04/07/2021 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 89                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to house rules for assisted living                                                                        
     homes."                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:44:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN   LEE,  DIRECTOR,   SENIOR  AND   DISABILITY  SERVICES,                                                                    
DEPARTMENT  OF HEALTH  AND  SOCIAL  SERVICES (DHSS),  PALMER                                                                    
(via teleconference), introduced  himself. He introduced the                                                                    
legislation. He stated that the  Alaska statutes were not in                                                                    
compliance  with  federal  regulations, therefore  the  bill                                                                    
aligned with the federal regulations.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:47:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Lee addressed the Sectional Analysis (copy on file):                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1:                                                                                                                 
     Amends  AS 47.33.060  House Rules  for Assisted  Living                                                                    
     Homes  to explicitly  require consistency  with federal                                                                    
     regulation when house rules are established.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2:                                                                                                                 
     Adds  a new  section to  AS 47.33.060  House Rules  for                                                                    
     Assisted Living  Homes to  make explicit  that assisted                                                                    
     living  homes  that  provide waiver  services  may  not                                                                    
     adopt   house    rules   inconsistent    with   federal                                                                    
     regulations.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Section 3:                                                                                                                 
     Carries the statutory amendments  proposed in Section 1                                                                    
     and Section 2 of the  bill to AS 47.33.300(a) regarding                                                                    
     a resident's rights to have visitors.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wielechowski surmised  that individuals were allowed                                                                    
to have visitors at any time.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Lee agreed.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wielechowski  wondered whether the provider  had any                                                                    
say about a visitor causing a disturbance.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Lee deferred to Mr. Baxter.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:49:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CRAIG  BAXTER,   PROGRAM  MANAGER,   RESIDENTIAL  LICENSING,                                                                    
DIVISION    OF    BEHAVIORAL    HEALTH,    ANCHORAGE    (via                                                                    
teleconference),  explained  that  if an  individual  was  a                                                                    
disruption the facility could restrict access with reason.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop OPENED and CLOSED public testimony.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SB  89  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:51:01 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:54:28 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED