SB 140-LEAVE FOR BONE MARROW DONATIONS  2:23:10 PM CHAIR ELLIS announced SB 140 to be up for consideration and that it already had a hearing before this committee. SENATOR ELTON, sponsor of SB 140, briefly summarized that the leave donation component of this bill kicks in only when a donor is selected as a potential donor in and individual case. Section 1 applies the provisions of this bill to private employers who employ more than 20 people, municipalities and school districts. He worked with the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce and tried to address some of its concerns by capping the leave donation that an employer had to grant at 60 hours. Sections 2 and 3 are part statutory cleanup and part technical. Section 4 is the part of the bill that applies the donor program to state employees. This part of the bill says that the employer must provide 40 hours minimum and then the caps will be done by the department in regulation. Section 5 is technical. He noted that he was speaking to the version M committee substitute. In the previous version section 4 had a provision that the bill applied to the Alaska Railroad Corporation. The CS creates a new section 6 and applies the provisions to the Alaska Railroad there instead of combining it with section 4. 2:25:36 PM SENATOR ELTON said a person who is selected as a potential donor who then becomes a donor has a certain timeframe in which to do things. Most often a component of the time is travel. The donation procedure is usually done in Seattle where they try to do it on Friday because of the recovery time that is necessary after the donation is made. That is usually done over the weekend and then the donor is released. The bill removes an impediment to getting on the register. It means most people won't have to take personal leave to join a registry. 2:28:09 PM SENATOR ELTON explained that recently a Juneau boy received a donation from an out of state person and this made him realize that it is good state policy to have a pool of people who can become a donor. The several fiscal notes are all zero and that played into his decision as sponsor to include private employers, since the legislature doesn't normally extend mandates to private employers. The state didn't believe there would be many donors and that's why it came up with a zero fiscal note. This will not have much an impact on private employers. 2:30:25 PM SENATOR ELTON asked his staff, Paula Cadiente, to join him in answering questions about this bill. He continued saying, however, that the fact is that figures from the National Marrow Donor Program indicate that lack of financial resources can delay donor searches or limit opportunities for post transplant care. For patients who qualify for financial assistance, the Donor Program offers the Marrow Foundation Patient Assistant Program. In 2006 more than 1000 requests for funds were approved and more than $4 million were made available to patients in need. So, a non profit group recognizes there is a financial impact on donors. This bill is the right thing to do just as there is a program that the non profit group does. 2:31:22 PM SENATOR STEVENS asked if the donation procedure really takes a full week and why there is a difference between public employer and private employer leave. SENATOR ELTON responded that he tried to respond to a concern of the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce that there could be circumstances in which the employee would want things that would grow into a bigger issue that would have a bigger financial impact on businesses. Public employees were left some latitude for people who write the regulations. Responding to the first question, Senator Elton said it doesn't take long to join the registry; it's a simple swab on the cheek. This bill does not provide for any leave for getting on to the registry. Once one is selected, a series of tests are made; the first is a blood test which can be done in a simple way. However, once you're selected, time is needed even if you live in an urban area. You have to catch a plane and go to Seattle where you undergo additional testing. The harvest then occurs and the person is kept to make sure he didn't suffer any consequences. 2:34:31 PM SENATOR BUNDE agreed that people should be encouraged to be organ and tissue donors, but they are also telling the private employer they have to give up one week of salary. He asked why not have the state reimburse private enterprise and that would encourage people to be organ, tissue or bone marrow donors even more. SENATOR ELTON replied that would be the legislature's policy call, but he cautioned that in most cases private employers will bend over backwards to accommodate and protect their employees from a financial hit. So every employer would apply for reimbursement. CHAIR ELLIS announced that the proposed CS just arrived. 2:36:31 PM PAULA CADIENTE, staff to Senator Elton, walked the committee through the new CS. She said language on page 2, lines 1 - 9 changes the definition of employee to a person who works for a political subdivision of the state or a private employer. It also defines "political subdivision." Section 4, on page 3, line 8, deletes the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) because it is not subject to Title 39. Language is added on page 4 in section 6 to Title 42 to include employees of the ARRC. 2:38:46 PM CHAIR ELLIS asked if the changes in the definition of "employee and political subdivision" on page 2 are just for the purposes of this statute change (for bone marrow). MS. CADIENTE replied that is correct. CHAIR ELLIS asked if the change expands the definition of employee compared to the original bill. MS. CADIENTE replied that it is actually more restricted. In the original bill, an employee was a public or private employer. CHAIR ELLIS asked how the definition of "political subdivision" is changed. MS. CADIENTE replied that it is defined as a municipality and its subdivisions - as most political subdivision are defined. 2:40:06 PM CHAIR ELLIS said adopting the CS to SB 140 would be held until the next hearing.