  that there                                                              
is a  proposed committee  substitute (CS)  and explained  that the                                                              
CS -  which changes  the nature  of the task  force -  was drafted                                                              
with input from  the department as well as the  sponsor of similar                                                              
legislation in the  House. He said that the overriding  purpose of                                                              
the task  force remains to prepare  Alaska for the  likely federal                                                              
legalization  of  certain  psychedelic  substances  in  a  medical                                                              
context.  One  major change  is  to  move  the staffing  from  the                                                              
Department  of  Commerce,  Community,   and  Economic  Development                                                              
(DCCED)  to the  legislature -  thus creating  a legislative  task                                                              
force. He  noted that  these changes, along  with others  later in                                                              
the document, resulted in a zero fiscal note.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:46:53 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited a motion.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:47:00 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BISHOP  moved to adopt  the committee substitute  (CS) for                                                              
SB 166, work order 33-LS1062\Y, as the working document.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
[SENATOR BJORKMAN objected for purposes of discussion.]                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:47:16 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNBAR explained  the summary  of changes  for CSSB  166,                                                              
work  order  33-LS1062\Y.   He  paraphrased  from   the  following                                                              
summary of changes:                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                       SUMMARY OF CHANGES                                                                                     
      CSSB 166: MENTAL HEALTH/PSYCHEDELIC MED. TASK FORCE                                                                       
                     Version S to Version Y                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1 (a):                                                                                                           
        • The task force has been moved from the Department                                                                     
          of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development                                                                      
          to the Legislature.                                                                                                   
        • Language is added to clarify that the purpose of                                                                      
          the task  force is to ensure the state  is prepared                                                                   
          if the  federal government authorizes  prescription                                                                   
          of psychedelic  medicines, not  to advocate  for or                                                                   
          against the medicalization of psychedelics.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1  (a)(4): Language  is updated to clarify  that                                                                 
     the purpose of  the task force is to consider  legal and                                                                   
     regulatory  changes that may  be necessary upon  federal                                                                   
     medical approval of psychedelics.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1  (b)(5): The language  "one of whom must  be a                                                                 
     recognized  ethnoherbalist,"  is  deleted, to  give  the                                                                   
     Alaska  Native  Health  Board more  latitude  to  choose                                                                   
     their representatives to the task force.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Section  1  (b)(8):  A  new  subsection  adds  a  member                                                                 
     representing  psychiatric nurse practitioners,  selected                                                                   
     by  the   Alaska  Advanced  Practice   Registered  Nurse                                                                   
     Alliance.  This change  recognizes  that  nurses may  be                                                                   
     involved   in   the   administration    of   psychedelic                                                                   
     medicines.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Section  1  (b)(9):  A  new  subsection  adds  a  member                                                                 
     representing   licensed   therapists   and   counselors,                                                                   
     selected   by   the   Alaska   Addiction   Professionals                                                                   
     Association. This  change recognizes that  therapists or                                                                   
     counselors  would be involved  in the administration  of                                                                   
     psychedelic  medicines.  Subsequent sections  have  been                                                                   
     renumbered.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Section   1   (e):   Language   providing   for   travel                                                                 
     reimbursement and per diem is removed.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1  (f)(2): Language is deleted  which instructed                                                                 
     the   task  force   to   make  members   available   for                                                                   
     legislative hearings,  as the task force  will terminate                                                                   
     before the next legislative session.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1  (g): The termination  date of the  task force                                                                 
     is  corrected  to  the convening  of  the  Thirty-Fourth                                                                   
     Alaska   Legislature,  rather   than  the   Thirty-Fifth                                                                   
     Alaska   Legislature.  This   change  aligns  with   the                                                                   
     existing  task force  report  due date  of December  31,                                                                   
     2024                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:49:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN found no further objection and CSSB 166 was                                                                      
adopted as the working document.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:50:09 PM                                                                                                                    
SETH  TIGARIAN,  Staff,  Senator   Forrest  Dunbar,  Alaska  State                                                              
Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska,  provided  a  correction during  the                                                              
hearing on  SB 166. He clarified  that work order  33-LS1062\Y was                                                              
before the committee.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:50:40 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:51:28 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN reconvened the meeting.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:52:02 PM                                                                                                                    
MICAELA  FOWLER,  Deputy  Commissioner,  Department  of  Commerce,                                                              
Community  and  Economic  Development   (DCCED),  Juneau,  Alaska,                                                              
provided  an  overview  of  the   fiscal  note  for  SB  166.  She                                                              
explained  that   the  CS  places   the  task  force   within  the                                                              
legislative branch  and thus removes all costs  to the department.                                                              
She noted  that the department would  maintain a seat on  the task                                                              
force; however, this would not result in any additional costs.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:52:36 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR   BISHOP   noted  that   the   CS  includes   DCCED   (the                                                              
commissioner  or  their  designee)  in  the  list  of  task  force                                                              
members and asked  if the department plans to  participate in this                                                              
process.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:53:00 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. FOWLER  replied yes.  She said  that the  designee may  be the                                                              
director   of  the   Division  of   Corporations,  Business,   and                                                              
Professional Licensing (CBPL).                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:53:44 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited the will of the committee.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:53:49 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BISHOP moved  to report CSSB 166, work  order 33-LS1062\Y,                                                              
from  committee  with  individual   recommendations  and  attached                                                              
fiscal note(s).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:54:17 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN found  no objection and CSSB 166(L&C)  was reported                                                              
from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.