02/20/2013 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
      SENATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                    
                       February 20, 2013                                                                                        
                           1:30 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Bert Stedman, Chair                                                                                                     
Senator Peter Micciche, Vice Chair                                                                                              
Senator Kevin Meyer                                                                                                             
Senator Pete Kelly                                                                                                              
Senator Johnny Ellis                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
None                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 88(HSS)                                                                                 
"An Act changing the terms 'mental retardation' and 'mentally                                                                   
retarded,' and making conforming changes, in Alaska Statutes."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED CSHB 88(HSS) OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB  88                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: STATUTORY REFS TO MENTAL RETARDATION                                                                               
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) MILLETT                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
01/28/13       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        

01/28/13       (H)       HSS                                                                                                    
02/05/13       (H)       HSS AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
02/05/13       (H)       Moved CSHB  88(HSS) Out of Committee                                                                   
02/05/13       (H)       MINUTE(HSS)                                                                                            
02/08/13       (H)       HSS RPT CS(HSS) 7DP                                                                                    
02/08/13       (H)       DP: SEATON, REINBOLD, PRUITT, KELLER,                                                                  
                         NAGEAK, TARR, HIGGINS                                                                                  
02/08/13       (H)       TRANSMITTED TO (S)                                                                                     
02/08/13       (H)       VERSION: CSHB 88(HSS)                                                                                  
02/11/13       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/11/13       (S)       HSS                                                                                                    
02/20/13       (S)       HSS AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CHARISSE MILLETT                                                                                                 
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HB 88.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:30:36 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BERT STEDMAN  called the Senate Health  and Social Services                                                             
Standing Committee meeting  to order at 1:30 p.m.  Present at the                                                               
call to  order were Senators  Micciche, Kelly, Meyer,  Ellis, and                                                               
Chair Stedman.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
           HB 88-STATUTORY REFS TO MENTAL RETARDATION                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:30:45 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEDMAN  announced that the  first order of  business would                                                               
be  HB 88,  statutory  references to  mental health  retardation,                                                               
sponsored  by Representative  Charisse Millett.  He noted  it was                                                               
the first  hearing on  the bill,  but the  second hearing  on the                                                               
subject.  [CSHB 88(HSS)  was before  the committee.]  On February                                                               
11,  the  committee  heard  the Senate  companion  bill,  SB  39,                                                               
sponsored by  Senator Kevin Meyer.  At the meeting  the committee                                                               
adopted a  CS which is identical  to the version of  HB 88 before                                                               
the committee  today. He  stated the  committee's intent  to have                                                               
the sponsor  introduce the  bill and  then heed  the will  of the                                                               
committee. He said there would be no further public testimony.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:31:45 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  KELLY moved  to  adopt  CSHB 88(HSS)  and  there was  no                                                               
objection.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CHARISSE MILLETT, sponsor  of HB 88 introduced the                                                               
bill.  She explained  that  the  bill is  a  statutory change  in                                                               
language  only.  Every  reference   to  "mental  retardation"  is                                                               
removed   from  statute   and  replaced   by  "intellectual   and                                                               
developmental   disabilities."   She    reported   that   "mental                                                               
retardation" has become a derogatory term.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
She  said, at  this  time,  40 states  have  changed language  to                                                               
reflect this  change, as has  the federal government.  She called                                                               
the  bill a  "people first"  bill, making  sure that  language is                                                               
respectful.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STEDMAN  noted  four  zero  fiscal  notes;  two  from  the                                                               
Department  of   Health  and  Social   Services,  one   from  the                                                               
Department of  Commerce, Community and Economic  Development, and                                                               
one from the Department of Education and Early Development.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KELLY moved  to report  CSHB 88(HSS),  out of  committee                                                               
with individual  recommendations and attached zero  fiscal notes.                                                               
There  being no  objection, CSHB  88(HSS) was  reported from  the                                                               
Senate Health and Social Services Standing Committee.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:34:25 PM                                                                                                                    
There being  no further  business to  come before  the committee,                                                               
Chair  Stedman adjourned  the Senate  Health and  Social Services                                                               
Standing Committee at 1:34 p.m.