Legislature(2005 - 2006)
02/28/2006 04:05 PM House HES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB442 | |
| HJR31 | |
| HB271 | |
| HCR5 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HJR 31-FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS DAY 4:32:36 PM CHAIR WILSON [announced] that the next order of business would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 31, Relating to designating September 9, 2006, as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day. 4:32:58 PM JACQUELINE TUPOU, Staff to Representative Bruce Weyhrauch, Alaska State Legislature, presented HJR 31 on behalf of Representative Weyhrauch, Prime Sponsor, paraphrasing from the sponsor statement, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: House Joint Resolution 31 designates September 9, 2006 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are the single largest cause of mental retardation in Alaska and are one hundred percent preventable. International FAS Awareness Day was first observed on September 9, 1999. It began when a small group of adoptive and foster parents of children afflicted with FAS and Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE) came together on the Internet to ask this compelling question, "What if a world full of FAS and FAE parents all got together on the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month of the ninth year and asked the world to remember that during the nine months of pregnancy a woman should not consume alcohol?" The designation of FASD Awareness Day is intended to focus attention on the high cost of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders to our state and the ease of prevention. Currently, more American babies are born with FAS than with Down Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy, and HIV combined. The simple fact is no alcohol consumed during pregnancy has been established safe for the fetus. If women do not drink any alcohol during their nine months of pregnancy, alcohol-related birth defects would be eliminated. We ask Alaskans to come together at 9:09 am on September 9, 2006 for a "pregnant pause" to reflect on preventing FASD's and also to remember throughout the year to continue to reach for the goal of eradicating Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The committee took an at-ease 4:34:39 PM from to 4:35:11 PM. [The committee returned to HJR 31 later in the meeting.] 4:35:16 PM HJR 31-FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS DAY CHAIR WILSON returned the committee's attention to HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 31, Relating to designating September 9, 2006, as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day. 4:47:33 PM JACQUELINE TUPOU, Staff to Representative Bruce Weyhrauch, Alaska State Legislature, resumed the presentation of HJR 31 on behalf of Representative Weyhrauch, Prime Sponsor, and pointed out that each year more children are born in America with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) than with Down Syndrome, muscular dystrophy, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) combined. In urging the committee to swiftly pass this joint resolution, she stated that if mothers are aware not to consume alcohol during pregnancy FASD is entirely avoidable. CHAIR WILSON stressed that it is not often that there is a disease that is 100 percent avoidable as is FASD. 4:48:21 PM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER asked about the reference on page 1, line 14, to mental illness, and stated that she has not heretofore heard that FASD is a cause of mental illness. MS. TUPOU responded that she is not qualified to answer that question, but stated that the language for this resolution primarily reflects what was drafted for a nation wide bill provided by the office of United States Senator Lisa Murkowski. REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA interjected that some conduct and behavioral disorders of young children have been attributed to FASD, and asked her staff member, Cindy Folsom, to offer her opinion. MS. TUPOU conjectured that perhaps mental illness is considered a secondary disability caused by FASD. 4:50:22 PM CINDY FOLSOM, Staff to Representative Sharon Cissna, Alaska State Legislature, speaking from her experience as a retired school counselor, stated that it is true that FASD can cause conduct disorders, thus providing a context that could relate FASD to mental illness. 4:50:50 PM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER moved to report HJR 31, Version 24- LS1530\G, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HJR 31 was reported out of the House Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee. 4:51:01 PM
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