03/05/2024 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                    SSCR 2-DISAPPROVE EO 125                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:33:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
SSCR 2, "Disapproving Executive Order No. 125."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:34:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HEIDI HEDBERG,  Commissioner, Department of Health,  gave invited                                                               
testimony  on SSCR  2.   She explained  that Executive  Order 125                                                               
would remove  the Alaska Council  for Emergency  Medical Services                                                               
(ACEMS) and  transfer its statutory  authority to DOH.   She said                                                               
even though there would be  new advisory committees formed within                                                               
DOH,  there  would   still  be  a  need  for   ACEMS  to  provide                                                               
recommendations to DOH.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:35:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX asked how council members are appointed to ACEMS.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:36:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. HEDBERG  answered that individuals can  submit an application                                                               
to the Office of Boards and Commissions.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX asked  how DOH would gather the  individuals needed to                                                               
serve on the committee.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS.   HEDBERG  gave   multiple   examples   of  professions   not                                                               
represented on the council and  explained how the vetting process                                                               
would work.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  PRAX asked  whether regulatory  changes could  be made  by                                                               
ACEMS.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. HEDBERG  replied that ACEMS provides  only recommendations to                                                               
DOH.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:38:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MINA  asked what  the timeline  of creating  a new                                                               
council would look like.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. HEDBERG  answered that the  State Emergency  Medical Services                                                               
Office  has the  administrative support  to provide  the services                                                               
and functions of  setting up new emergency  medical service (EMS)                                                               
advisory committees in a timely manner.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:38:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GENE WISEMAN,  Section Chief, Rural Community  Health, Department                                                               
of Health, gave  invited testimony on SSCR 2.   He explained that                                                               
there are many underrepresented  professions related to emergency                                                               
medical services  and said that  Executive Order 125  would allow                                                               
DOH to expand and contract advisory boards as necessary.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  PRAX   asked  whether  there   has  been   general  public                                                               
participation in DOH advisory board hearings.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. WISEMAN  said that there  isn't a  lot of public  activity or                                                               
interest  in   advisory  board  meetings  and   ACEMS  has  "been                                                               
struggling to find its place" since its inception in 1977.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:42:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  PRAX   opened  public   testimony  on   SSCR  2.     After                                                               
ascertaining there  was no one  who wished to testify,  he closed                                                               
public testimony.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  PRAX  explained  the implications  of  legislator's  votes                                                               
towards SSCR 2 and how they would affect Executive Order 125.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  asked whether  SSCR 2  could move  to the                                                               
House floor if it was not passed in committee.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS explained  that it would move  to the House                                                               
floor regardless of whether it was passed out of committee.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:44:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 3:44 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:45:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX  announced that the  House Health and  Social Services                                                               
Standing Committee  had reviewed SSCR 2  and sent it to  the full                                                               
legislature for consideration.