HB 214 MEDICAL RECORDS IN ELECTRONIC FORM                          
                                                                               
 Number 002                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN GREEN called the Senate Health, Education and Social                 
 Services (HESS) Committee to order at 9:02 a.m. and introduced                
 HB 214  as the first order of business.                                       
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE GARY DAVIS, prime sponsor, explained that HB 214 is            
 an act relating to the maintenance of health care providers by                
 health care providers keeping medical records in an electronic                
 format.  He informed the committee that electronic medical records            
 are legally accepted in lieu of records on paper.  Hospitals and              
 nursing homes are moving towards paperless offices in an attempt to           
 promote efficiency.  Representative Davis explained that some                 
 providers hesitate to implement the electronic retention and                  
 maintenance of medical records without a hard copy backup due to              
 the lack of explicit legal authority.  Currently, statute does not            
 prohibit or permit medical records being kept electronically.  He             
 indicated that Legislative Legal Services had noted a similar                 
 concern.  HB 214 would clarify the medical records statute.                   
                                                                               
 GARREY PESKA, representing the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing              
 Home Association, supported HB 214.                                           
                                                                               
 SENATOR LEMAN moved that HB 214 am be reported out of committee               
 with individual recommendations.  Hearing no objection, it was so             
 ordered.