Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106
02/10/2022 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Overview: Executive Order 121: Dhss Reorganization | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
February 10, 2022
3:17 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Liz Snyder, Co-Chair
Representative Tiffany Zulkosky, Co-Chair
Representative Zack Fields
Representative Ken McCarty
Representative Mike Prax
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
Representative Christopher Kurka
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW: EXECUTIVE ORDER 121: DHSS REORGANIZATION
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
ADAM CRUM, Commissioner
Department of Health and Social Services
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the overview on
Executive Order 121.
SYLVAN ROBB, Assistant Commissioner
Department of Health and Social Services
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Responded to questions during the overview
on Executive Order 121.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:17:23 PM
CO-CHAIR LIZ SNYDER called the House Health and Social Services
Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:17 p.m.
Representatives Snyder, Zulkosky, Fields, McCarty, and Prax were
present at the call to order.
^OVERVIEW: Executive Order 121: DHSS Reorganization
OVERVIEW: Executive Order 121: DHSS Reorganization
3:18:13 PM
CO-CHAIR SNYDER announced that the only order of business would
be an Overview of Executive Order 121: DHSS Reorganization.
3:19:49 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked whether the Department of Health and
Social Services had filled the childcare program office director
position.
3:20:05 PM
ADAM CRUM, Commissioner, Department of Health and Social
Services (DHSS), responded that the opening was posted and
recruitment is ongoing.
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS commented on the importance of the
childcare sector and noted the difficulty in recruitment during
the pandemic. He asked Commissioner Crum about wage premiums
dispersed by the System for Early Education Development (SEED).
COMMISSIONER CRUM asked whether Representative Fields was
referring to "thread," which he noted has been a partner. He
said that he would have to get back to Representative Fields
with more specific information.
3:21:40 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS shared his understanding that there are
outstanding funds, and he said he would appreciate Commissioner
Crum's examination of the remaining funds.
3:22:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY asked Commissioner Crum whether the
department is assessing the ancillary costs of the transition as
they relate to non-personnel costs.
COMMISSIONER CRUM deferred to Sylvan Robb.
3:24:01 PM
SYLVAN ROBB, Assistant Commissioner, Department of Health and
Social Services, responded that the department is in the process
of going through that. There may be some additional outstanding
costs related to information technology (IT). There are several
applications that the department uses, and most are easily
attributable to each department, but there are some systems that
are shared that possibly necessitate additional licensing.
3:25:06 PM
CO-CHAIR ZULKOSKY asked what the timeline is for that
assessment.
MS. ROBB responded that IT is anticipated to have the longest
"runway." She explained that there are some elements of the
process of IT that are quite enmeshed, such as data centers.
She voiced her belief that some of the work would not be
completed by July 1 and that the department will assess what the
cost implications of the split will be.
3:26:12 PM
CO-CHAIR SNYDER noted the composition of the boards was
addressed in the reworking of Executive Order (EO) 121. She
asked if the testifiers could speak to the decision process of
selecting each commissioner.
3:27:44 PM
COMMISSIONER CRUM responded that the Department of Law (DOL)
looked at the ways in which the functions would align with the
existing boards.
3:28:31 PM
CO-CHAIR SNYDER asked about the process of creating agreements
and memorandums and the time involved in doing so.
MS. ROBB responded that there are no costs associated with
creating the agreements beyond labor hours. She remarked on the
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
CO-CHAIR SNYDER proffered there is a template for the agreement;
the entire department is covered by the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
3:30:39 PM
COMMISSIONER CRUM said the department does not see the steps
required as being a hurdle but rather just "a changing of the
letterhead" and "getting new signatures."
CO-CHAIR SNYDER asked if it requires approvals at the federal
level.
COMMISSIONER CRUM answered no.
3:31:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY noted that there may be two departments
doing similar things and having similar clientele. He asked
whether return on investment (ROI) would be required for each
situation or whether it could be just one ROI through the
memorandum of understanding (MOU).
COMMISSIONER CRUM responded that the MOUs for the departments
would not require ROIs.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked whether there's a plan for informed
consent so that clients would know that this is happening.
COMMISSIONER CRUM said he would confirm in writing to
Representative McCarty.
3:33:33 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Health and Social Services Standing Committee meeting was
adjourned at 3:33 p.m.
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