SCR 4-PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH COMPACT  1:35:39 PM CHAIR BETTYE DAVIS announced SCR 4 to be up for consideration. RICHARD BENAVIDES, aide to Senator Davis, sponsor of SCR 4, said that the resolution is a compact examining the multi-layered health crisis in Alaska. Medical costs rise while the physician population shrinks; while the legislature will work to improve this, individual Alaskans must also try to minimize their impact on the health care system. The compact will encourage Alaskans to make healthy choices and share their experiences and ideas with one another. REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA, sponsor of HCR 1, companion bill to SCR 4, said that the resolution deals with the problem of health care, and the choices that Alaskans make for their own health. She explained how health habits are important to a person's well-being, and the legislature must help Alaskans change the way they care for their health. With this resolution the governor can make an invitation to the population to inform itself on its health and share information and stories; SCR 4 will start a statewide conversation on healthy living. LIZ CLEMENT, aide to Representative Cissna, said that the House Finance subcommittee recently passed out recommendations for a $2 billion dollar health budget for the next fiscal year; the resolution won't cost a cent, but provides a new approach to health education. REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA said that SCR 4 asks the state department to look for a different way of communicating with the people of Alaska. CHAIR DAVIS commented that she and Representative Cissna had discussed the SCR with the governor, and that all three had talked about options for early intervention and public involvement. 1:42:45 PM KARLEEN JACKSON, Commissioner for the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), said that many people have been working on ways to get Alaskans to act together on health care. 1:43:58 PM DIANA KASTO, manager of Prevention and Early Intervention Services with the Division of Behavioral Health (DBH) in the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), said that she's worked with Representative Cissna over the years, and the DBH wants to see people promoting healthy communities; the resolution speaks to this. In order for the state to be healthy, individuals must be healthy as well. As a state we must begin focusing on health issues, physically and behaviorally. The department looks forward to working to promote this. 1:46:24 PM SENATOR COWDERY moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute to CSR 4, labeled 25-LS0627/K, Version K, as the working document of the committee. There being no objection, the motion carried. 1:46:51 PM SENATOR ELTON said that the committee substitute changes the way of communication proposed in the original, and asked if there is a central way for getting the message of the SCR to the people of Alaska. 1:48:52 PM REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA said that the language was changed because of concerns about the interpretation of the language. The core of the initiative is that it's voluntary; it's an invitation to change the way people think. People shouldn't expect more than the resolution actually contains, and the wrong wording would change the aim of the SCR. 1:51:11 PM SENATOR ELTON said that the core of the compact seems to be ballooning, and that it may be difficult to share opinions about the resolution with the changed wording. MS. JACKSON said that the real goal of the SCR is dinner-table conversations and person-to-person change; what the resolution addresses is supporting existing efforts rather than creating a new program. SENATOR ELTON said that he doesn't mean to suggest the goal is faulty; if a compact is created to encourage healthy choices, there should simply be follow-up. MS. JACKSON concurred. 1:54:33 PM SENATOR DYSON said that he agreed with Senator Elton, and that somehow a tracking method should be created as well as an outlet for people's success stories and comments. He added that he hopes that this will be done even if it's not included in the language of the SCR. CHAIR DAVIS said that the issue is important, and perhaps the committee could add text to the SCR encouraging such developments. SENATOR ELTON said that in the CS there is a component that points to the sharing of experiences. He emphasized that community involvement is important for personal success, and that maybe the existing language should be improved. He then moved to adopt a conceptual amendment to SCR 4. SENATOR DYSON suggested talking to other people about the change in languages before amending the resolution. CHAIR DAVIS suggested deciding to accept the amendment immediately. SENATOR DYSON said that perhaps the authors of SCR 4 would have the best suggestions. REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA said that the language won't be as important as the intention. There being no objection, the motion carried. 2:00:39 PM SENATOR ELTON moved to report CSSCR 4(HES) from committee with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, the motion carried.