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,  reviewed 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,  Anchorage School  District, 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 this 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.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:20:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCABE moved  to report  HB 78  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual recommendations  and  the  attached zero  fiscal                                                               
note.  [The motion was made  to move HB 78, "as amended;" however                                                               
there were no amendments passed on the legislation.]                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:20:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE objected for  the purpose of discussion.                                                               
He commented  that it  is important to  know about  others' lives                                                               
and the places they live.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
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  she  related that  the  highlight of  her                                                               
mother's career was training village health aides.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:23:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE withdrew his  objection.  There being no                                                               
further objection, HB 78 was  reported out of the House Community                                                               
and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.