HB 90-TESTING NEWBORNS FOR VITAMIN D  3:16:43 PM CHAIR HIGGINS announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 90, "An Act establishing a temporary program in the Department of Health and Social Services for testing newborns for baseline vitamin D levels." [In front of the committee was the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 90, labeled 28-LS0376\O, Mischel, 2/4/14, adopted as the working draft on February 6, 2014.] REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 90, labeled 28-LS0376\Y, Mischel, 3/31/14, as the working draft. There being no objection, it was so ordered. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON, as the sponsor of the bill, explained the changes to Version Y, reporting that these changes were made in response to suggestions from the House Health and Social Services Standing Committee. He noted that the original proposal had been for statewide universal testing for one year with an opt out option, and that the research did not direct any immediate benefit for the newborns or the mothers. He explained that Version Y would make this a two year pilot project for 500 volunteer pregnant women. He was discussing involvement with various providers to become the coordinating local entity and to provide program analysis and data for the participants benefit. He reported that this would become a project based on the application of medical science to collect the information on pregnancies in Alaska and to provide medical benefits for mothers and newborns. He pointed out that a similar project in South Carolina had reduced the pre-term births to 7 percent, which would equate to a reduction of 25 pre-term births in Alaska and a savings of $1.3 million. He shared that the state would have a maximum match with the partners of 20 percent, about $100,000. He referred to the Protect Our Children Now program description and cost schedule. [Included in members' packets] He stated that this would move the population forward in prevention of unintended pregnancy outcomes. He asked that the committee move the bill forward. 3:23:08 PM CHAIR HIGGINS asked for clarification that the end goal for the program was for documentation proving that Vitamin D does what Representative Seaton had presented, and to encourage its use. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON expressed his agreement, reiterating that this was a voluntary demonstration project and that, should the results support it, the medical community would encourage the use of Vitamin D. CHAIR HIGGINS asked about the study in Australia. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON clarified that the proposed program, Protect Our Children Now, was based on a South Carolina study. He opined that the program could lower pre-term births in Alaska. 3:25:37 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON, in response to Chair Higgins, said that the South Carolina study had been conducted since 2004, and had begun as a research project. He said that the proposed program for Alaska was an outgrowth of this project. CHAIR HIGGINS reflected on a recent seminar he had attended which discussed studies and research. He offered an anecdote claiming that a two year study was useless and needed to be drawn out over a much longer period, and that the performance of the studies often made the research useless. He pointed out that the proposed bill was for a two-year study, yet he opined that it was necessary for a longer research project to fully understand the data. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON expressed his agreement. He pointed out that the aforementioned had been a research study, while this was a project based on that research. He noted that pregnancy outcomes were recognized in 9 months, and it would require about 500 pregnancies for enough data to review the pre-term birth rate. He declared that the proposed bill was for a project based on scientific research, and although it would offer more data, was not a research project. 3:30:17 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON pointed out that the fiscal note from Department of Health and Social Services was higher than permitted by the proposed bill, and he relayed that there was a search for a different partner to do this more economically. He mentioned partners in other states performing this program for much less than the attached fiscal note proposed. He shared that the proposed bill would show a willingness by the State of Alaska to participate in the improvement of the health of pregnant women and infants. He reiterated that this was a pilot project, implementing earlier research findings from other studies. 3:31:19 PM REPRESENTATIVE TARR referred to other screenings, and asked if any of them would be willing to incorporate questions about Vitamin D use. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON replied that this would be part of the nutritional and screening information compiled from those who volunteered to be in the program. He clarified that the project was not designed for a questionnaire, but would focus on better outcomes and healthier mothers and newborns. The proposed bill would show that the state would be willing to participate as a minor partner. 3:33:37 PM CHAIR HIGGINS stated that public testimony was still open. 3:33:55 PM STEPHANIE WRIGHTSMAN-BIRCH, Chief, Women, Children & Family Health, Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services, stated appreciation for the changes to Version Y, especially as it included treatment and public information after the data had been collected. She expressed concerns with the content of the bill as it pointed toward conducting an experimentally designed research study which would be the responsibility of the Division of Public Health to carry forward. She stated that this was not a core function of Division of Public Health. She acknowledged that participation was voluntary, although she opined that all research was voluntary. She stated that a longer time was necessary to collect the data. She declared that DHSS was very sensitive to requiring Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals. She noted that there were rigorous study design elements and national standards that needed to be adhered. She noted that the proposed fiscal note included state personnel time for administration, and even if the intent was for a contractor and a grantee, it was the responsibility of the Division of Public Health to oversee the study design and protocol, and to conduct a secondary review of the data. She declared that there were costs included for this. Once the data was collected and analyzed, it had to be compared with prior research and recommendations. She declared a challenge to be the lack of acceptable standard recommendations or guidelines for Vitamin D levels on newborns or pregnant women. She acknowledged a difference of opinion between the Vitamin D literature and the recommendations for its use by organizations to which public health officials were bound to follow. 3:39:09 PM CHAIR HIGGINS closed public testimony and took a brief at-ease. 3:39:45 PM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 90, labeled 28-LS0376\Y, Mischel, 3/31/14, out of committee with individual recommendations and the attached fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 90(HSS) was moved from the House Health and Social Services Standing Committee. 3:39:58 PM The committee took a brief at-ease. 3:42:11 PM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Health and Social Services Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 3:42 p.m.