HB  70-EMERGENCY MED SVCS; OPERATIONAL CANINES                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:31:17 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR  announced the  consideration of  CS FOR  HOUSE BILL                                                               
NO. 70(L&C)  am "An  Act relating  to emergency  medical services                                                               
for  operational canines;  relating  to the  powers, duties,  and                                                               
liability of  emergency medical technicians and  mobile intensive                                                               
care  paramedics;   relating  to   the  practice   of  veterinary                                                               
medicine; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:32:04 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE   CALVIN  SCHRAGE,   District  12,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau,  Alaska,  sponsor  of  HB  70  thanked  the                                                               
committee for  hearing the  bill and for  the amendment  that was                                                               
submitted.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:32:33 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES thanked  the sponsor and expressed  support for HB                                                               
70.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:32:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR solicited a motion.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:32:52 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GIESSEL  moved to  adopt  Amendment  1, work  order  34-                                                               
LS0245\G.A.1.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                                               34-LS0245\G.A.1                                                                  
                                                      Gunther                                                                   
                                                       5/8/25                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                       A M E N D M E N T                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     OFFERED IN THE SENATE              BY SENATOR ____________                                                                 
         TO:  CSHB 70(L&C) am                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 3, following "medicine;":                                                                                   
          Insert   "relating    to   civil    liability   of                                                                  
     veterinarians;"                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, following line 3:                                                                                                  
          Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                    
       "* Sec. 2. AS 09.65.097 is amended by adding a new                                                                   
     subsection to read:                                                                                                        
           (c)  A veterinarian licensed in this jurisdiction                                                                    
        who  in  good  faith  receives the  transfer  of  an                                                                    
        operational  canine  under  AS 18.08.093(b)  is  not                                                                    
        liable for  civil damages as  a result of an  act or                                                                    
        omission  of  the  emergency medical  technician  or                                                                    
        mobile intensive care  paramedic who transferred the                                                                    
        operational canine to the veterinarian."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:33:04 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:33:12 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL  stated Amendment 1 was  offered in collaboration                                                               
with  Representative  Schrage.  She  stated she  would  read  the                                                               
Amendment for  public awareness.  After reading Amendment  1, she                                                               
stated she  understands the concern  about liability on  the part                                                               
of licensed health care professionals  and provided an example of                                                               
the need for civil liability protection.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:34:38 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE stated  the Amendment 1 was  the result of                                                               
concerns  heard from  constituents about  unintended consequences                                                               
of  HB 70.  The amendment  was done  in collaboration  to address                                                               
concerns.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:35:01 PM                                                                                                                    
JEREMY  HOUSTON,  Staff,  Representative Calvin  Schrage,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska,  provided insight on Amendment                                                               
1.  He  stated  language  for   Amendment  1  came  from  similar                                                               
legislation passed in Ohio.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:35:29 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR CLAMAN stated he has been  on the defense side of medical                                                               
malpractice cases and therefore applauds Amendment 1.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:35:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR  removed his objection;  found no  further objection                                                               
and Amendment 1 (G.A.1) was adopted.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:36:06 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR solicited the will of the committee.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:36:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL moved to report CSHB 70(L&C)am, work order 34-                                                                  
LS0245\G.A., as amended, from committee with individual                                                                         
recommendations and attached zero fiscal note(s).                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:36:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR found no objection and SCS CSHB 70(HSS) was                                                                        
reported from the Senate Health and Social Services Standing                                                                    
Committee.