03/21/1994 09:11 AM Senate FIN

  CSSB 248(STA): An   Act  relating   to   services  for   and                 
                 protection   of   vulnerable    adults;   and                 
                 providing for an effective date.                              
                                                                               
                 Nancy Bear Usera, Commissioner, Department of                 
                 Administration, spoke  in support of  SB 248.                 
                 Senator Rieger  MOVED amendment 1.   Co-chair                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
                 Pearce OBJECTED for discussion purposes.  Ms.                 
                 Usera said  the  department  was  neutral  on                 
                 amendment  1.   No  further objections  being                 
                 heard,   amendment   1   was    ADOPTED   for                 
                 incorporation   into    a   Senate    Finance                 
                 Substitute for the  bill.  CSSB  248(FIN) was                 
                 REPORTED OUT of  committee with a "do  pass,"                 
                 with zero  fiscal notes for the Department of                 
                 Public    Safety     and    Department     of                 
                 Administration  (Pioneer  Homes),  and fiscal                 
                 notes for the  Department of  Administration-                 
                 $559.6, and the Department of Health & Social                 
                 Services-Adult  Services-$(364.5),  Northern-                 
                 $(68.0), and South Central-$(127.1).                          
                                                                               
  CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 248(STA):                                             
                                                                               
       An  Act  relating  to services  for  and  protection of                 
       vulnerable adults; and providing for an effective date.                 
                                                                               
  Co-chair  Pearce  announced that  SB 248  would be  taken up                 
  next.     She  invited   Nancy  Bear  Usera,   Commissioner,                 
  Department of  Administration, to  join the  members at  the                 
  table.                                                                       
                                                                               
  COMMISSIONER NANCY BEAR USERA said  the bill had been  heard                 
  in two committees and was strongly supported by the senior's                 
  community.    She saw  it  was  an excellent  step  toward a                 
  central focal point  for delivery of senior  services in the                 
  state.    The fiscal  notes  were  transfers or  a  net zero                 
  impact.   The bill defined elder  abuse, response needed and                 
  responsibilities  for various  senior  programs, and  did  a                 
  better job of  protecting seniors in a  vulnerable position.                 
  She strongly supported the passage of SB 248.                                
                                                                               
  In answer to Senator Kelly, Commissioner Usera said that the                 
  Department of Administration  had housed  a majority of  the                 
  senior's programs.   Through an administrative order,  a new                 
  Division of  Senior Services  was created  which merged  the                 
  Division  of  Pioneer  Benefits   and  the  Older  Alaskans'                 
  Commission.   An accompanying  bill, SB  250, contained  the                 
  organizational  framework   for  the   Division  of   Senior                 
  Services.  It transferred all the major senior services into                 
  one division.   In the past,  Department of Health &  Social                 
  Services dealt  with vulnerable  adults as  they would  with                 
  vulnerable children.   Upon analysis, the needs  of children                 
  were very different from adults.  The determination was made                 
  that a better job of serving this constituency would be done                 
  if it was  put in a like framework.  The common thread being                 
  seniors  rather  than   vulnerability.    Consequently,  the                 
  Division of Senior Services would be under the Department of                 
  Administration because it was the right thing to do.                         
                                                                               
  Senator Rieger MOVED amendment 1.   Co-chair Pearce OBJECTED                 
  for discussion purposes.   Senator Rieger said he read  this                 
  bill in HESS  and the language  that referred to the  state,                 
  police officer or  VPO taking  immediate action to  protect,                 
  etc.  reminded  him  of  the  Busby decision  in  Anchorage.                 
  Because  of  that,  he  requested  amendment 1  be  drafted.                 
  Commissioner  Usera  said  that  she  did  not  have  strong                 
  feelings one way or the other but had supported the language                 
  in the bill prior to HESS removing it.                                       
                                                                               
  End SFC-94 #49, Side 1                                                       
  Begin SFC-94 #49, Side 2                                                     
                                                                               
  Co-chair Pearce called for  a show of hands and  amendment 1                 
  was ADOPTED unanimously.                                                     
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Senator  Rieger  MOVED  for passage  of  CSSB  248(FIN) from                 
  committee  with individual  recommendations.   No  objection                 
  being heard, it  was REPORTED  OUT of committee  with a  "do                 
  pass,"  zero  fiscal  notes from  the  Department  of Public                 
  Safety and Department of Administration (Pioneer Homes), and                 
  fiscal notes  for the  Department of  Administration-$559.6,                 
  and  the   Department  of  Health  &  Social  Services-Adult                 
  Services-$(364.5),  Northern-$(68.0),  and   South  Central-                 
  $(127.1).  Co-chair  Pearce, and Senators Rieger,  Sharp and                 
  Kerttula  signed  "do  pass."    Senator  Kelly  signed  "no                 
  recommendation."