HB 540 HEALTH CARE DATA; BIRTH REGISTRATIONS                        
                                                                               
 Number 002                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN GREEN called the Senate Health, Education and Social                 
 Services (HESS) Committee to order at 9:05 a.m. and introduced                
 HB 540  as the first order of business before the committee.                  
                                                                               
 ELMER LINDSTROM, Special Assistant in the Department of Health &              
 Social Services (DHSS), explained that HB 540 will accomplish                 
 changes in law necessary to ensure that DHSS has access to                    
 information regarding diseases and conditions of public health                
 significance that are essential to disease surveillance, control,             
 and prevention activities.  Civil immunity will be established for            
 providers who comply with the requirements to report health care              
 data.  This will also assure DHSS access to health records needed             
 to carry out its mandates and conduct research for the purposes of            
 protecting and promoting public health.  These provisions are                 
 required to continue eligibility for the federal grant of $420,000            
 per year which supports a registry of cancer occurrences in the               
 state.  Cancer has become the leading cause of death.  HB 540 will            
 activate changes needed to implement the electronic birth                     
 certificate system and clarify rules for filing and registering               
 births occurring en route to Alaska.  This system will reduce                 
 filing time from seven to five days in order to comply with                   
 requirements of the National Center for Health Statistics.   Mr.              
 Lindstrom noted that Dr. Middaugh and Mr. Zangri were on-line.                
                                                                               
 GARREY PESKA, Hospital & Nursing Home Association, supported                  
 HB 540.                                                                       
                                                                               
 Number 060                                                                    
                                                                               
 AL ZANGRI, Bureau of Vital Statistics in DHSS, said that the bureau           
 considers HB 540 to be a housekeeping measure that will clarify               
 those areas that Mr. Lindstrom mentioned.  Mr. Zangri noted that              
 DHSS has already saved a considerable amount of money on the                  
 electronic birth certificate system and will implement procedures             
 that will save money for hospitals that will no longer prepare                
 paper certificates to be mailed in to DHSS.                                   
 CHAIRMAN GREEN said that the committee intended to move HB 540 from           
 committee.  Unless there is opposing testimony, the committee would           
 proceed with that.                                                            
                                                                               
 DR. JOHN MIDDAUGH, Epidemiology Section of DHSS, supported HB 540.            
 He emphasized that the importance of HB 540 is to maintain the                
 state's eligibility for the $400,000 per year grant for five years            
 in order to establish a statewide cancer registry.  Dr. Middaugh              
 informed the committee that the department has coordinated with the           
 March of Dimes who had questions regarding the regulations for the            
 birth defects registry.  Those concerns have been satisfied and the           
 department will continue to work closely with the March of Dimes.             
 Dr. Middaugh said that the State Medical Association also supports            
 HB 540.                                                                       
                                                                               
 SENATOR SALO said that she hoped that HB 540 was more than a                  
 housekeeping measure in that the bill would improve Alaska's data             
 collection system; does HB 540 move forward?  DR. JOHN MIDDAUGH               
 replied yes.  The provisions in HB 540 facilitate the department's            
 relationship with the hospitals and private physicians in a                   
 collaborative manner in order to exchange information about the               
 conditions of public health.                                                  
                                                                               
 SENATOR MILLER moved that HB 540 am be moved out of committee with            
 individual recommendations.  Hearing no objection, it was so                  
 ordered.