SCR 8 - LONG-TERM CARE TASK FORCE OF 1999 Number 0034 CO-CHAIRMAN COGHILL announced the first order of business as Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8, Creating the Long-Term Care Task Force of 1999. SENATOR GARY WILKEN, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor, came forward to present SCR 8. He explained that last year the Long-Term Care Task Force met and came up with 31 recommendations, and today the governor signed the vulnerable adult legislation and the licensing legislation. They would like to reconstitute the Long-Term Care Task Force and give some means to the legislature, the administration and the public to continue the momentum that has addressed long-term care. Long-term care is going to overwhelm the next generation, and Alaska should be as prepared as they can be. There is a $15,000 fiscal note, but that will be taken care of by the reappropriations in the capital budget, so there will be no general fund money for this. SENATOR WILKEN said he doesn't expect to spend that much; last year they had $20,700 appropriated for the Long-Term Care Task Force, and they had $15,791 left over. They did that effort with $5,000. He asked the committee to consider and approve SCR 8. He expects the task force to meet once or twice. Number 0294 CO-CHAIRMAN DYSON told Senator Wilken that the House Health, Education and Social Services (HES) Committee will meeting over the interim, and he asked Senator Wilken to notify him of the task force meetings. The committee would enjoy being able to observe the process and maybe participate. SENATOR WILKEN indicated that when this passes he intends to ask someone from the HES committee to serve as one of the legislators on the task force. Number 0346 CO-CHAIRMAN DYSON noted that they are not finished dealing with the existing problems for seniors. Number 0382 REPRESENTATIVE GREEN expressed his appreciation to Senator Wilken for a masterful piece of work. SENATOR WILKEN thanked him for his comments and as much as he would like to take credit, all he claims is being able to hire really great staff. Sheila Peterson did 90 percent of that work. Number 0446 REPRESENTATIVE GREEN made a motion to move SCR 8 from committee but then withdrew it to hear further testimony. Number 0499 PEGGY MULLIGAN, Capital City Task Force, American Association of Retired Persons, came forward to testify. She commended Senator Wilken for an excellent report done on short notice. She left a copy of the association's position on long-term care with the committee. Number 0570 MARIE DARLIN, National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE), came forward to testify. She informed the committee that at their recent convention they passed a resolution supporting SCR 8. They urged the committee to continue the good work the task force had done. There are several organizations that are looking at this report as something that they can be helpful in working on to further some of these concerns and needs and getting more information out. There are a lot of people waiting for the next step, and she urged them to pass SCR 8. Number 0659 REPRESENTATIVE GREEN made a motion to move SCR 8 from the committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note. There being no objection, SCR 8 moved from the House Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.