Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 106
04/15/2014 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB206 | |
| HB356 | |
| SJR26 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 206 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 356 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SJR 26 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
April 15, 2014
8:05 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bob Lynn, Chair
Representative Wes Keller, Vice Chair
Representative Lynn Gattis
Representative Shelley Hughes
Representative Doug Isaacson
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Charisse Millett
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 206(STA)
"An Act relating to motor vehicle registration and fees;
relating to licensing of school bus drivers; relating to notice
of an accident involving a motor vehicle; and providing for an
effective date."
- MOVED CSSB 206(STA) OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 356
"An Act establishing the Advisory Committee on Wellness; and
relating to the administration of state group health insurance
policies."
- MOVED CSHB 356(STA) OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 26
Recognizing June 14, 2014, as the 60th anniversary of the first
recital of the United States Pledge of Allegiance with the words
"under God."
- MOVED SJR 26 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 206
SHORT TITLE: VEHICLE REGIS/LICENSING/ACCIDENT REPORTS
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) MICCICHE
02/26/14 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/26/14 (S) STA
03/18/14 (S) STA AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/18/14 (S) Heard & Held
03/18/14 (S) MINUTE(STA)
03/20/14 (S) STA AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/20/14 (S) Heard & Held
03/20/14 (S) MINUTE(STA)
03/25/14 (S) STA AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/25/14 (S) Moved CSSB 206(STA) Out of Committee
03/25/14 (S) MINUTE(STA)
03/26/14 (S) STA RPT CS 3DP 1NR SAME TITLE
03/26/14 (S) DP: DYSON, COGHILL, GIESSEL
03/26/14 (S) NR: WIELECHOWSKI
04/09/14 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
04/09/14 (S) VERSION: CSSB 206(STA)
04/10/14 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/10/14 (H) STA
04/15/14 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HB 356
SHORT TITLE: ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WELLNESS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) SEATON
02/26/14 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/26/14 (H) HSS, STA
03/20/14 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
03/20/14 (H) Heard & Held
03/20/14 (H) MINUTE(HSS)
04/10/14 (H) HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106
04/10/14 (H) Moved Out of Committee
04/10/14 (H) MINUTE(HSS)
04/11/14 (H) HSS RPT 2DP 3NR
04/11/14 (H) DP: SEATON, NAGEAK
04/11/14 (H) NR: PRUITT, KELLER, HIGGINS
04/15/14 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
BILL: SJR 26
SHORT TITLE: PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) COGHILL
02/21/14 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/21/14 (S) STA
03/13/14 (S) STA AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/13/14 (S) Moved SJR 26 Out of Committee
03/13/14 (S) MINUTE(STA)
03/14/14 (S) STA RPT 3DP
03/14/14 (S) DP: DYSON, COGHILL, GIESSEL
04/12/14 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
04/12/14 (S) VERSION: SJR 26
04/13/14 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/13/14 (H) STA
04/15/14 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR PETER MICCICHE
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented CSSB 206(STA).
BARBARA HUFF TUCKNESS, Director
Teamsters Local 959
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of CSSB 206(STA).
AMY ERICKSON, Director
Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Department of Administration
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on
CSSB 206(STA).
REPRESENTATIVE PAUL SEATON
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented HB 356.
RYNNIEVA MOSS, Staff
Senator John Coghill
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SJR 26 on behalf of Senator
Coghill, prime sponsor.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:05:31 AM
VICE CHAIR WES KELLER called the House State Affairs Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:05 a.m. Representatives Gattis,
Isaacson, Hughes, and Keller were present at the call to order.
Representative Lynn arrived as the meeting was in progress.
SB 206-VEHICLE REGIS/LICENSING/ACCIDENT REPORTS
8:05:50 AM
VICE CHAIR KELLER announced that the first order of business was
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 206(STA), "An Act relating to motor
vehicle registration and fees; relating to licensing of school
bus drivers; relating to notice of an accident involving a motor
vehicle; and providing for an effective date."
8:06:34 AM
SENATOR PETER MICCICHE, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented CSSB 206(STA). He said the bill was about
three things: efficiency of the Division of Motor Vehicles
(DMV), timely reporting of highway accidents, and ensuring
appropriate employees are entrusted to drive children to school.
He said he envisions a DMV where most of the business is done on
line. People would set up an account where they could manage
the registration and other payments on their vehicles, using
PayPal or a credit card. He said statutes need to be updated to
facilitate the use of current technology, which he said he
believes would reduce costs. He said the proposed legislation
would allow the DMV to use e-mail notification, would put into
statute the current process of waiving the $10 fee for using the
web site to renew registrations, and would allow accident
reports to be submitted electronically.
SENATOR MICCICHE emphasized that the only licenses that would be
affected under CSSB 206(STA) would be those of school bus
drivers. He named the following crimes as allowed in the past
history of school bus drivers: murder, assault, kidnapping,
indecent exposure, and felony prostitution. The proposed
legislation would give a 10-year "look back" for existing school
bus license holders and require a background check every five
years at renewal. It would give [the DMV] discretion for
licensing a person convicted of a misdemeanor within the prior
two years, if the crime did not involve a child.
8:09:54 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE said he likes the common sense aspect of the
proposed legislation, as well as the focus on increasing
efficiency. He asked the committee to think about a fleet
manager and how easily he/she could manage stock in a couple
hours a year by using on line resources. He asked for the
committee's support of CSSB 206(STA), and noted that there were
representatives available from the DMV and the Department of
Administration (DOA) to answer questions.
8:10:33 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES noted that some people change their e-mail
addresses frequently. She asked if, under CSSB 206(STA), people
would have the option of being notified by e-mail or the United
States Postal Service (USPS), or if the DMV would use the e-mail
option if it had the person's e-mail address.
SENATOR MICCICHE responded that the purpose of the proposed
legislation was to make it legal for the DMV to make the change;
it would not set up the details for the department. He offered
his understanding that the DMV would not rely on just one method
of communication; it would ensure that people are notified. He
said he envisions a box that could be checked to indicate that
the individual wants to receive notifications by e-mail, and the
person would periodically go the web site and update his/her e-
mail notification. He said it would be similar to people who
get mailed notifications and notify the DMV when they have an
address change.
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES said she supports paperless transactions,
but knows that sometimes spam filters "catch" e-mails so the
intended recipient does not see them. She indicated she would
hear what the DMV's plans would be. She explained that she does
not want people to have to pay a penalty if they do not receive
an e-mail.
SENATOR MICCICHE, in response to Vice Chair Keller, clarified
that the language in the bill relating to criminal convictions
relates solely to the licensing of school bus drivers, but
Section 8 addresses licensing in general.
8:14:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON said, "So, Section 3 starts with the
school bus drivers."
SENATOR MICCICHE said, "Right."
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON thanked the bill sponsor for proposing
the improvements under CSSB 206(STA). He asked him to confirm
that under the proposed legislation, all actions currently made
with the DMV would be available electronically or would be
omitted.
SENATOR MICCICHE offered his understanding that none were left
out; however, he deferred to the director of the DMV. He stated
his assumption that there are some documents that would require
an applicant to be physically present to sign his/her name.
8:15:12 AM
VICE CHAIR KELLER opened public testimony.
8:15:35 AM
BARBARA HUFF TUCKNESS, Director, Teamsters Local 959, testified
in support of CSSB 206(STA). She assured the committee that she
trusts the hundreds of school bus drivers that Teamsters Local
959 hires, because of the due diligence of the DMV, which
currently runs background checks on the drivers.
Notwithstanding that, she said Teamsters Local 959 supports
"cleaning up that effort." She said she has spoken with the
staff of the bill sponsor and the director of the DMV regarding
language on page 5, lines 1-3, which read as follows:
A person may renew a license under this section within
one year before its expiration upon proper
application, payment of the required fee, and the
completion of a background check under (b)(4) of this
section.
8:18:27 AM
MS. HUFF TUCKNESS said this is new language, and she questioned
whether the language needs to be clarified. She explained that
the understanding of Teamsters Local 959 is that "the current
practice shall continue to apply," which is: a bus driver
applies for a license from the DMV, in conjunction with his/her
commercial driver's license (CDL); a background check is done by
the State of Alaska once the bus driver has applied for the job;
the application is made directly to the school district or to a
contractor with the school district; once awarded the job, the
bus driver goes through the DMV licensure process. Ms. Huff
Tuckness said in addition to the state background check, there
is a federal background check done; however, the federal
government is not as quick with the results. She expressed
concern with allowing bus drivers to start work before the
federal results are reported and then terminating their
employment if and when the federal background check finds a
criminal record. She explained that it is difficult to hire and
retain school bus drivers because of the number of hours
available, the unusual schedule, and the nine-month duration of
the school term. She stated that Teamsters Local 959 supports
all the other changes in CSSB 206(STA), but wants to make sure
that an already difficult hiring process is not further
complicated. She added, "Because if they are awarded and then
they have to wait six months, they're probably going to be
looking for other employment."
8:19:36 AM
MS. HUFF TUCKNESS, in response to Representative Isaacson,
clarified that under the proposed legislation, a prospective
employee would have to wait until the federal response had been
received before being allowed to go to work. She said that has
not been the practice. She indicated concern that the proposed
legislation may negatively impact current practice of clearing
someone for hire through the state background check. She said,
"Once they've actually been cleared through the state background
check - and those new provisions that they will be checked for
will be included in that - then they are actually awarded the
job, pending anything negative coming from the federal
background check.
8:20:49 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON said he appreciates that Ms. Huff
Tuckness wants to put people to work and does not want to lose
good drivers; however, he said there could be a situation in
which a person who had committed a type of crime that would make
him/her unfit to be a school bus driver would be hired, because
the state's background check showed nothing, but six months
later the federal background check results would show that
criminal background. He said that may not be the normal
situation, but on the other hand, for a person looking for work,
"that's maybe a good place to hide, unless the word goes out you
will be found."
8:21:37 AM
MS. HUFF TUCKNESS said she does not know how to speed up the
federal process, which she indicated she had heard can take up
to six months. She deferred to the director of the DMV to
answer questions, but said the issue concerns Teamsters Local
959. She said she thinks Representative Isaacson's point was
well taken.
8:22:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTIS said, "If you don't know your information,
you do the best with what you have." She said if someone is
hired and information comes in that shows the person has
committed an offense that warrants firing him/her, then actions
are taken at that point to dismiss the person. She expressed
her hope that Teamsters Local 959 supports that idea. She
stated, "I certainly would not want to have a school district
not be able to let that employee go based on that new
information that they received."
8:23:08 AM
MS. HUFF TUCKNESS emphasized that Teamsters Local 959 supports
the current practice wherein the school district immediate
terminates the employment of a school bus driver if it receives
a negative report from the federal background check. She said
Teamsters Local 959 respects good bus drivers and appreciates
that they drive with up to 85 children behind them and make sure
these children make it safely to school.
8:24:22 AM
VICE CHAIR KELLER remarked that rushing the federal government
is not an option. He said he would resist giving the federal
government precedence over what Alaska does, because the state
has a good system and the responsibility to make that system
work.
8:25:08 AM
AMY ERICKSON, Director, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV),
Department of Administration, said she believes Ms. Huff
Tuckness was correct in her outlining of the DMV process. She
said the DMV accepts the application, takes a check for [payment
of] the background check, and submits the fingerprints. There
is a review of the applications, at which time the fingerprint
cards are sent to the Department of Public Safety (DPS), which
takes 30-60 days to deliver a response back to the DMV. If the
background check comes back with "anything on the record," then
the DMV sends an immediate cancellation.
8:25:46 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON asked how much of the background check
process of the state mirrors that of the federal government.
8:26:11 AM
MS. ERICKSON said she is not certain how they compare, but said
the DMV reviews the results of the state's background check for
disqualifying offenses.
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON noted that the statute under which the
DMV submits the applicant's information is AS 12.62.160. He
asked if that information is sent to the Alaska State Troopers.
MS. ERICKSON confirmed that the information is sent to the
Department of Public Safety.
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON offered his understanding that much of
the information that the [federal] criminal background check
would cover may also be covered in a more expedited way by the
Alaska State Troopers. He added that there are some gaps, but
there is a lot of overlap.
VICE CHAIR KELLER said that is a question that would be left
unsatisfactorily answered in order to move the proposed
legislation. He indicated that he was comfortable with that,
because there has been "no indication of a problem in this
area."
8:27:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES asked Ms. Erickson to outline how the DMV
would handle the electronic method proposed under CSSB 206(STA).
MS. ERICKSON answered that the DMV envisions that customers
would be able to opt in [to electronic communication], and if
they do not, the division would continue to send notices out by
mail. She said under statute, everyone must update his/her
address when it changes, and it is a good question as to whether
the DMV should have the same requirement for those using e-mail
addresses.
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES said she thinks an update on e-mail
addresses may be more important sometimes than an update on a
physical address.
8:28:40 AM
VICE CHAIR KELLER noted that Chair Lynn had joined the meeting
and had indicated to him he would like him to continue leading
the discussion.
8:28:51 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTIS said from a customer standpoint, she would
like to access all her vehicle information on line.
8:29:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON commended the department for the
offerings it has already put in place on line, and he emphasized
how much time is saved by doing business with the DMV on line.
8:30:31 AM
MS. ERICKSON said the DMV is excited, because it has "borrowed a
web master" from DOA to "spruce up our web site and make it even
easier for customers."
8:30:44 AM
VICE CHAIR KELLER closed public testimony.
8:31:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTIS opined that CSSB 206(STA) is a clean-up
bill that should have been passed years ago, and she expressed
appreciation for "where DMV is going with this."
8:31:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTIS moved to report CSSB 206(STA) out of
committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying
fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSSB 206(STA) was
reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.
8:31:58 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:32 a.m. to 8:36 a.m.
HB 356-ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WELLNESS
8:35:59 AM
CHAIR LYNN announced that the next order of business was HOUSE
BILL NO. 356, "An Act establishing the Advisory Committee on
Wellness; and relating to the administration of state group
health insurance policies."
8:36:06 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PAUL SEATON, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented HB 356. He stated that HB 356 would require
the commissioner of the Department of Administration (DOA) to
implement procedures for decreasing the incidence of disease in
Alaska in order to hold the inflation of healthcare costs. He
said the proposed legislation focuses on the prevention of the
incidence of disease as opposed to the treatment of disease. It
would create an Advisory Committee on Wellness, which would be
charged with making recommendations to the commissioner.
Representative Seaton relayed that HB 356 would enforce a
paradigm shift for DOA, and it would require the agencies to
implement policies in Alaska to keep State of Alaska employees
and their independents healthy by preventing disease.
8:37:15 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON offered a PowerPoint presentation, which
he explained would outline a possible plan that would come from
the [Advisory Committee on Wellness] to aid in lowering the
amount of money paid out by the State of Alaska for health care.
He referred to a graph at the beginning of the PowerPoint, which
shows the $3.8 billion unfunded liability in the Public
Employees Retirement System (PERS) and Teachers Retirement
System (TRS) directly related to the increase of health care
cost beyond what was originally estimated in 2002. The original
estimation was for a long-term escalation in health care costs
of 2 percent, but now the escalation is between 4 and 6 percent.
He showed the "Why are we here?" slide, which states that there
are approximately 17,000 members, including dependents, in the
active plan, and approximately 64,000 members in the retiree
plan, with a total cost to the state of approximately $600
million [spent in fiscal year 2013 (FY 13)]. He noted that $1.6
million was [Medicaid] related expenditure [in FY 13]. He said
these expenses are part of a contractual relationship.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON directed attention to the "What Do
Alaska's Health-Care Dollars Buy?" slide, which shows that
[31.5] percent of those dollars go to hospital care and 28
percent to doctors and clinical services. He said finding ways
to avoid visits to hospitals, doctors' offices, and clinics by
means of disease prevention would address the crux of the
problem. Referring to information on the next slide, he relayed
that currently insurance focuses on constraints to the
healthcare providers, including limitations on coverage and
limitations on compensation to doctors. He said the Department
of Labor established rules to prevent accidents by setting
limitations on the length of a working day and requirements for
safe working conditions. Representative Seaton stated that the
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) focuses on
childhood vaccination, as well as voluntary lifestyle changes
and prescription drug safety. The Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) [and the Department of Natural Resources
(DNR)] address food safety requirements, such as paralytic
shellfish poisoning (PSP) testing, requirements for the
pasteurization of milk, and restaurant and food processor
inspections. The Department of Public Safety (DPS), he said,
enforces laws addressing illegal drugs and smoking in close
public places.
8:40:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON turned to "The Question" slide, and he
indicated that the question to ask is how to avoid diseases
instead of just paying for sick care. He said the ensuing
slides show ideas for what can be done in "one little category"
and what the economic impact of that would be. The first slide
he highlighted shows a list of [health] issues of active care
members, and [x's] at the far right indicate which of the
conditions could be prevented by taking vitamin D supplements.
He said vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in Alaska. He showed
the next slide, which is the same chart for retirees. He said
66 percent of the total diseases in the active work force are
directly related to vitamin D status, while that number for
retirees is 61 percent.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON directed attention to the next slide,
showing "Meta-analysis of breast cancer risk." He explained
that the graph is set up in quintiles. It shows that those with
higher risk for breast cancer are those with lower serum levels
of vitamin D. He said the average vitamin D level for the U.S.
population is 21 anagrams per milliliter (ng/ml), but the
average for Alaskans is generally much lower, because vitamin D
is made through exposure to sunshine on the skin, and during
Alaska winters, the angle of the sun is so low, that all of the
ultraviolet B is absorbed coming through the atmosphere. That
means that for seven months of the year in Alaska, a person can
be out in the sun and not make any vitamin D. He explained that
the graph shows that with a 50 percent reduction in breast
cancer [through use of vitamin D] by active and retired
employees and their dependents, the state could save $3 million
a year.
8:43:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON directed attention to another meta-
analysis graph showing the relation of vitamin D and colorectal
cancer. He stated that breast cancer and colorectal cancer are
two big cost drivers in Alaska. The graph shows a projected
reduction in incidence with 34 ng/ml. He said currently the
state has no policy to encourage people to [take vitamin D
supplements] to lower the percentage who get colorectal cancer,
but doing so could save the state approximately $2 million
annually.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON directed attention to another slide
showing results of a clinical trial related to type 2 diabetes.
He said the slide shows that the average U.S. population has 8.5
people per 1,000 annually who will be diagnosed with type 2
diabetes. During the clinical trial, 2,200 people got their
vitamin D levels up to 48 ng/ml, and the number of people per
1,000 diagnosed annually with type 2 diabetes dropped to [0.9].
He indicated that the cost to an individual to supplement
vitamin D is about $10 a year. Representative Seaton said this
kind of action could save the state approximately $4.3 million a
year.
8:45:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON turned next to a slide showing results of
vitamin D supplementation on pre-term childbirth, which is a
focus of the March of Dimes. He explained that pre-term birth
not only has negative effects on health, but is also costly. He
related that the March of Dimes has been conducting a program in
South Carolina, wherein by raising the levels of vitamin D in
participants, the number of pre-term births was reduced to 7
percent - 2 percent below the national goal for the March of
Dimes for the year 2020. He said, "That's a 32 percent
reduction in the number of pre-term births, and for every 25
pre-terms births avoided, that saves about $1.3 million."
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON directed attention to a slide showing
results from a Canadian study on the effects of vitamin D
supplementation on the frequency of occurrence of upper
respiratory tract infections in children. He indicated that a
comparison was made between those children who were given 30
ng/ml and those that were given 20 ng/ml, and he said, "There's
a 70 percent reduction in upper respiratory tract infections,
[such] as tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchitis, influenza, and
colds."
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON highlighted information on the next slide,
which showed the effect of vitamin D supplementation on
inflammatory gum disease. He said the study came out of India
in 2013. It shows that with a placebo, there was no change in
90 days; with 2,000 IU of vitamin D, people's vitamin D levels
were raised to about 50 ng/ml, and there was a reduction in
inflammation of more than 80 percent. He stated that gum
disease not only results in tooth loss, but when the body is not
able to fight inflammation, the result can be a hardening of the
arteries. He said that is why gum disease is also related to
heart disease.
8:48:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON indicated that the proposed legislation
has one main purpose, outlined in Section 2, which read as
follows:
*Sec.2. AS 39.30.090(a) is amended by adding a new
paragraph to read:
(13) To the greatest extent legally and
reasonably practicable, the Department of
Administration shall work to hold the escalation of
health care costs to less than two percent annually by
administering policies of group health insurance
obtained under this subsection in a manner that is
likely to reduce the incidence of disease in the
state's population and that facilitates implementation
of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on
Wellness established under AS 39.30.093.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said his goal in presenting HB 356 is to
illustrate an example of what the state could be doing. He said
he presumes the Committee on Wellness would look at this data
and determine whether the State of Alaska could hold down the
incidence of disease and save money. He said the State of
Alaska is self-insured; therefore, "every dollar that we save is
a savings to the State of Alaska." He continued as follows:
The bill that establishes this has a minimum of seven
members. The Department of Administration selects
those members. When they had a voluntary advisory
committee, which they do now, previously what they did
was they had over 90 people to apply to be on it.
This is a non-paid position. But people, members of
our employment workforce, do want to save health care,
do want to save the issues of health and the pain and
suffering that comes to families.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said HB 356 uses the model of the citizen
advisory committee used in relation to Alaska's Child in Need of
Aid (CINA); the department would have to answer within six
months if and how it would be implementing certain programs. He
said the proposed legislation would give "more of a push" and
"more authority" for the recommendations of the Advisory
Committee on Wellness to be heard. It is all within DOA, and
there are three positions. Members could participate in
meetings telephonically, so travel would not be required.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON opined that attempting to move the state
forward in holding down the escalation of [health care] costs,
thereby removing some of the state's unfunded liability in the
retirement system is a good goal. He said some things that
could cut down on health care costs, such as losing 30 or 40
pounds, are difficult to do; however, other things that the
Advisory Committee on Wellness could consider are much easier to
accomplish.
[Vice Chair Keller handed the gavel back to Chair Lynn.]
8:51:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER commended Representative Seaton's focus on
prevention and wellness. He explained that he had a problem
with the intent language, beginning on page 1, line 9, through
page 2, line 1. He said he would to like to delete [paragraphs]
(2), (3), and (4), which read as follows:
(2) the state has not adequately focused
state policy on avoiding disease and maintaining good
health in the state's population;
(3) the state relies on federal one-size-
fits-all human health policy recommendations, creating
federal overreach into the state's administration of
health policy;
(4) the state's human health policies have
not incorporated peer-reviewed scientific studies that
illustrate health-related differences between the
population of the state and the populations of other
states;
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER, regarding paragraph (2), said that may be
true, but opined that it would be better to say that the state
should focus more, because the state has focused on a state
policy on avoiding disease and maintaining good health.
Regarding [paragraph] (3), he suggested saying instead that the
state relies "in part" on federal policy recommendations. As
written, he said the language sounds like federal
recommendations are the only thing on which the state's policy
is based, which he said he does not believe is true. Regarding
[paragraph] (4), he said he would argue that the state certainly
has incorporated peer-reviewed studies, at least to some degree.
He said he knows this, because he has reviewed the studies and
has been involved in the process of making recommendations. He
stated that he does not think it would take away from the intent
of HB 356 to delete paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), in Section 1.
He said he supports the proposed legislation, but would like to
hear what the prime sponsor thinks about his recommendations for
changes.
8:56:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON recommended instead to leave paragraphs
(2)-(4) in the proposed legislation, but to amend the language
to reflect that: state policy should focus on avoiding disease
and maintaining health, the state relies in part on federal
recommendations, and the state's human health policies should
always incorporate peer-reviewed studies. He emphasized his
support of peer reviewed studies that are made transparent to
the public and are opened for public comment. He clarified, "I
wouldn't take those out; I would just make them affirmative."
8:57:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER responded that he had considered that and
would be open to it.
8:57:34 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said he fully agrees. He echoed
Representative Isaacson's suggestion by recommending "should"
replace "has not adequately", on line 9.
CHAIR LYNN suggested changing the language to "should focus
more".
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON suggested the language could read "should
focus state policy more on avoiding disease and maintaining good
health". He said he thinks the intent of paragraph (4) was
being misread, possibly because the language in paragraph (4)
begins on one page and ends on the next: "differences between
the population of the state and the populations of other
states". He said he did not intend for the language to mean
that "we" have not looked at peer-reviewed science. He
suggested switching the order of the words to emphasize that the
studies that have not been incorporated in the state's human
health policies are those comparing states.
8:59:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER asked the prime sponsor what he thought of
Representative Isaacson's suggestion to strike "have not" and
replace it with "should".
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said that would be fine.
8:59:29 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER said he would like the words "in part" to
follow "relies", on page 1, line 11, because one-size-fits-all
recommendations from the federal government are not the only
thing on which the state relies.
8:59:53 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1, as
follows:
Page 1, line 9, between "the state" and "state":
Delete "has not adequately focused"
Insert "should focus"
Page 1, line 9, between "policy" and "on":
Insert "more"
Page 1, line 11, between "relies" and "on":
Insert "in part"
Page 1, line 13, between "policies" and
"incorporated":
Delete "have not"
Insert "should"
9:01:38 AM
The committee took a brief at-ease at 9:02 a.m.
9:02:25 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER [moved to adopt an amendment to Conceptual
Amendment 1], so that the language on page 1, line 9, would read
as follows: "the state policy should focus more on avoiding
disease and". [There being no objection, the amendment to
Conceptual Amendment 1 was treated as adopted.]
9:03:06 AM
CHAIR LYNN announced that there being no objection, Conceptual
Amendment 1, [as amended], was adopted.
9:03:22 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON imparted that he had begun a regimen of
taking vitamin D, and has seen improvement in a former pre-
diabetes diagnosis; he expressed his hope that the use of
vitamin would further improve his test results. He said, "This
is not a vitamin D commission, this is a wellness commission."
He acknowledged that the prime sponsor had shown one way to
improve the health of Alaskans through the use of vitamin D;
many more methods exist, including exercising, cutting out
certain substances, and moderating smoking and drinking. He
asked Representative Seaton if his intent was to instigate an
Advisory Committee on Wellness, in order to bring the national
discussion on wellness to the administration.
9:04:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON confirmed that was his intent exactly. He
clarified that the proposed legislation would not take over the
Health Care Commission, which is a broad, statewide entity that
considers the entire population of the state. The committee
proposed under HB 356 would focus on individuals with whom the
State of Alaska has a contractual relationship as a provider of
health insurance. He said the result could be not only a cost
savings to the state, but also a relief from pain and suffering
by many. He reiterated that the vitamin D aspect was one of
many the Advisory Committee on Wellness might consider.
9:06:19 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER said a positive approach is a good one,
and he does not know anyone who is against vitamin D or
wellness.
9:06:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report HB 356, as amended, out of
committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying
fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 356(STA) was
reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.
9:07:32 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 9:07 a.m. to 9:08 a.m.
9:08:29 AM
SJR 26-PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
9:08:32 AM
CHAIR LYNN announced that the final order of business was SENATE
JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 26, Recognizing June 14, 2014, as the 60th
anniversary of the first recital of the United States Pledge of
Allegiance with the words "under God."
9:08:51 AM
RYNNIEVA MOSS, Staff, Senator John Coghill, Alaska State
Legislature, presented SJR 26 on behalf of Senator Coghill,
prime sponsor. She said earlier in 2014, 30 other states passed
resolutions that recognized February 10 as the sixtieth
anniversary of the introduction of House Joint Resolution 243,
which added the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance.
Under SJR 26, Alaska would recognize June 14, 2014, as the
sixtieth anniversary of the first recital of the Pledge of
Allegiance. She noted that June 14 is Flag Day in the United
States.
MS. MOSS relayed that the original Pledge of Allegiance was
written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a minister, whom she said
"used the pledge as a symbol to all nations to pledge allegiance
to their flags as individual countries." She said by 1923, the
U.S. had been through World War I, and "they wanted to make the
pledge more near and dear to Americans," so the American Legion
and the Daughters of the American Revolution had the Pledge of
Allegiance changed to include "one nation."
MS. MOSS stated that in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower
attended a church where he heard Reverend George M. Docherty
give a sermon about the pledge, during which the reverend
pointed to Lincoln's repeated use of the phrase "under God," in
the Gettysburg Address. She said Reverend Docherty was
"pressing to see what was missing in this country during a time
when ... 8 million people had already been killed under
Communism." She referred to the penultimate sentence of the
sermon, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
In this land, there is "neither Jew nor Greek,
neither bond nor free, neither male nor female", for
we are one nation indivisible under God, and humbly as
God has given us the light we seek liberty and justice
for all.
MS. MOSS said the sermon inspired President Eisenhower to meet
with Senator Homer S. Ferguson and Representative Charles G.
Oakman, who introduced resolutions to the Senate and House,
respectively, proposing to add "under God" to the Pledge of
Allegiance.
9:12:23 AM
MS. MOSS indicated that the history of the Pledge of Allegiance
does not give "the human touch to reciting the pledge." She
continued as follows:
Recognizing the history of the pledge reminds us that
it has a deep, independent meaning for each and every
one of us. It's not a mundane verse that we have
memorized because we've recited it every day in
school. It reminds us that we live in a country that
doesn't persecute us, because we pledged to preserve
the God-given, inherent rights this country was
founded in. It reminds us that we are a government of
50 individual states who are united as a nation of
free people. It reminds us that this flag, Old Glory,
has [been] carried through battlefields, and blood has
been shed by millions to protect the freedom that we
have to speak our minds and disagree with each other,
without the threat of retaliation. It reminds us that
people from all over the world come to our country at
a risk to live the American dream.
When I stand in the gallery at the Senate Chambers and
recite the Pledge of Allegiance, with a room full of
citizens and the Senators, what I hear is group of
Americans, united, ... indivisible in preserving this
Republic and the God-given rights our Forefathers
strived to preserve. This resolution is yet one
reminder that we are Americans united as one nation,
under God.
MS. MOSS said the words, "under God," were added on June 14,
1954, during the Cold War, as a way to distinguish the United
States from communism. On that day, President Eisenhower signed
the change into law and declared, "From this day forward, the
millions of our school children will daily proclaim, in every
city and town, every village and rural school house, the
dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty. To
anyone who truly loves America, nothing could be more inspiring
than to contemplate this rededication of our youth on each
school morning to our country's true meaning."
MS. MOSS imparted that as a teenager in the 1960s, she heard a
comment made by comedian Red Skelton, regarding the addition of
the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. [The words,
as follows, are from the committee handout, original punctuation
provided]:
Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to
our country and two words have been added to the
Pledge of Allegiance; "under God". Wouldn't it be a
pity if someone said that is a prayer and be
eliminated from school.
MS. MOSS said currently there is a court case challenging the
use of "under God" as a prayer. She said the court decision
will be made "any day." She said the proposed resolution is
being used by states all across the country "to preserve history
so that courts can't change history."
9:15:53 AM
CHAIR LYNN stated that the Pledge of Allegiance and the
invocation [given on the House floor] are the most comforting
parts of his day. He talked about being reminded of "why we are
here." He opined, "The whole process is all messed up, but it's
the best in the world; the best we'll ever have." He stated
support for SJR 26. He mention the former way of pledging
allegiance by holding one hand up and forward, followed by the
current method of holding the hand over the heart [depicted in
the committee packet].
9:17:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON expressed thanks for the booklet that
includes all the information of the committee packet, and he
questioned whether it could be made available to those who would
like a copy. He indicated that some of the history might be
found on line under procon.org. He mentioned the recent
lawsuits against including "under God" in the Pledge of
Allegiance. He said he appreciated remarks by President Ronald
Reagan encouraging every Native born United States citizen to
attend an immigration ceremony or speak to those immigrants who
have become a citizen by choice, because doing so would renew
the country's desire to preserve peace for another 200 years.
Representative Isaacson said he has had the opportunity to
witness the moment when people have abandoned one citizenship to
become a citizen of the U.S. He said doing so may seem crazy to
most, but some are seeking a better life and see the U.S. as a
better place. He said it has helped him question why he should
ever become complacent about his own citizenship. He opined
that the proposed legislation helps people remember the
importance of the Pledge of Allegiance as a means of remembering
those who have given their lives to protect the U.S.
9:20:20 AM
CHAIR LYNN acknowledged Representative Isaacson's statement. He
said his second child married a woman from China, and it took
her five years to get her citizenship, and he said he was
honored to be present at her citizenship ceremony, which he
described as "uplifting."
9:21:07 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER said yesterday he gave the invocation on
the House floor. He expressed his appreciation to the bill
sponsor for bringing SJR 26 forward. He stated that the concept
of "under God" goes back to the country's beginning. He said
the Declaration of Independence refers to people being created
equal, a creator endowing us with individual rights, and a
supreme judge of the world. He said the signers of the
Declaration of Independence were at risk for becoming criminals,
but firmly relied on divine providence. He explained that he
wanted the record to reflect that reference to God was part of
the foundation of the U.S. and "is consistent throughout."
9:22:52 AM
CHAIR LYNN directed attention to a "whereas" clause on page 2,
lines 15-16, which read as follows:
WHEREAS it is the policy of the legislature to
recognize and honor important dates that strengthen
the ties of history and bind us to our Christian
heritage;
CHAIR LYNN said he would like to see "Christian" changed to
"Judeo-Christian", because the Bible is split into the Old
Testament, which is Jewish, and the New Testament, which is
Christian. He asked if the prime sponsor would object to that
change.
9:23:56 AM
MS. MOSS offered her understanding that the prime sponsor would
strongly oppose such an amendment, because he feels strongly
that the United States was established under Christian
principles and, thus, the language should reflect that.
CHAIR LYNN asked for comments from the committee.
9:24:21 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER stated that he would like to "honor the
perspective of the sponsor."
9:24:34 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON said he appreciates the comment from
Chair Lynn about including Judaism. He continued as follows:
Definitely, the heritage of Christianity flows from
the ... similar belief of the one true God, almighty
God, creator of heaven and earth, which was affirmed
in Jewish tradition. But it was even before the Jews,
Adam had that personal relationship, so you could say
it's a biblical faith, of which Christianity is
definitely the proud banner carrier of that ... faith.
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON opined that honoring the wishes of the
prime sponsor would still incorporate the rich heritage that
Chair Lynn mentioned.
9:25:29 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES said, "To me, Judeo-Christian encompasses
Christian, as well." She asked if there had been a conversation
with the prime sponsor, in which he had specifically said he did
not want to use the term.
MS. MOSS answered that there had been several discussions to
broadening the language, even to include Muslim. She said, "He
feels very strongly that ... he doesn't want this to be the
slippery slope; he wants it to be a Christian heritage."
9:26:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER stated that the government, with its
checks and balances reflects the Christian heritage more than
Judaism. He referred to a famous painting of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence, and said, "No doubt, it was a group
of Christian folks that were there." He stated that the
influence of Christianity on the government system is "profound
and deep." He reiterated that he concurs with keeping the
language in the proposed joint resolution as is.
9:27:07 AM
CHAIR LYNN responded, "Of course, we're not talking about the
people who landed here; we're talking about the heritage."
9:27:30 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTIS stated that while she can appreciate the
conversation, her concern is that "we'll get into something that
is not what the bill sponsor really wanted to celebrate in these
60 years."
9:28:14 AM
CHAIR LYNN restated his preference for the use of "Judeo-
Christian," but acknowledged that he was outnumbered; therefore,
he said would not offer an amendment.
MS. MOSS said she would pass that information on to the prime
sponsor.
9:28:45 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report SJR 26 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, SJR 26 was reported out of the
House State Affairs Standing Committee.
9:29:30 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
State Affairs Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 9:29
a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 01 SJR 26 Resolution.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SJR 26 |
| 02 SJR 26 - Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SJR 26 |
| 03 SJR 26 - Supporting Document.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SJR 26 |
| 04 SJR 26 - Fiscal Note.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SJR 26 |
| 01 HB0356A.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 02 HB356 sponsor statement.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 03 HB356 Background Materials.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 04 HB356 Mayo Clinic vitamin D for health a global perspective.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 05 HB356 Cost Savings per year with vitamin D.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 06 HB356 Support KPBSD.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 07 HB356-DOA-DRB-03-14-14.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 01 SB 206 STA CS Version C.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SB 206 |
| 02 SB 206 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SB 206 |
| 03 CS SB 206 Sectional.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SB 206 |
| 04 CS SB 206 explanation of amendments.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SB 206 |
| 05 Fiscal Note CSSB206.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SB 206 |