02/28/2014 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

            SCR 13-FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:35:02 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEDMAN  announced that the  first order of  business would                                                               
be  SCR 13.  This is  the second  hearing on  the resolution.  On                                                               
February 26  the committee  heard from  the sponsor,  held public                                                               
testimony, and set  the resolution aside. The intent  today is to                                                               
adopt  a  committee  substitute  and  look to  the  will  of  the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:35:49 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  KELLY moved  to adopt  the CS  for SCR  13, labeled  28-                                                               
LS1398\N, as the working document.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEDMAN objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:36:23 PM                                                                                                                    
HEATHER  SHADDUCK,  Staff,  Senator   Pete  Kelly,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau,  Alaska, presented  changes  to  SCR 13  on                                                               
behalf of the sponsor. She  said the difference between version N                                                               
and the old version  U can be found on page 2,  line 1. Version U                                                               
said that the state currently  maintains a high quality screening                                                               
for Fetal  Alcohol Spectrum Disorder  (FASD). Version  N replaces                                                               
that with  "a high quality  diagnostic system."  Currently, there                                                               
is no screening tool for FASD,  but the state has a gold standard                                                               
in the diagnostic system.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:36:50 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:36:57 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEDMAN asked if that was the only change.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. SHADDUCK said yes.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEDMAN removed his objection  to adopting version N. There                                                               
being no further objection, version N was before the committee.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:37:32 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KELLY said the resolution  came from an idea that cropped                                                               
up in  a Senate Finance  Committee overview on the  Mental Health                                                               
Trust  Authority. From  that a  leadership  team was  established                                                               
which  is  pulling together  an  operational  plan. He  requested                                                               
testimony from Mr. Hamilton.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARK   HAMILTON,   former-President,    University   of   Alaska,                                                               
Anchorage,  Alaska, provided  information related  to SCR  13. He                                                               
said he has been  working on SCR 13 since last  May. The team has                                                               
come  up  with  an  executable  plan.  He  named  the  components                                                               
necessary when looking at FASD; early identification and trust.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
He  related that  the team  has  worked with  the First  Alaskans                                                               
Institute that has an existing  group of individuals that support                                                               
village internship programs.  The team will utilize  them to help                                                               
identify the  kind of "go-to"  person in every village,  a person                                                               
with  close ties  and  trust of  the people  of  the village.  He                                                               
provided a hypothetical  example of how the  natural helper might                                                               
assist someone to find help via the Indian Health Service.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
He noted a  combined study from UAA and UC-San  Diego to research                                                               
the acceptability  of free pregnancy  test dispensers  in women's                                                               
bathrooms  in  places  that  serve   alcohol.  These  can  detect                                                               
pregnancy within about six days,  and the fetus attaches at about                                                               
13  days. He  stressed the  importance of  early discovery.  If a                                                               
healthy child is delivered, the state has saved about $900,000.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:42:44 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. HAMILTON  explained an awareness media  campaign, emphasizing                                                               
the importance of social pressure.  Another strategy is to target                                                               
men  to support  women during  their  pregnancy. He  said on  the                                                               
pregnancy  dispenser will  be  a  slogan, "If  you  know you  are                                                               
pregnant,  we know  you'll do  the right  thing." He  pointed out                                                               
that 90 percent  of women who discover they are  pregnant do stop                                                               
drinking.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:44:31 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR   MICCICHE   asked   about  the   importance   of   early                                                               
intervention  and  the  susceptibility  of  the  fetus  at  early                                                               
development stages.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HAMILTON stated  that the  data  shows that  it is  "Russian                                                               
Roulette." It depends on the  timing of alcohol use because there                                                               
are specific days  of embryo development that  are most damaging.                                                               
Alcohol is one  of the few reactants that dissolve  the brain. He                                                               
said four  states have  laws to remand  pregnant women  who drink                                                               
during  pregnancy.  He  suggested   starting  with  developing  a                                                               
culture of intervention.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEDMAN noted upcoming hearings  on substance abuse issues.                                                               
He requested a brief history of Mr. Hamilton's career.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HAMILTON shared  his work  history as  the President  of the                                                               
University of Alaska  and a 31-year military  career, retiring as                                                               
a Major General in the U.S. Army.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STEDMAN commented  on his  skills and  unique position  to                                                               
help do away with FASD.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:48:14 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE said it does  not surprise him that Mr. Hamilton                                                               
would be involved in this issue. He shared a personal story.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:48:58 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KELLY  said that the  topic of FASD "breaks  your heart."                                                               
He recalled  a presentation  about a baby  that had  brain damage                                                               
from  alcohol  abuse. There  is  no  hope  after the  effects  of                                                               
alcohol  have  done  damage.  He   stressed  the  desperation  to                                                               
eradicate fetal alcohol.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEDMAN noted one zero fiscal note from the Legislature.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:51:11 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KELLY  moved to report the  CS for SCR 13  from committee                                                               
with individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal note.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEDMAN announced that without  objection, CSSCR 13(HSS) is                                                               
reported from the Senate Education Standing Committee.