04/05/2004 02:08 PM Senate HES

           SB 243-POSTSECONDARY STUDENT IMMUNIZATION                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
The committee took up SB 243.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON  noted that  Senator  Davis  had joined  the  meeting                                                              
approximately 10 minutes ago.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KIM ELTON,  sponsor  of the  bill,  provided the  sponsor                                                              
statement,  saying  SB  243  addresses  postsecondary  educational                                                              
institutions in Alaska  notifying students of the  dangers of this                                                              
type  of  meningitis.   This  is  a  potentially  fatal  bacterial                                                              
infection that  most commonly  attacks the  brain and  spinal cord                                                              
or  presents  as a  bacteria  in  the blood.    It can  result  in                                                              
permanent brain  damage, hearing loss, learning  disability, organ                                                              
failure, loss of  limbs, and sometimes death.   Twenty-six hundred                                                              
people  contract  this disease  each  year,  and  about 10  to  15                                                              
percent  die  from  the disease.    College  students,  especially                                                              
freshmen  living in  dormitories, have  been found  to be  at-risk                                                              
and  are  six   times  more  likely  to  contract   this  type  of                                                              
meningitis.  The  Center for Disease Control and  Prevention (CDC)                                                              
recommend  that   all  college  students,   particularly  freshmen                                                              
living in dormitories,  learn more about the disease  and consider                                                              
vaccination.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON  continued that SB  243 doesn't mandate  vaccination                                                              
but  provides  that  Alaskan  postsecondary   institutions  notify                                                              
students  planning  to reside  on  campus  housing, of  the  risk.                                                              
Students  would be  required to  sign a document  provided  by the                                                              
institution,  indicating  they have  received  an immunization  or                                                              
have   received   a   notice   of    the   information   regarding                                                              
immunization.   The  bill  is not  unusual;  it is  the same  bill                                                              
that's  been  presented  in  23  other  states  that  either  have                                                              
pending or adopted the legislation.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON asked if there was a fiscal note.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON  replied postsecondary  education had a  zero fiscal                                                              
note.    He   explained  this  would  be   additional  information                                                              
attached to  already existing information  - probably on  the same                                                              
page -  requiring a  potential student  to notify the  institution                                                              
that he/she has been immunized or had received the information.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON  said before  acting on  the bill,  he wanted  to hear                                                              
from the administration.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GREEN asked  if there  were additional  diseases -  other                                                              
than meningitis  - on  campus environments  that have  caused this                                                              
level of concern.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON said  he would check on this but  meningitis was the                                                              
one that  the CDC brought  to the attention  of states  and higher                                                              
education institutions.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GREEN asked if this issue required legislation.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELTON said  probably  not.   If  postsecondary  education                                                              
wanted  to proceed,  nothing  would restrict  that;  this bill  is                                                              
based on model legislation adopted in other states.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON  asked   if  there  was  information   from  Alaska's                                                              
university system in the packet.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELTON  said  the  information  was  from  CDC  and  other                                                              
sources.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON  said  he  would  appreciate   information  from  the                                                              
university  administration  and   also  from  the  state's  public                                                              
health or disease control office.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON mentioned  that conversations had already  been held                                                              
with university lobbyists.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON  said  he would  like  knowing  that  the  university                                                              
supports, or  at least does  not have a problem  with SB 243.   He                                                              
announced   the  bill  would   be  held   until  that   additional                                                              
information was obtained.