05/08/2025 03:15 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

          SCR 4-MENTAL HEALTH MONTH; TARDIVE DYSK WEEK                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:59:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA  announced that the  final order of business  would be                                                               
SENATE  CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION NO.  4,  Designating  May 2025  as                                                               
Mental Health Awareness Month; and  designating May 4 - 10, 2025,                                                               
as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
5:00:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   GRAY-JACKSON,  Alaska   State  Legislature,   As  prime                                                               
sponsor, presented  SCR 4.  She  noted that in Alaska,  there are                                                               
more than 108,000 adults who  live with mental health conditions.                                                               
She  explained that  by  designating May  2025  as Mental  Health                                                               
Awareness  Month,  SCR  4 "seeks  to  promote  understanding  and                                                               
reduce  stigma and  support those  effected  by mental  illness."                                                               
She  reported  that Alaska  continues  to  face a  mental  health                                                               
crisis; the state  ranks second in the nation  for suicide rates,                                                               
and 8,000  youth are currently  experiencing depression.   Mental                                                               
health issues  effects all communities  regardless of  age, race,                                                               
or  economic  status.   She  opined  that raising  awareness  and                                                               
reducing stigma is the least the legislature can do.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON  pointed out that  the second part of  SCR 4                                                               
would recognize  Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week,  observed May                                                               
4-10, 2025.   This is a side effect  of long-term, anti-psychotic                                                               
treatment  that  effects  hundreds of  thousands  of  individuals                                                               
nationwide yet  remains underdiagnosed and  widely misunderstood.                                                               
She concluded,  "So, through this  resolution, we aim to  shine a                                                               
light  on  these  important  issues   and  foster  a  culture  of                                                               
compassion,  education,  and  support."     She  noted  that  Ann                                                               
Ringstand was available to expound  on the reasons to support SCR
.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:02:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA  announced the committee would  hear invited testimony                                                               
and invited Ms. Ringstad to speak.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:02:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ANN  RINGSTAD,  Executive  Director, National  Alliance  for  the                                                               
Mentally  Ill  (NAMI)  Alaska, began  her  invited  testimony  in                                                               
support of SCR  4 by explaining that established  in 1949, Mental                                                               
Health Awareness Month  is observed every May  to raise awareness                                                               
about  the importance  of  mental health  and  "to celebrate  the                                                               
recovery  for   individuals  and  families."     She  echoed  the                                                               
statement  of  the  bill  sponsor   that  mental  health  effects                                                               
everyone  regardless  of age,  background,  or  experience.   She                                                               
added  that   just  like  physical  health,   "mental  health  is                                                               
essential to  overall well-being  in every stage  of life."   The                                                               
two are  "deeply connected," yet  stigma regarding  mental health                                                               
prevents too many Alaskans from seeking needed care.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. RINGSTAD talked about Tardive  Dyskinesia, explaining that it                                                               
causes involuntary movements  of the face, limbs,  and torso, and                                                               
this  is  the eighth  annual  effort  to  raise awareness.    She                                                               
stated, "This  resolution is a  call to action  for all of  us to                                                               
realize the  impacts of mental health  challenges, the importance                                                               
of support  and services, and  the healing power  of acceptance."                                                               
She concluded by  emphasizing, "There is no fiscal  note, but the                                                               
cost  of   inaction  is  great  -   socially,  economically,  and                                                               
emotionally."   She  thanked the  committee for  its support  and                                                               
asked for  expedient action  to pass  SCR 4  during the  month of                                                               
May.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
5:04:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX,  regarding  the  connection  between  anti-                                                               
psychotic medications  and Tardive Dyskinesia, asked  whether the                                                               
legislature  should create  further  legislation  to address  the                                                               
issue.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:05:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. RINGSTAD  responded that she  does not think  the legislature                                                               
needs to do  anything besides supporting SCR 4 as  a way to bring                                                               
awareness of the issue to Alaskans.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:05:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MINA opened public testimony  on SCR 4.  After ascertaining                                                               
there  was  no one  who  wished  to  testify, she  closed  public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
5:06:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS moved to report  SCR 4 out of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection, SCR  4 was  reported out of  the House                                                               
Health and Social Services Standing Committee.