SB 8-MENTAL HEALTH PATIENT RIGHTS:STAFF GENDER  2:32:56 PM CHAIR BETTY DAVIS announced SB 8 to be up for consideration. TOM OBERMEYER, aide to Chair Davis, sponsor of SB 8, explained that the bill will give mental health hospital patients the right to request a nurse of a specific gender. Many such patients have had traumatic experiences that would be exacerbated by treatment by a nurse of a specific gender. While the bill recognizes that such requests can not necessarily always be fulfilled, the request will go in a patient's file; this will prevent the information from being ignored or lost and will provide a record in case of resulting trauma. He added that there is a basic right of privacy cited in the Alaska constitution, and the bill is in line with this right. There is no fiscal ramification to the bill. 2:36:59 PM SENATOR COWDERY asked for detail on the current practices in such facilities. MR. OBERMEYER replied that the main issue of the bill is to attempt to have staff of both genders available in case the patient has been victimized by a person of a certain gender and does not wish to be treated by someone of that gender. Currently such requests are sometimes ignored; the bill provides for a record of the patient's request, so if trauma is determined to have happened later, the matter can be fully investigated. 2:39:34 PM SENATOR COWDERY remarked that the fiscal note impacts the Department of Corrections, and asked if the bill would affect any other departments. MR. OBERMEYER replied that all fiscal notes are zero, and said that the bill would be easily implemented with temporary staff. CHAIR DAVIS said that some health institutions use staff across different units, and that could serve as an example for how to implement this bill. 2:41:45 PM FAITH MEYERS, representing herself, said that she supports the bill and has had experience as a patient in mental health care facilities. Unnecessary trauma is a reality in health care facilities, and gender choice needs to be provided. The percentage of women in psychiatric facilities with a sexual abuse past is very high; people can feel re-victimized when treated intimately by a person of a certain gender. Change needs to be made in state statutes. She then cited several letters from people and institutions supporting gender choice in intimate psychiatric care. 2:46:38 PM DORRANCE COLLINS, representing himself, said that he supports the bill; not giving a gender choice in psychiatric care staff can be traumatizing to the patient. Many other states require such a choice in their hospitals and psychiatric treatment facilities. He cited a recent court decision that concerned patient abuse, and said that gender choice is a right of patients. Many psychiatric patients have been sexually or physically abused, and being denied gender choice in intimate care staff creates trauma all over again. No loopholes should be added to the bill. 2:49:42 PM CHAIR DAVIS remarked that a representative from legal services was available for questions on the bill. HOLLY JOHANKNECHT, staff attorney with the Disability Law Center of Alaska, said that the Alaska constitution recognizes the rights of mental health patients and the bill would codify existing rights; other states have similar legislation for protecting patient rights. A large number of psychiatric patients have a history of physical or sexual abuse, and they need to be offered a choice of nurse gender to prevent re- traumatization. The rights offered by SB 8 are already offered to prisoners. 2:52:50 PM ANGELA SOLERNO, advocacy coordinator for the Alaska Mental Health Board, said that there was a letter from the board chair before the committee and that she agreed with the prior testimony; the bill will afford a psychiatric patient respect and dignity at a time of stress and change. It's a reasonable expectation for a hospital and allows for the impossibility of fulfilling the request. CHAIR DAVIS thanked the presenters and said that no action could be taken on the bill at that time because of the lack of a quorum; the bill would be scheduled for another hearing shortly. There being no further business to come before the committee, she adjourned the meeting at 2:55:52 PM.