01/22/2004 03:26 PM House HES

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
          HOUSE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES                                                                         
                       STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                                     
                        January 22, 2004                                                                                        
                           3:26 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Peggy Wilson, Chair                                                                                              
Representative Carl Gatto, Vice Chair                                                                                           
Representative Paul Seaton                                                                                                      
Representative Sharon Cissna                                                                                                    
Representative Mary Kapsner                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative John Coghill                                                                                                     
Representative Kelly Wolf                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
^PRESENTATION  BY  THE  GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL  ON  DISABILITIES  AND                                                               
SPECIAL EDUCATION                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                              
[For the regular  meeting minutes, see the 3:03  p.m. minutes for                                                               
this date.]                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
TAPES                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
04-5, SIDE(S) A                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PEGGY  WILSON reconvened the  meeting of the  House Health,                                                             
Education  and Social  Services Standing  Committee at  3:26 p.m.                                                               
Representatives Wilson,  Gatto, Seaton, Cissna, and  Kapsner were                                                               
present at the call to order.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
KATHLEEN   FITZGERALD,   Vice-Chair,    Governor's   Council   on                                                             
Disabilities and  Special Education,  presented the main  part of                                                               
the overview.   She spoke of the history and  work of the council                                                               
and also spoke about some of the council's policy objectives.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
GAYLA  VALLE,  Member,  Governor's Council  on  Disabilities  and                                                               
Special Education,  spoke of her  son, and the  valuable services                                                               
granted  to him  through  the  work of  the  council.   She  also                                                               
presented   other   useful    information   about   the   council                                                               
specifically.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
JODI   RUMPF,   Legislative    Chair,   Governor's   Council   on                                                               
Disabilities and Special Education, spoke  of the importance of a                                                               
redesigned  infant  program, as  well  as  the importance  for  a                                                               
newborn hearing-screening test to  diagnose children with hearing                                                               
disabilities.   She  said  that such  screenings  could save  the                                                               
state  money by  allowing children  with hearing  disabilities to                                                               
learn  language skills  faster,  and then  they  would need  less                                                               
assistance later in their educational career.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
MILLIE   RYAN,   Executive   Director,  Governor's   Council   on                                                               
Disabilities and  Special Education,  spoke of how  cost analyses                                                               
are  underway to  establish the  long-term cost/benefits  of many                                                               
related programs.  Ms. Ryan  also spoke of using Medicaid funding                                                               
to  assist  schools  in providing  covered  mental  and  physical                                                               
assistance to disabled students.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                              
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
There were no announcements.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Health, Education and Social  Services Standing Committee meeting                                                               
was adjourned at 3:48 p.m.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:   The meeting was  recorded and handwritten log  notes were                                                               
taken.  A  copy of the tape(s)  and log notes may  be obtained by                                                               
contacting the  House Records  Office at  State Capitol,  Room 3,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska  99801  (mailing address),  (907)  465-2214,  and                                                               
after  adjournment  of the  second  session  of the  Twenty-Third                                                               
Alaska  State Legislature  this  information may  be obtained  by                                                               
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.