SB 150-DMVA COMMISSIONER MEMBER OF CDVSA  9:28:01 AM VICE-CHAIR COGHILL called the committee back to order and announced the consideration of SB 150. He explained that SB 150 would add the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA) to the membership of the Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA). 9:28:53 AM LAURIE HUMMEL, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of SB 150. She remarked that her position would be a logical addition to CDVSA. She noted that she was in daily contact with a full spectrum of military personnel, veterans, and their families that encompassed the following: · 22,800 active-component military personnel. · 4,100 Nation Guard soldiers and airmen. · 74,000 veterans. · 101,000 total service members and veterans with 189,000 dependent family members. · 290,000 Alaskans, approximately 40 percent of the state's population. She said the military personnel, veterans, and family members have unique perspectives, valuable skills, and talents of great benefit to their communities; they have extensive experience in facing social ills that plagues everyone, including sexual assault and domestic violence on both military and civilian communities. She set forth that by working with active service members and veterans every day, she cannot help but share their experiences, challenges, struggles, and successes in overcoming sexual assault and domestic violence. 9:31:48 AM COMMISSIONER HUMMEL stated that the size of the military community demands that DMVA tackle the difficult issues head-on and the department was doing so. She asserted that DMVA works to protect its military men and women from sexual assault and domestic violence and the department has learned a lot of valuable lessons as follows: · Creating safe work places. · Fostering respectful colleagues. · Importance of clear knowledge that everyone serves under a supportive command structure, work environment, and living environment. COMMISSIONER HUMMEL revealed that DMVA has done the following: · Launched and would continue comprehensive and wide-ranging efforts to raise awareness of sexual assault and harassment. · Instituted measures and safeguards to protect victims. · Initiated the Alaska National Guard Sexual Assault Prevention Program for 24/7 statewide crisis intervention and support services to victims of sexual assault. · Works closely with the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and with the Council with Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. She revealed that she chairs monthly meetings to review the progress of all current and pending sexual assault cases that touch within the National Guard family. She remarked that she did not think there was a state, local, or private employer in Alaska that has aggressively tackled sexual assault and domestic violence as DMVA. 9:33:24 AM She summarized that DMVA would welcome an expansion and strengthening of its connection with CDVSA, the result would benefit Alaskans statewide. She added that SB 150 would provide budgetary advantages where DMVA could share information with CDVSA about programs and services that the department provides to eligible victims using federal funds for up to 100 percent continuation pay during recovery and funding intensive counseling typically by private sector professionals as part of an integrated approach to maximize the opportunity for survivor recovery. She shared sexual assault and domestic violence statistics with the committee as follows: · 2008 study found that the average cost of a sexual assault nationwide is over $150,000. · 50 percent of victims will not be able to work in their current jobs for a year after an assault due to the severity of their mental health injuries. · Violence and substance abuse constitute up to a third of the cost of health care nationally, or about $750 billion dollars a year. COMMISSIONER HUMMEL set forth that the military ethos dictates that a battle buddy is never left behind. She stated that DMVA does not shirk from doing everything possible to enable a sexual assault or domestic violence survivor to return to full mental and physical health. She asserted that DMVA has helped set a new standard for victim and survivor support. She stated that DMVA has seen solid progress, but work regarding sexual assault and domestic violence would never be done. She said she was committed to remaining vigilant and ready to tackle difficult situations like sexual assault and domestic violence, and looked forward to working more closely with CDVSA. 9:35:37 AM SENATOR HUGGINS noted that the majority of CDVSA members had Juneau addresses. He asked that Commissioner Hummel comment on CDVSA's geographical diversity. COMMISSIONER HUMMEL replied that geographical diversity for the CDVSA was important. She remarked that she was surprised to hear of so many Juneau locations. She said she would encourage membership from all around the state to include rural communities. SENATOR HUGGINS agreed with Commissioner Hummel. He noted that CDVSA members included commissioners and deputy commissioners. He asked why Commissioner Hummel would want to be on the council rather than the provost marshal or head nurse. COMMISSIONER HUMMEL replied that the governor requested that she personally be a member. She opined that her appointment was perhaps to send a message of how important the issue of sexual assault and domestic violence was to the administration. She added that recognizing past issues and concerns within the National Guard was important in order to show the strongest encouragement and support from the top of the chain of command. She stated that should there be a desire for someone other than herself to represent DMVA on the council, there was a large number of qualified DMVA individuals that she had full faith and confidence in. 9:38:41 AM CARMEN LOWRY, Executive Director, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA), testified in support of SB 150. She explained that ANDVSA was a coalition of 23 agencies working to prevent and respond to domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska. She set forth that adding the commissioner of DMVA to CDVSA would provide a person with an understanding of the challenges military personnel face. She requested that the committee ensure equity among state and public members that an additional public member from a rural area be added to CDVSA as well. She noted that a public member was added when a representative from the Department of Corrections was added to the council in 2009 in order to maintain the public-to-state member ratio. 9:42:11 AM SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if Ms. Lowry was asking for another member or for a public member to be replaced with a rural member. MS. LOWRY replied that ANDVSA would ask for another member be added and that the individual be a rural member as well. VICE-CHAIR COGHILL noted that CDVSA currently required one appointment from a rural area. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI reviewed the CDVSA member list and noted that he did not see a rural address. VICE-CHAIR COGHILL noted that the law required the governor to consult ANDVSA for CDVSA appointments. He asked how ANDVSA comes up with its recommendations. MS. LOWRY replied that ANDVSA was very much involved in the nominations list for recommending different kinds of public members to be placed on the council. She reiterated that ANDVSA would recommend that an additional public member be added from a rural area. She detailed that the public membership would increase from four to five members. VICE-CHAIR COGHILL concurred that he saw the benefit for an additional rural-public member. SENATOR HUGGINS asked if sexual assault and domestic violence statistics between rural and urban areas were equal. 9:45:25 AM MS. LOWRY replied that she could not say what the exact numbers were. She remarked that rural areas present challenges due to isolation and access to services. She said rural issues compound victims' safety which was the reason the request for another rural voice be added to the council. SENATOR HUGGINS said that he supports balancing the council with another public member; however, the question for the committee was whether to add the DMVA commissioner to the CDVSA council. He asserted that Commissioner Hummel was a super capable lady and there was nothing negative about her. 9:47:04 AM At ease. 9:47:28 AM VICE-CHAIR COGHILL called the committee back to order. He noted that committee staff pointed out that CDVSA council members were from other regions in the state, but their mailing addresses were noted as Juneau. 9:49:13 AM JAYNE ANDREEN, Chair, President, Alaska Women's Lobby, Alaska Public Health Association, Douglas, Alaska, testified in support of SB 150. She specified her background as follows: · Chair for the statewide steering committee for the Alaska Women's Lobby, a voluntary group with individuals dedicated to working to ensure and promote the wellbeing of children, women, and families. · President of the Alaska Public Health Association consisting of approximately 200 statewide members of public health professionals. · Spent 16 years working in domestic violence and sexual assault, specifically as the director of the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in the 1990s. She confirmed that the CDVSA public member addresses indicate Juneau, but the members came from: Anchorage, Unalakleet, Homer, and Palmer. She added that the language for council member designation allows for, "Commissioners or their designee." She noted that state departmental designees have consisted of commissioners, deputy commissioners, and division directors. She said each commissioner determines who represents their department. MS. ANDREEN revealed that she started working in domestic violence and sexual violence in Alaska in 1981. She explained that CDVSA was originally set up to provide a coordinated response. She detailed that the original seven-member council consisted of four department representatives and three public members in order to coordinate expertise between state government and public members. She noted that CDVSA was touted across the country when the Violence Against Women Act passed and the council's membership infrastructure in addressing sexual assault and domestic violence was pointed out. She revealed that Senator McKinnon facilitated a task force in the late 2000s that reviewed CDVSA and she was asked to testify on recommendations for changes. She noted that a CDVSA council member appointment was added for the Department of Corrections and she recommended at the time that balance be maintained by adding a rural-public member as well. 9:52:46 AM She summarized that the Alaska Women's Lobby and the Public Health Association both support SB 150. She added that two organizations that she represented also supported increasing the public membership from four to five individuals, resulting in an 11-member council with 6 departments represented and 5 public members. VICE-CHAIR COGHILL asked Ms. Andreen to confirm that the council currently consisted of 9 members. MS. ANDREEN answered correct. VICE-CHAIR COGHILL commented that he was surprised that no one from the governor's office presented the bill. He set forth that the suggestions presented to the committee would be taken to heart. He stated that further consultation would occur with the governor's office regarding SB 150. SENATOR HUGGINS added that not having representation from the governor's office was highly unusual and he was embarrassed for Commissioner Hummel. 9:54:44 AM VICE-CHAIR COGHILL announced that SB 150 would be held in committee.