03/16/2023 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

        HB  78-AK COMMUNITY HEALTH AIDE APPRECIATION DAY                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:15:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCCORMICK announced that the  final order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO.  78,  "An Act  establishing  September 10  as                                                               
Alaska Community Health Aide Appreciation Day."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:15:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALLAN  CHYTHLOOK-SIFSOF,  Staff,  Representative  CJ  McCormick,                                                               
Alaska State Legislature, on  behalf of Representative McCormick,                                                               
prime sponsor,  revisited HB 78  and reiterated that the  role of                                                               
health  aides in  Alaska is  immense and  cannot be  understated.                                                               
Their jobs are 24 hours a  day and they provide medical treatment                                                               
and coordinate with doctors and  nurses to provide all aspects of                                                               
health care.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:16:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCCORMICK opened public testimony on HB 78.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:17:16 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NANCY  BALE, School  Nurse, testified  in  support of  HB 78  and                                                               
provided  her  background.   She  explained  that  the  community                                                               
health aides perform  many functions of a school  nurse; they are                                                               
unsung heroes who are never off  [of work], and that is something                                                               
very much worth appreciating.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:19:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCCORMICK,  after ascertaining that  there was no  one else                                                               
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 78.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCCORMICK commented  that it is a privilege  to bring forth                                                               
the bill.  He entertained a motion to move HB 78 from committee.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:20:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCABE moved  to report  HB 78  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and an  attached  zero  fiscal                                                               
note.   [The motion  was made  to move HB  78, "as  amended," but                                                               
there had been no amendments.]                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:20:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE objected for  the purpose of discussion.                                                               
He commented  it is important to  know who is doing  what and how                                                               
they go about their lives and what  it looks like in places a lot                                                               
of people haven't been to.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE withdrew his objection.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:21:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE  thanked Chair  McCormick for  bringing the                                                               
bill forward, as it raises awareness.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:22:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HIMSCHOOT  commented on  her  mother,  who was  a                                                               
registered nurse,  and the highlight  of her career  was training                                                               
village health aides.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:23:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   RUFFRIDGE   restated   that  he   withdrew   his                                                               
objection.  There being no  further objection, HB 78 was reported                                                               
out  of  the  House  Community   and  Regional  Affairs  Standing                                                               
Committee.