03/18/2017 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

           SB 91-DISASTER EMERGENCY: OPIOID EPIDEMIC                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:35:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ announced  that the next order  of business would                                                               
be  CS FOR  SENATE  BILL NO.  91(HSS), "An  Act  relating to  the                                                               
opioid  epidemic; authorizing  the chief  medical officer  of the                                                               
Department  of Health  and Social  Services to  issue a  standing                                                               
order  for  the prescription  of  an  opioid overdose  drug;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
JAY  BUTLER, MD,  Chief Medical  Officer/  DPH Director,  Central                                                               
Office,  Division  of Public  Health,  Department  of Health  and                                                               
Social  Services,  reported  that  in late  2016,  Department  of                                                               
Health and Social Services was  awarded a five-year federal grant                                                               
to support  an opioid overdose prevention  program which included                                                               
the   distribution   of   naloxone,  a   lifesaving   drug   when                                                               
administered during  an opioid overdose.   He explained  that the                                                               
grant funds  had been used to  acquire a nasal spray  form of the                                                               
drug which  was part of  the rescue kit, and  distributed through                                                               
Project HOPE,  Harm reduction Overdose Prevention  and Education.                                                               
He  added that  Project  HOPE had  prioritized partnerships  with                                                               
staff of organizations which did  not have medical direction, and                                                               
whose  staff were  most likely  to  be present  when an  overdose                                                               
occurred,  including first  responders and  recover support.   In                                                               
order to provide the kits  statewide under a standing order, with                                                               
a prescription that  was present, DHSS had  explored some options                                                               
and decided that  the best way to move  forward expeditiously was                                                               
for the state medical officer to  issue a standing order, under a                                                               
disaster declaration.   He reported that the  governor had issued                                                               
the  disaster declaration  on February  14,  with an  anticipated                                                               
legislative resolution  to extend  this declaration.   He pointed                                                               
out  that no  state funds  were requested,  and that  14 provider                                                               
organizations  had received  over 1200  kits.   He reported  that                                                               
Legislative Legal  Services had offered  the opinion that  a bill                                                               
was  required to  extend the  disaster declaration  for continued                                                               
distribution  of the  kits.    He reported  that  SB 91  included                                                               
further  improvements  to HB  174,  as  it authorized  the  Chief                                                               
Medical Officer of DHSS to issue  a state wide standing order for                                                               
prescription  of an  opioid overdose  drug.   This  authorization                                                               
would mean that the disaster  declaration was no longer necessary                                                               
to conduct  the program, and would  be allowed to lapse  after 30                                                               
days,  as prescribed  under Alaska  statute.   He added  that, as                                                               
stated in AS  44.62.270, emergencies were held to a  minimum.  He                                                               
pointed out  that the proposed bill  had a zero fiscal  note, and                                                               
was supported by the federal grant.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:40:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. BUTLER  paraphrased from Senate  Bill 91  Sectional Analysis,                                                               
version J, [Included in members' packets] which read:                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Sec. 1  amends AS 17.20.085, Opioid  overdose drugs, to                                                                    
     authorize  the   Chief  Medical  Officer  to   issue  a                                                                    
     standing order,  including a statewide  standing order,                                                                    
     for  the  prescription  of   an  opioid  overdose  drug                                                                    
     through June  30, 2021. The  department is  required to                                                                    
     report  annually  to  the  Legislature  on  the  opioid                                                                    
     epidemic's SAMHSA grant activities and expenditures.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Sec. 2 repeals section 1 on June 30, 2021.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Sec. 3  makes the  effective date retroactive  to March                                                                    
     15, 2017, when the disaster declaration expires.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Sec. 4 provides for an immediate effective date.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EASTMAN said  that the  committee substitute  was                                                               
cleaner  than  the  original  and   he  asked  if  the  emergency                                                               
[declaration] had expired and was not being extended.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
DR. BUTLER replied, "that is correct."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN voiced his support  for not making a habit                                                               
of declaring emergencies for one year.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:42:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ opened public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:43:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ closed public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:43:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TARR   moved  to  report  CSSB   91(HSS)  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
zero fiscal  notes.  There  being no objection, CSSB  91(HSS) was                                                               
moved  from  the  House  Health   and  Social  Services  Standing                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:44:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at ease from 3:44 p.m. to 3:49 p.m.