Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106
02/15/2022 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| HB308 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 308 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
February 15, 2022
3:03 p.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Liz Snyder, Co-Chair
Representative Tiffany Zulkosky, Co-Chair
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
Representative Zack Fields
Representative Ken McCarty
Representative Christopher Kurka
Representative Mike Prax
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 308
"An Act relating to dementia awareness."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 308
SHORT TITLE: DEMENTIA AWARENESS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) STUTES
02/07/22 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/07/22 (H) HSS, FIN
02/15/22 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM DAVIS 106
WITNESS REGISTER
FATE PUTNAM, Staff
Representative Louise Stutes
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 308 on behalf of
Representative Stutes, prime sponsor.
JORDAN LEWIS, PhD, Professor of Medical Education
University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony during the hearing
on HB 308.
PAM KELLEY, Executive Director
Alzheimer's Disease Resource Agency of Alaska Inc.;
Chair
Alaska Dementia Action Collaborative
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 308.
JOSH LONN, Chair
Community Board
Alzheimer's Association Alaska Chapter
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered statistics related to Alzheimer's
during the hearing on HB 308.
NONA SAFRA, Member
Alaska Commission on Aging
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided invited testimony in support of HB
308.
KAROL FINK, Chief
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Division of Public Health
Department of Health and Social Services
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Responded to questions during the hearing
on HB 308.
PAMELA SAMASH, on behalf of self
Nenana, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 308.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:03:52 PM
CO-CHAIR LIZ SNYDER called the House Health and Social Services
Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:03 p.m.
Representatives Kurka, McCarty, Zulkosky, and Snyder were
present at the call to order. Representatives Fields,
Spohnholz, and Prax arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HB 308-DEMENTIA AWARENESS
3:04:39 PM
CO-CHAIR SNYDER announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 308, "An Act relating to dementia awareness."
3:06:30 PM
FATE PUTNAM, Staff, Representative Louise Stutes, Alaska State
Legislature, presented HB 308 on behalf of Representative
Stutes, prime sponsor. He said the proposed legislation would
adopt a dementia awareness program within the Department of
Health and Social Services (DHSS) and is designed to qualify for
the federal program Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure
for Alzheimer's Act (BOLD). The Act was designed by Congress in
2018 to raise awareness of the national concern for the growing
problem related to dementia and directed the Center for Disease
Control (CDC) to provide funds to public health departments that
address early detection of early Alzheimer's disease and
dementia, and HB 308 would help obtain those funds. Mr. Putnam
said the BOLD Act specifies federal funds may be awarded to
states to provide educational programs to educate and inform the
public about these diseases and, thus, reduce the risk of
cognitive decline by supporting early detection and diagnosis.
Further, the funds would support caregivers to improve
management of these conditions. To be eligible for the federal
funds, DHSS would apply to the CDC for a core competency award,
identifying in the application how the plan would provide the
public education. He noted that the core competency awards
range from $350,000 to $500,000 dollars annually.
3:09:14 PM
MR. PUTNAM explained that HB 308 would require the department to
plan how to work with partners and determine the success of the
work done. He said the bill would establish a dementia
awareness program tasked with the following basic functions:
the creation of educational material for healthcare
professionals; utilization of educational materials to help
"dementia professionals" such as judicial staff, law
enforcement, social service providers, and emergency responders
to recognize the symptoms of those Alaskans that experience
dementia; the creation and maintenance of a statewide and easily
accessible list of dementia service providers in Alaska that can
diagnose and treat those diseases; consultation with national
organizations providing dementia care concerning the most
appropriate materials and content needed for the public
awareness campaign; coordination with the public and service
provider organizations to implement programs and activities to
educate the public about dementia; a statewide campaign with
various media forms to publicize the scope of the issue and
promote early detection through screening; education of the
public about the risk of developing dementia and ways to avoid
the onset, including diet and exercise, and methods of diagnosis
and treatment; and an increase in the awareness of wellness
visits to patients by providing easily readable materials on the
department's website to maintain an disseminate the list of
statewide dementia care providers.
MR. PUTNAM said Representative Stutes is sponsoring this
legislation because Alaska has "a large and growing" senior
population. Currently, approximately 12,500 Alaskans suffer
from Alzheimer's and other related diseases. Dementia is the
fifth leading cause of death for those people over age 65. Mr.
Putnam emphasized the importance of getting "in front of this
issue before it becomes an insurmountable problem." He stated,
"HB 308 is an effort to get the best programs available for all
Alaskans into a centralized agency tasked with protecting public
health." He noted that currently there are many groups in the
private sector whose work addresses dementia and Alzheimer's
disease, many of which focus on the management of the disease
once it has been diagnosed. He pointed out that unfortunately
once it has been diagnosed, the treatment to reduce the impacts
of the disease are "very limited." He said HB 308 is designed
"to get out in front of the diagnosis with early detection" and
look for ways to delay the cognitive decline so people can lead
healthier lives. He noted that the department had submitted a
fiscal note reflecting the cost of running the program, and he
said the bill sponsor's office is working with the
administration to find ways to reduce the cost of running the
program. He acknowledged there is a need for experts to work on
the program. He said the sponsor encourages the department to
seek funds from the BOLD Act to pay for the public education
program.
3:13:16 PM
CO-CHAIR SNYDER announced the committee would hear invited
testimony.
3:14:02 PM
JORDAN LEWIS, PhD, Professor of Medical Education, University of
Alaska Anchorage, noted that she is a dementia researcher. She
stated that there is a stigma surrounding dementia preventing
families and others from seeking medical care, which results in
distress and sometimes burnout. He said increasing education
about dementia will decrease that stigma, normalize
conversations between families and their healthcare providers,
and educate the public that dementia is not a normal part of the
aging process. He advised that receiving an early diagnosis can
relieve anxiety over symptoms and help the provider work with
the person on treatment options. It can also give the
opportunity for families to maximize their time together and
find resources and support programs. Further, it can save on
medical costs and the cost of long-term care, both for families
and state government. He reported that early diagnosis of
Alzheimer's would collectively save the U.S. approximately $7
trillion in health and long-term care costs. He encouraged
support of HB 308.
3:15:56 PM
PAM KELLEY, Executive Director, Alzheimer's Disease Resource
Agency of Alaska Inc. and Chair, Alaska Dementia Action
Collaborative, stated that people with dementia come to the
Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska after they or family members have
begun to experience symptoms, at which point is too late for
prevention. The agency has helped "tens of thousands" of
Alaskans over the last 38 years to slow the rate of cognitive
decline and adapt to future changes. She encouraged early
detection to lower the numbers. She said there are public
awareness efforts being made "on the retail level," and HB 308
would allow a "wholesale" campaign. She asked, "Don't we owe it
to ourselves to try?"
3:18:18 PM
JOSH LONN, Chair, Community Board, Alzheimer's Association
Alaska Chapter, stated that Alaska can soon expect to be
impacted by dementia at a higher rate per capita than any other
state in the Union. He reported that the population of Alaskans
with Alzheimer's, which is only one of the ten most common types
of dementia, accounts for approximately 8,500 of Alaska's 12,500
dementia cases, and it is expected to impact 3,000 more Alaskans
by 2025. This means the overall dementia population will
surpass 17,000 Alaskans. He stated, "A dementia public
awareness campaign is instrumental in preparing Alaska for the
approaching dementia tsunami." He talked about the benefits of
early detection and commented on the effect on Alaska's
workforce due to burnout of caregivers. He stated, "Progression
of this disease leads to public safety issues, behavioral
change, wandering, and the inability to perform basic tasks such
as using the bathroom." He urged the committee to support HB
308 "in honor of Alaska's families, who are and continue to be
impacted by dementia and wish they had known the signs sooner."
3:21:00 PM
NONA SAFRA, Member, Alaska Commission on Aging, stated that the
Alaska Commission on Aging voted to support HB 308. She said
the workforce and state budget will be affected by the number of
people that will be diagnosed with dementia in the next decade,
thus she advised the state needs a better approach in preparing
for this public health crisis. She said HB 308 would make the
public aware of lifestyle and behavioral changes and therefore
be able to mitigate the onset of dementia. Ms. Safra shared
that she has a brain injury that increases her odds for getting
dementia. She is also a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's.
She stated, "It's too late for him, but it's not too late for
others." She called HB 308 a "game changer," and she urged the
committee to support the bill.
3:23:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY referred to language in HB 308, on page
2, beginning on lines 2 and 26, regarding a list of state
providers, and he asked whether there were "qualifiers to what
those providers have to do to be acknowledged."
MR. PUTNAM answered that most people who provide services for
dementia would be part of this program.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY recalled years back there were
requirements for expensive accreditation that limited the number
of providers that could provide services.
MR. PUTNAM responded that he is not aware of those requirements
for this program.
3:25:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KURKA drew attention to the fiscal note, which
reflected over $16,000 in fiscal year 2023 (FY 23) and over
three-quarter of a million "next year." He observed a new staff
person would be added, and the services category is $521,000.
He asked whether that was envisioned by the bill sponsor as
state-covered expenses.
MR. PUTNAM answered that the sponsor's office is working with
the department "to see if that fiscal note may be little higher
than anticipated." He reiterated that the BOLD Act funding
provides a window of funding between $350,000 and $500,000
annually. He added that the sponsor supports the need of the
department to hire a subject matter expert in order to fund the
program. Further, the materials need to be produced early on in
the program. He deferred to the department to offer further
explanation.
REPRESENTATIVE KURKA noted that although there is no additional
staff hired after the first year, the amount of funds needed for
services goes up by 50 percent for FY 24. He questioned the
reason for that.
MR. PUTNAM pointed to the back of the fiscal note where it
explains that 90 days after passage of HB 308, the department
would be recruiting, and it would be well into FY 23 at that
point; therefore, the department would need the funds only for a
portion of the year. However, in FY 24 and beyond, "they're
going to need that package for that individual specialist in
Alzheimer's."
3:28:10 PM
CO-CHAIR SNYDER requested someone from the department talk about
putting the fiscal note in context with that of other programs
of similar size.
3:29:03 PM
KAROL FINK, Chief, Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion, Division of Public Health, Department of Health and
Social Services, explained that most of the numbers are built by
looking at the budgets in place for other programs; however, she
said there are no economies of scale because the work of each
program differs. In response to a follow-up question, she
confirmed the department looked at a tobacco prevention program
and nutrition program, and also marijuana education. Each have
different funding streams and sources of dollars.
3:31:08 PM
CO-CHAIR SNYDER opened public testimony on HB 308.
3:31:35 PM
PAMELA SAMASH, on behalf of self, noted that she is a member of
the Alaska Commission on Aging, which voted to support HB 308,
and she is testifying today on her own behalf in support of the
proposed legislation. She emphasized the need for awareness of
dementia and Alzheimer's because the senior population of Alaska
is growing substantially, and [HB 308] can help people become
more prepared. She said Interior Alaska needs more housing and
skilled nurses to handle this population and the chronic health
issues that come with it. She highlighted the importance of
learning prevention measures such as diet and exercise as a
measure to drastically reduce the number of individuals who will
have to face dementia. She urged the committee to support HB
308 and Alaska's seniors.
3:33:13 PM
CO-CHAIR SNYDER, after ascertaining that there was no one else
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 308.
CO-CHAIR SNYDER announced that HB 308 was held over.
3:34:48 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Health and Social Services Standing Committee meeting was
adjourned at 3:35 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 308, Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HHSS 2/15/2022 3:00:00 PM |
HB 308 |
| HB 308, Sectional Analysis.pdf |
HHSS 2/15/2022 3:00:00 PM |
HB 308 |
| HB 308, Ver. A.PDF |
HHSS 2/15/2022 3:00:00 PM |
HB 308 |
| HB 308, Alzheimer's Association 10 Warning Signs.pdf |
HHSS 2/15/2022 3:00:00 PM |
HB 308 |
| HB 308, Behavioral Change Info for Medical Providers.pdf |
HHSS 2/15/2022 3:00:00 PM |
HB 308 |
| HB 308, Letters of Support.pdf |
HHSS 2/15/2022 3:00:00 PM |
HB 308 |
| HB 308, Texas State Flyer for Medical Providers.pdf |
HHSS 2/15/2022 3:00:00 PM |
HB 308 |
| HB 308, Alz Association First Responders Tip Sheet.pdf |
HHSS 2/15/2022 3:00:00 PM |
HB 308 |
| HB 308- Oppose.pdf |
HHSS 2/15/2022 3:00:00 PM |
HB 308 |
| HB 308, Fiscal Note.pdf |
HHSS 2/15/2022 3:00:00 PM |
HB 308 |
| EO 121, Legislative Legal Department Memo, 2.14.22.pdf |
HHSS 2/15/2022 3:00:00 PM |
EO 121 Memo |