ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
          SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                        
                         April 23, 2025                                                                                         
                           2:01 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kelly Merrick, Vice Chair                                                                                               
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson                                                                                                       
Senator Forrest Dunbar                                                                                                          
Senator Robert Yundt                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Jesse Bjorkman, Chair                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 103                                                                                                             
"An Act relating to certified nurse aide training; and providing                                                                
for an effective date."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD & HELD                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 49                                                                                                              
"An  Act  relating  to   workplace  violence  protective  orders;                                                               
relating to the  crime of violating a  protective order; relating                                                               
to the powers of district  judges and magistrates; amending Rules                                                               
4 and  65, Alaska Rules  of Civil  Procedure, and Rule  9, Alaska                                                               
Rules of Administration; and providing for an effective date."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD & HELD                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SB 103                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: CNA TRAINING                                                                                                       
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) GRAY-JACKSON                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
02/19/25       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/19/25       (S)       L&C, FIN                                                                                               
04/23/25       (S)       L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SB  49                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PROTECTIVE ORDERS                                                                               
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) CLAMAN                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
01/22/25       (S)       PREFILE RELEASED 1/17/25                                                                               
01/22/25       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
01/22/25       (S)       STA, JUD                                                                                               
03/13/25       (S)       STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)                                                                      
03/13/25       (S)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
03/13/25       (S)       MINUTE(STA)                                                                                            
04/10/25       (S)       STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)                                                                      
04/10/25       (S)       Moved CSSB 49(STA) Out of Committee                                                                    
04/10/25       (S)       MINUTE(STA)                                                                                            
04/14/25       (S)       STA RPT CS 1NR 1DP 3NR   NEW TITLE                                                                     
04/14/25       (S)       AM: KAWASAKI                                                                                           
04/14/25       (S)       DP: GRAY-JACKSON                                                                                       
04/14/25       (S)       NR: WIELECHOWSKI, BJORKMAN, YUNDT                                                                      
04/14/25       (S)       JUD REFERRAL REMOVED                                                                                   
04/14/25       (S)       L&C REFERRAL ADDED AFTER JUD                                                                           
04/23/25       (S)       L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
DEIRDRE GOINS, Staff                                                                                                            
Senator Elvie Gray-Jackson                                                                                                      
Alaska State Legislator                                                                                                         
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the sectional analysis for SB 103.                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MAUREEN TOWNSEND, Board Member                                                                                                  
Alaska Chapter                                                                                                                  
Alzheimer's Association                                                                                                         
Soldotna, Alaska                                                                                                                
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 103.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MICHELLE CASSANO, Member                                                                                                        
Alzheimer's Association                                                                                                         
Akron, Ohio                                                                                                                     
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 103.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
KAY PAPAKRISTO, Outreach Director                                                                                               
Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska (ARA)                                                                                            
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 103.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
BREANNA KAKARUK, Staff                                                                                                          
Senator Matt Claman                                                                                                             
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SB 49 on behalf of the sponsor.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
BREDNA STANFILL, Executive Director                                                                                             
Alaska Network on Domestic Violence                                                                                             
and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA)                                                                                                     
Juneau ,Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 49.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
EILEEN ARNOLD, Executive Director                                                                                               
Tundra Women's Coalition                                                                                                        
Bethel, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 49.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:01:38 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE-CHAIR MERRICK called the Senate  Labor and Commerce Standing                                                               
Committee meeting  to order at 2:01  p.m. Present at the  call to                                                               
order were  Senators Gray-Jackson,  Dunbar, Yundt and  Vice Chair                                                               
Merrick.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
                      SB 103-CNA TRAINING                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
2:02:31 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE-CHAIR MERRICK announced the consideration of SENATE BILL                                                                   
NO. 103 "An Act relating to certified nurse aide training; and                                                                  
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:02:58 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON speaking as the sponsor presented SB 103 as                                                                
follows:                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Currently  in  Alaska,   Certified  Nurse  Aides,  also                                                                    
     referred  to as  CNA's,  go  through training  programs                                                                    
     that meet federal and state  standards, but we've heard                                                                    
     a  growing recognition  that  these  standards need  to                                                                    
     evolve  to  reflect   the  increasing  complexities  of                                                                    
     patient care  in Alaska. Our  population is  aging, and                                                                    
     our CNAs are relied on to  be well trained, not only in                                                                    
     physical  care, but  also  in  emotional and  cognitive                                                                    
     support.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     One  area for  improved training  would be  in dementia                                                                    
     and   Alzheimer   care,   client   communication,   and                                                                    
     recognizing  the psychosocial  and  emotional needs  of                                                                    
     patients experiencing these  conditions. These symptoms                                                                    
     are  being  overlooked  because  we  are  not  properly                                                                    
     training  our  nurse  aides to  identify  the  symptoms                                                                    
     sooner.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     This  bill before  us today  would strengthen  training                                                                    
     requirements to  ensure that all certified  nurse aides                                                                    
     in our state are equipped  with the necessary skills to                                                                    
     provide  high  quality, compassionate  care.  Enhancing                                                                    
     training  standards is  the  least we  can  do for  our                                                                    
     aging population in Alaska.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Most, if  not all of  us, have experienced  the terrors                                                                    
     of   Alzheimer's  and   dementia   firsthand,  and   by                                                                    
     modernizing  training  requirements,  Senate  Bill  103                                                                    
     will help  build a more  skilled workforce,  which will                                                                    
     in  return improve  patient outcomes,  and ensure  that                                                                    
     Alaskans receive the highest level of care.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Many states  across the  country are  implementing laws                                                                    
     requiring   dementia  and   Alzheimer's  training   for                                                                    
     Certified  Nurse  Assistants,  and  SB103  would  align                                                                    
     Alaska  with those  high-quality  standards of  patient                                                                    
     care.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:04:51 PM                                                                                                                    
DEIRDRE GOINS, Staff, Senator Elvie Gray-Jackson, Alaska State                                                                  
Legislator, Juneau, Alaska, presented the sectional analysis for                                                                
SB 103:                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Sectional Analysis  Version A                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Section  1-  Adds a  new  subsection  to AS  08.68.331.                                                                
     Certification of Nurse Aides                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
        (c) Regulations adopted under (a)(1) of this section                                                                    
     establishing  standards  for  a  Certified  Nurse  Aide                                                                    
     (CNA) training program must require that the program                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          (1) be conducted in a manner ensuring clients                                                                         
     receive safe and competent care; and                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          (2) train a certified nurse aide to                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
               (A)  form  a relationship,  communicate,  and                                                                    
              interact competently with a client;                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
               (B)    demonstrate    sensitivity   to    the                                                                    
               emotional,  social, and  mental health  needs                                                                    
               of  a  client  through  skillful  and  direct                                                                    
               interactions;                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
               (C)   assist  a   client   in  reaching   and                                                                    
               maintaining independence;                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
               (D)  support  and  promote the  rights  of  a                                                                    
               client;                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
               (E) demonstrate  the skills of  observing and                                                                    
               monitoring  a  client during  caregiving,  as                                                                    
               well  as  reporting   those  observations  to                                                                    
               enable   the   assessment  of   the   health,                                                                    
               physical  condition,  and   well-being  of  a                                                                    
               client;                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
               (F)  demonstrate knowledge  of the  abilities                                                                    
               and care needs of a client;                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
               (G)  use  a   problem-solving  approach  when                                                                    
               providing care;                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
               (H) use  techniques that ensure  and preserve                                                                    
               the respect, values,  choices, and dignity of                                                                    
               a client;                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
               (I)    demonstrate   knowledge    of   client                                                                    
               assessment and care planning best practices;                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
               (J)   use  effective   communication  skills,                                                                    
               including while  communication with  a client                                                                    
               with   psychosocial   needs  or   Alzheimer's                                                                    
               disease,  dementia,  a   mental  illness,  an                                                                    
               intellectual    disability,     or    another                                                                    
              cognitive disability or impairment;                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
               (K)  provide   care  to   a  client   who  is                                                                    
               cognitively  impaired  or  has a  decline  in                                                                    
               cognitive function related to dementia; and                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
               (L)    demonstrate    basic   knowledge    of                                                                    
               Alzheimer's   disease,  dementia,   dementia-                                                                    
               related  behaviors,  and  the  activities  of                                                                    
               daily    living;   in    this   subparagraph,                                                                    
               "activities  of daily  living" means  eating,                                                                    
               dressing, grooming, bathing, and toileting.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2  This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:06:30 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE-CHAIR MERRICK announced invited testimony on SB 103.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:06:43 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:07:05 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE-CHAIR MERRICK reconvened the meeting.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:07:19 PM                                                                                                                    
MAUREEN  TOWNSEND,  Board  Member,  Alaska  Chapter,  Alzheimer's                                                               
Association,  Soldotna, Alaska,  testified  by  invitation on  SB                                                               
103.  She  stated  that  even  with her  CNA  training  she  felt                                                               
unprepared  for the  challenges  she experienced  working in  the                                                               
dementia wing.  She said  better training  could have  helped her                                                               
work with  dementia patients. She  stated that her  experience in                                                               
the  dementia wing  led her  to switch  careers because  she felt                                                               
like training would not prepare her to work as a CNA.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:08:47 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNBAR asked  Ms. Townsend  where she  received her  CNA                                                               
training.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:08:58 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. TOWNSEND responded  that she went to  Kenai Peninsula College                                                               
(KPC) located in Soldotna.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:09:06 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR YUNDT  asked what are  the CNA training  requirements and                                                               
how are they affected by SB 103.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:09:27 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. TOWNSEND replied she completed six months of CNA training.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:09:45 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR YUNDT asked what changes she would make to CNA training.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:09:56 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. TOWNSEND responded she would like to see more training on                                                                   
managing behavioral challenges because she felt unprepared to                                                                   
handle or de-escalate patients in distress.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:10:58 PM                                                                                                                    
MICHELLE CASSANO, Member, Alzheimer's Association, Akron, Ohio,                                                                 
testified by invitation on SB 103. She read the following:                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     I'm a retired  nurse, and I support Senate  Bill 103. I                                                                    
     care  deeply  about   quality  dementia  education  and                                                                    
     person-centered  care  training  for  CNAs  because  my                                                                    
     husband, Larry, deserved better care.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     He had  Alzheimer's, and our family  made the difficult                                                                    
     decision to place him in  a facility here in Anchorage.                                                                    
     While  it  is  a  respected  facility,  and  of  higher                                                                    
     quality than  some others in  Alaska, their  staff were                                                                    
     still  very  uneducated   about  dementia  and  person-                                                                    
     centered  care.  Subsequently,   Larry  was  frequently                                                                    
     unnecessarily transported to  Emergency Services, which                                                                    
     averaged  $14,000 at  least once  a month,  mostly very                                                                    
     late  or in  the middle  of the  night.  Larry  did not                                                                    
     need  emergency care.  He was  exhibiting normal,  non-                                                                    
     emergency dementia  behaviors and  needed to  simply be                                                                    
     put  back to  bed.  The lack  of  quality education  of                                                                    
     Alaska's CNAs  is a burden  to emergency rooms,  a poor                                                                    
     use of  resources, and  terribly upsetting  to patients                                                                    
     and families.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     CNAs trained  in dementia  care can  effectively manage                                                                    
     challenging  behaviors   and  ensure  the   safety  and                                                                    
     security  of our  loved ones.  The educational  content                                                                    
     outlined in  Senate Bill 103 would  give families peace                                                                    
     of  mind,  knowing  that  their  family  member  is  in                                                                    
     capable  hands,  even  in  difficult  situations.  CNAs                                                                    
     trained in dementia care can  recognize early signs and                                                                    
     symptoms  of  cognitive  decline. This  enables  timely                                                                    
     interventions   and   support   services,   potentially                                                                    
     slowing the progression of dementia.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     I  was later  able to  get my  husband into  a facility                                                                    
     with   better  trained   and  experienced   staff,  who                                                                    
     understood  common dementia  behaviors,  like lying  on                                                                    
     the floor when  tired, they helped him  avoid falls and                                                                    
     gave  him the  personal care  he needed.  He spent  two                                                                    
     years at that new  facility with educated staff without                                                                    
     one hospital visit.  CNAs are an important  part of the                                                                    
     healthcare  team,  and  all of  Alaska's  CNA  programs                                                                    
     should cover  person centered care, signs  and symptoms                                                                    
     of dementia,  and content on responding  to challenging                                                                    
     dementia-related behaviors. Further  CNA's want to have                                                                    
     the  skills   needed  to   care  for   their  patients,                                                                    
     resources  are  available...I  even took  a  series  of                                                                    
     classes  called  Savy  Care   Giving  and  used  online                                                                    
     resources during our long journey.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:15:48 PM                                                                                                                    
KAY PAPAKRISTO, Outreach Director, Alzheimer's Resource of                                                                      
Alaska (ARA), Anchorage, Alaska, testified by invitation on SB                                                                  
103. She read the following:                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     I'm here  today to  speak in  strong support  of Senate                                                                    
     Bill 103,  which will help ensure  that Certified Nurse                                                                    
     Aides   across   Alaska  receive   essential   dementia                                                                    
     training.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     The importance  of dementia training is  something many                                                                    
     of us come to learn  about through personal experience.                                                                    
     Prior to working  with our agency, one of  our ARA team                                                                    
     members  had her  parents  in  different dementia  care                                                                    
     homes.  Her parents  required about  the same  level of                                                                    
     care and,  in both settings,  CNAs were reported  to be                                                                    
     kind, caring,  and deeply committed  to their  work but                                                                    
     the difference in the quality  of care was profound. In                                                                  
     one home, the father  was treated with dignity, largely                                                                    
     because  his dementia  care needs  and challenges  were                                                                    
     anticipated.    In the  other  home,  lack of  dementia                                                                    
     understanding  and   training  led  to   missed  signs,                                                                    
     misinterpreted behavior,  and unnecessary stress    not                                                                    
     just for the mother, but  for other residents and staff                                                                    
     too.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Speaking  of  staff, I  was  invited  to observe  a  VA                                                                    
     hospital where young CNAs and  nurses on [the] dementia                                                                    
     wing were  feeling overwhelmed and unsafe.  Many of the                                                                    
     veterans  were  living  with dementia  alongside  other                                                                    
     complex conditions,  like PTSD, which just  make things                                                                    
     even more complex. With  proper dementia training, CNAs                                                                    
     can  anticipate  needs,  respond with  confidence,  and                                                                    
     create  a  calmer,  more supportive  environment.  Good                                                                    
     training doesn't  just help CNAs  feel more  prepared                                                                      
     it  ensures  they  are safer,  more  capable  in  their                                                                    
     roles, and recognized as essential members of the care                                                                     
     These  stories  are  not  isolated     they  reflect  a                                                                    
     statewide  need. SB  103 is  a simple,  cost-effective,                                                                    
     and  meaningful   step  in  the  right   direction.  It                                                                    
     supports  our CNA  workforce by  giving them  what they                                                                    
     need to succeed. It  strengthens our healthcare system,                                                                    
     supports those who provide direct  care, and honors the                                                                    
     people for whom they care.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:19:14 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE-CHAIR MERRICK held SB 103 in committee.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:19:19 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
          SB  49-WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PROTECTIVE ORDERS                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:20:25 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE-CHAIR  MERRICK  reconvened  the meeting  and  announced  the                                                               
consideration of CS FOR SENATE  BILL NO. 49(STA) "An Act relating                                                               
to  workplace violence  protective orders;  relating to  attorney                                                               
fees;  relating to  the crime  of violating  a protective  order;                                                               
relating  to  the  powers of  district  judges  and  magistrates;                                                               
amending Rules  4 and  65, Alaska Rules  of Civil  Procedure, and                                                               
Rule  9, Alaska  Rules of  Administration; and  providing for  an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:20:52 PM                                                                                                                    
BREANNA  KAKARUK,  Staff,  Senator   Matt  Claman,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska, introduced SB  49 on behalf  of the                                                               
sponsor as follows:                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     A  few  years ago,  a  member  of the  legal  community                                                                    
     contacted our  office about a situation  where a former                                                                    
     employee made a credible threat  that he intended to go                                                                    
     into the  employer's worksite and shoot  as many people                                                                    
     as  he  could.  When   the  attorney  representing  the                                                                    
     employer  tried  to  obtain a  restraining  order,  she                                                                    
     realized that  to protect the employer,  she would need                                                                    
     to  file  a  civil  lawsuit and  ask  for  a  temporary                                                                    
     restraining order.  That process takes several  days to                                                                    
     complete  and  often  costs thousands  of  dollars.  In                                                                    
     contrast,   people   seeking    a   domestic   violence                                                                    
     protective  order  can  usually  get  the  court  order                                                                    
     within one day.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Senate  Bill   49,  modeled  after   Alaska's  domestic                                                                    
     violence protective  order process, allows  an employer                                                                    
     to file  a petition for  a protective order  against an                                                                    
     individual   under   two   circumstances:   first,   an                                                                    
     individual has committed an act  of violence against an                                                                    
     employer or  employee at the  workplace and  second, an                                                                    
     individual  made  a  threat  of  violence  against  the                                                                    
     employer or  employee that  may be  carried out  at the                                                                    
     workplace.  A  violation  of   the  provisions  of  the                                                                    
     protective  order would  be the  crime  of violating  a                                                                    
     protective order, which is a class A misdemeanor.                                                                          
      Senate  Bill  49  will prohibit  attorney  fee  awards                                                                    
     against   the    petitioner   in    domestic   violence                                                                    
     restraining  order  proceedings,  stalking  and  sexual                                                                    
     assault  protective  orders,  and ex  parte  protective                                                                    
     orders.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     We worked  closely with the Alaska  Network on Domestic                                                                    
     Violence  and Sexual  Assault on  our legislation  last                                                                    
     year that  is now  Senate Bill 49  to ensure  that this                                                                    
     legislation  provides employers  with a  more effective                                                                    
     way to  protect their  workplace without  reaching into                                                                    
     the personal lives of their employees.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Eleven states  have laws providing for  the issuance of                                                                    
     protective or  restraining orders that are  specific to                                                                    
     workplace violence.  Utah is  the most  recent addition                                                                    
     to  this  list,  which   passed  a  workplace  violence                                                                    
     protective order law in 2023.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:23:05 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE-CHAIR MERRICK announced invited testimony on SB 49.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:23:21 PM                                                                                                                    
BREDNA STANFILL,  Executive Director, Alaska Network  on Domestic                                                               
Violence and  Sexual Assault (ANDVSA), Juneau,  Alaska, testified                                                               
by  invitation  on  SB  49.   She  stated  ANDVSA  represents  24                                                               
statewide member organizations, including  19 in rural Alaska and                                                               
16 off  the road systems;  these networks provide  direct support                                                               
to  survivors. She  highlighted that  shelters often  face safety                                                               
threats  along with  the  victims.  She said  SB  49 would  allow                                                               
organizations  to seek  protection when  credible threats  arise,                                                               
without disclosing if  someone is being sheltered.  She shared an                                                               
example from  Emmonak Women's shelter, where  staff were harassed                                                               
from  just   outside  the   property  linelegal    action  wasn't                                                               
possible, but SB 49 would offer needed options.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:26:20 PM                                                                                                                    
EILEEN  ARNOLD,  Executive  Director,  Tundra  Women's  Coalition                                                               
(TWC),  Bethel, Alaska,  testified by  invitation on  SB 49.  She                                                               
stated  that  workplaces like  TWC,  which  shelter victims  from                                                               
abusers, are sometimes directly threatened.  Tools like SB 49 are                                                               
needed to protect both staff and  residents. She said that in her                                                               
10 years as  director, there have been a  few unforgettable times                                                               
when  she put  staff on  high  alert. She  gave an  example of  a                                                               
situation  when TWC  was  threatened  by an  abuser  of a  victim                                                               
staying  at TWC.  Many victims  don't get  protective orders  for                                                               
reasons such  as: distrust of  law enforcement, fear it  will not                                                               
help, past  orders not being  served, and concern  the protective                                                               
order might reveal their location.  She stated that programs like                                                               
TWC need tools to set  boundaries with people who use violenceto                                                                
send  a clear  message that  it's not  acceptable and  to protect                                                               
those living and working in our women shelters.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:30:29 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE-CHAIR MERRICK held SB 49 in committee.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:30:53 PM                                                                                                                    
There being  no further  business to  come before  the committee,                                                               
Vice  Chair  Merrick  adjourned the  Senate  Labor  and  Commerce                                                               
Standing Committee meeting at 2:30 p.m.