03/23/1994 08:06 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."