HCR 26 - PUBLIC INEBRIATE TASK FORCE Number 1050 TOM WRIGHT, Legislative Assistant to Representative Ivan Ivan presented the sponsor statement for HCR 26. He said Representative Ivan introduced this resolution because of a growing problem in Alaska that will undoubtedly need to be addressed by future legislatures. The resolution establishes a task force to develop and recommend to the legislature a plan for treatment and services for intoxicated persons and persons incapacitated by alcohol who are affected by Title 47. As many are aware, under AS 47.37.170, local police take into protective custody a person who appears to be intoxicated and incapacitated in a public place and place that person in an approved public treatment or detention facility. A licensed physician or other qualified health practitioner must then examine the inebriate as soon as possible. If the person is found to be incapacitated by alcohol or drugs, he or she is detained for no more than 48 hours in a health facility or for no more than 12 hours in a detention facility. Treatment costs, of course, accrue to municipalities and public health facilities due to this program. However, the costs, all affected programs, and other aspects of the Title 47 equation are unknown or sketchy at best. He said that's why Representative Ivan believes it is necessary to form a task force and look into this problem from all angles. Those who are listed as participants have a vested interest in finding a resolution and Representative Ivan believes they will be instrumental in tackling this problem. Number 1137 REPRESENTATIVE BRICE referred to page 3, line 1, and noted that the task force would include a member of the Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. He questioned why the Advisory Council wasn't undertaking this project instead of establishing a task force. MR. WRIGHT said he couldn't respond on behalf of the Advisory Council. He pointed out there have been a number of task forces in the past which have touched on this issue, but no one had really gotten a firm grasp on the whole problem. REPRESENTATIVE ROBINSON asked if Mr. Wright was aware of any task force in the past that had specifically looked into this issue. MR. WRIGHT responded he was not aware of any. He noted the Department of Health & Social Services had requested, with the sponsor's concurrence, that an official of the department be included on the task force rather than a member of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. REPRESENTATIVE ROBINSON noted the proposed task force would consist of 17 members and said she had always favored a smaller number of members. She acknowledged that the sponsor was trying to bring in all the affected parties, but it increases the cost. Her concern is the end result will be similar to a commission that was established last year whereby little or no action was taken on the commission's recommendations. She questioned why the division wasn't undertaking the task set out in the resolution. MR. WRIGHT replied the Advisory Council or division would need to speak to that issue. He said Representative Ivan was trying to include the agencies affected by this. He referred to testimony given on another bill regarding reimbursement to municipalities for public inebriate costs, and said every time one step is taken, it appears there are three or four other steps that need to be looked at. He admitted it was a large task force, but it was Representative Ivan's hope to get as much of the problem addressed as possible from all the different angles. Number 1375 ELMER LINDSTROM, Special Assistant, Office of the Commissioner, Department of Health & Social Services, testified the department would request consideration of an amendment on page 3, lines 4 and 5, to simply specify a member from the Department of Health & Social Services rather than a member of the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse within the Department of Health & Social Services. Commissioner Perdue had alluded that she may wish to participate. In any event, he assured the full cooperation of the staff from the division. Mr. Lindstrom did not believe there had ever been a task force or a working group within the department who had looked specifically at this issue, but as Mr. Wright had indicated there had been a number of task forces and commissions that have addressed one or more aspects of this issue. He believed currently there is a Municipality of Anchorage task force looking at this issue. The department had worked with them, but Mr. Lindstrom had not seen a final report or recommendations from that group. He said the issue of involuntary commitment had come to the department's attention, which ultimately resulted in legislation sponsored by Representative Ivan. Mr. Lindstrom said the department had been working with the board and the sponsor and that is the one discreet piece of the problem the department feels they would like to move forward with. However, the department is sure there will be other issues that would come forward from the proposed task force. CO-CHAIR BUNDE stated HCR 26 would be held in committee to allow time for the Department of Health & Social Services to address the amendment with the sponsor. MR. LINDSTROM addressed the concern about the size of the task force, and said it was a real concern but he knew that each and everyone of the groups did have a legitimate interest and involvement in this issue. REPRESENTATIVE ROBINSON said reducing the size of the task force may not save a lot of money, recognizing that all these groups need to be involved. She asked if it was possible to involve them through the teleconferencing system rather than having to bring 17 people together at a specific location. Number 1647 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS referenced HB 523 which just passed out of the House HESS Committee, cited the policy in the first "Whereas" in the resolution, and suggested that language be incorporated in HCR 26.