HB 17-CONTRACEPTIVES COVERAGE:INSURE;MED ASSIST  3:34:13 PM CHAIR WILSON announced the consideration of CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 17(HSS) am(efd fld) "An Act relating to insurance coverage for contraceptives and related services; and relating to medical assistance coverage for contraceptives and related services." CHAIR WILSON stated SB 27 was the companion bill to HB 17. 3:35:09 PM REPRESENTATIVE ASHLEY CARRICK, District 35, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of HB 17 said she would provide an overview of HB 17 as it is the companion bill to SB 27 which the committee had already heard. She reiterated that HB 17 is an insurance bill mandating coverage for up to 12 months of prescription contraceptives to be dispensed at one time. She clarified that providers can already prescribe a 12-month supply, and HB 17 preserves the provider's prerogative to make that decision. The bill aims to address access issues at the pharmacy counter by ensuring insurance coverage for prescriptions already issued by providers. She emphasized that the legislation helps reduce unintended pregnancies and supports responsible family planning. 3:36:50 PM CHERIE BOWMAN, Staff, Representative Ashley Carrick, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, Provided a summary of changes for HB 17 version A to B: [Original punctuation provided.] House Bill 17  Summary of Changes Version A to Version B  "An Act relating to insurance coverage for contraceptives and related services; relating to medical assistance coverage for contraceptives and related services; and providing for an effective date." Page 1, line 10 Following "contraceptives;", inserts "and". Page 1, lines 11-14  Deletes Section 1(a)(B): "emergency contraception, including over-the-counter 12 emergency contraception, approved by the United States Food and Drug 13 Administration; the insurer may not require a prescription for coverage of 14 over-the-counter emergency contraception under this subparagraph; and" and reletters the following subparagraph accordingly. Page 7, line 2 Following "dispensing;", inserts "and". Page 7, lines 3-6 Deletes Section 6(c)(2): "emergency contraception, including over-the-counter emergency contraception, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration; the department may not require a prescription for coverage of over-the-counter emergency contraception under this paragraph; and" and renumbers the following paragraph accordingly. 3:37:43 PM At ease 3:38:27 PM CHAIR WILSON reconvened the meeting. 3:38:31 PM MS. BOWMAN said she would discuss the explanation of changes for HB 17 from version B.A to U. 3:38:42 PM At ease 3:38:52 PM CHAIR WILSON reconvened the meeting and opened public testimony on HB 17. 3:39:23 PM SONIA KUMAR, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of HB 17. She shared her experience as a former seasonal worker in remote national wildlife refuges, often relocating every three to six months. She stated that having access to a full year of birth control during fieldwork would have been immensely helpful, as remote locations often lack access to doctors or pharmacies. Missing a month of birth control disrupted her hormones and posed challenges. She emphasized that many seasonal and remote workers in Alaska, especially during summer, would greatly benefit from the ability to obtain a full year's supply of birth control. 3:40:17 PM ROSE TITUS, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of HB 17. She emphasized the importance of HB 17, particularly for Alaska's rural villages, where regular medical care and mail delivery can be unreliable, sometimes delayed for weeks due to weather. She noted that consistent access to medications is crucial to avoid potential side effects caused by gaps in availability. She highlighted that even in cities, pharmacy stocking issues complicate access to medications, with delays lasting days, weeks, or months, and unexpected pharmacy closures adding to the challenges. She stated that this legislation could improve patient care statewide. 3:41:54 PM CHAIR WILSON closed public testimony on HB 17. 3:42:01 PM CHAIR WILSON solicited a motion. 3:42:05 PM CHAIR TOBIN moved to adopt the senate committee substitute (SCS) for CSHB 17(HSS) am(efd fld), work order 33-LS0222\U, as the working document. 3:42:17 PM CHAIR WILSON objected for purposes of discussion. 3:42:24 PM MS. BOWMAN provided the explanation of changes for HB 17, version B.A to U: SCS CS HB 17 (HHS): CONTRACEPTIVES COVERAGE: INSURE; MED. ASSIST  EXPLANATION OF CHANGES  Version B.A to Version U  The Senate Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for House Bill 17, version U, makes the following changes: • On page 3, lines 19 - 26, under newly added Section 2, version B.A. added language to clarify religious exemptions. On page 3, lines 14-21, the CS includes this language under Section 1 and removes the reference to "a person's health care" and focuses the legislation on health care insurance coverage regarding contraceptive methods. This change was requested by the bill's sponsor. MS. BOWMAN stated the change was made due to a legal memorandum that Representative Carrick's Office received, which was distributed to committee members. 3:43:13 PM At ease 3:45:18 PM CHAIR WILSON reconvened the meeting and stated Senator Giessel arrived. 3:45:30 PM MS. BOWMAN continued her summary of changes HB 17, version B.A to U and referring to the first change added that legal guidance believed the original provision was too broad. The next two changes were requested by the Department of Health: • On page 7, lines 22, 25, 29, 31, under Section 8, regarding the conditional effective date, the CS removes the references to Section 6 and replaces them with the correct references to Section 7. • On page 7, line 26, the CS changes the conditional effective date from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026. 3:46:47 PM SENATOR GIESSEL stated that on HB 17, version U, page 7, still references Section 6 under conditional affects three times. She found reference to Section 7. She asked if she was missing something. 3:47:54 PM REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked for clarification on which page and section Senator Giessel was referencing. 3:48:00 PM SENATOR GIESSEL stated she found the reason for her confusion. 3:48:08 PM SENATOR DUNBAR stated his belief that Senator Giessel was correct, and an error existed. He moved on and asked for clarification on the changes made to HB 17 from version A to B in simpler terms. He noted the removal of emergency contraception and inquired if that was the most significant substantive change. 3:48:57 PM REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK replied yes, that in layman's terms HB 17, version U, removed emergency contraception language. On the floor of the House an adopted amendment added religious exemption provisions, which is reflected in version B.A. After speaking with legislative legal version B.A was broader in intent than religious exemptions for employers or insurers based on contraceptive method. The language passed on the floor was broad enough to cover all healthcare coverage. Therefore, the language was tightened to reflect the correct intent. REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK clarified that religious exemption language already exists at the federal level. She explained that the additional state-level language was intended to ensure alignment and duplicity should federal provisions change. She noted that legislative legal staff worked to maintain the spirit and intent of the amendment adopted on the floor without broadening its original purpose. 3:50:43 PM SENATOR DUNBAR stated that the substantive changes between HB 17, version A to B, included the removal of emergency contraception, and between version B to U, the refinement of the religious exemption. He noted that other changes were technical, leaving version U largely unchanged from the version previously reviewed by the committee. He asked if this assessment was accurate. REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK replied that is correct. The other changes were requested by the Department of Health. 3:51:18 PM CHAIR WILSON stated he would bring another committee substitute before the committee after drafting corrections are made by the legal department. 3:51:46 PM REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK opined that drafting was correct and her office would make corrections to the summary of changes. CHAIR WILSON said they could review the issue. 3:52:02 PM CHAIR WILSON removed his objection. 3:52:10 PM CHAIR WILSON found no further objection and SCS CSHB 17(HSS) am(efd fld) was adopted as the working document. 3:52:22 PM CHAIR WILSON held SCS CSHB 17(HSS) am(efd fld), as amended in committee. 3:53:09 PM REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK thanked the committee for hearing HB 17.