[NASW Alaska Chapter Listserve] Week 4 Legislative Report

[Randy Magen]

This report is prepared by Caren Robinson, Legislative Monitor for NASW 
Alaska Chapter.

Capitol Currents

Session Two of the 24th legislature runs January 9-May 9, 2006.

Week Four

ACTION ALERTS will appear here as the session progresses.

Legislative Committee Assignments:
Go to BASIS committee assignments list: 
www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/commbr_info.asp?session=24

NEW BILLS: Look here for legislation introduced during the previous week.
Go to BASIS bill/resolution list: 
www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/bandr_stat.asp?session=24

The last day for individual legislators to introduce legislation is 
February 12th. After that day legislation may only be introduced through 
committees.

OTHER:

Bill: HB 408
SB 252
Sponsor: RLS by request of the Governor
Title: Definition of Child Abuse and Neglect
Referrals: HHES, FIN
SHES, JUD
Content: Amends the definition of “child” in the child abuse statutes to 
include an infant who has been identified by a health care provider 
involved in the delivery or care of that infant as being affected by 
abuse of a controlled substance or from withdrawal from prenatal 
exposure to a controlled substance.

“Controlled substance” means a drug, substance, or immediate precursor 
included in the schedules set out in AS11.71.140-190, but does not 
include a substance taken under prescription from a health care 
professional. The list of controlled substances includes marijuana but 
not alcohol. The Governor’s transmittal letter stated the bill is 
necessary to be in compliance with federal law as a condition of 
continued federal funding for child abuse and neglect prevention and 
treatment.

Bill: HB 413
Sponsor: Joule, Gara
Title: Burning Capability of Cigarettes
Referrals: STA, JUD, FIN
Content: Contains legislative findings regarding cigarettes being the 
leading cause of fire deaths in the US and that technology exists to 
reduce the number of fires caused by cigarettes; creates a new chapter 
in statute AS18.74 Cigarette Fire Safety which lists requirements for 
the selling of cigarettes that meet certain standards for measuring the 
ignition strength of cigarettes; the bill lists testing regulations for 
determining whether or not cigarettes meet the standards; requires 
manufacturers to keep records of compliance; requires manufacturers to 
certify in writing to the state fire marshal that each brand of 
cigarette listed in the certificates has been tested and satisfies the 
testing standard established in the bill; lists the information that 
must be included in the certification; delineates packaging marks to 
indicate compliance with the chapter’s requirements; and specifies 
penalties for a manufacturer, a retailer, distributor, or wholesaler or 
other person who knowingly sells or offers to sell cigarettes not in 
compliance with the chapter.

Bill: HB 414
Sponsor: Kott
Title: Interception of Minor’s Communications
Referrals: HES, JUD
Content: Amends AS 12.37.030 which allows courts to enter ex parte 
orders authorizing the interception of a private communication to 
include an interception of a communication of a minor when a parent or 
guardian of the minor has consented in good faith based on an 
objectively reasonable belief that it is necessary and in the best 
interest of the minor. The only exception would be a private 
communication between a minor and the minor’s legal counsel.

Bill: SB 254
Sponsor: RLS by Request of LB&A
Title: Extend PT & Occupational Therapy Board
Referrals: L&C, FIN
Content: Extends the board through 2014.

UPDATES: Look here to track bills of interest.

HB 101: SEX TOURISM, sponsored by Representative Croft, passed Senate 
Judiciary and is in Senate Finance. The bill strikes at those who 
promote, organize or otherwise market commercial sex tours and travel 
services by making these activities punishable to the same degree as 
sex-trafficking itself.

HB 148: TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS, sponsored by Representative Kerttula, 
passed Senate Judiciary and is in Senate Finance. The bill allows the 
state to prosecute those who traffic in persons in Alaska.

HB 149: CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES, sponsored by Representative Ramras. On 
February 1st the House failed to concur with the Senate changes to the 
bill and appointed Representative Stoltze, Coghill and Crawford to be 
the House’s representatives on a conference committee of the bill if the 
Senate fails to recede from their amendments. The bill was sent back to 
the Senate on February 3rd.
A substantial part of the floor debate covering the meth parts of the 
bill focused on the Senate’s removal of a requirement for sellers of 
certain substances to keep a logbook of purchasers.

The Senate can recede from its amendments and adopt the version of the 
bill passed by the House; fail to recede from its amendments and appoint 
representatives to a conference committee on the bill; or hold the bill 
and just not vote on the motion to recede, in essence killing it.

HB 326: POSTING LEWD MATERIAL AS HARASSMENT, sponsored by Representative 
Meyer, passed Finance Committee and is in House Rules Committee. The 
bill passed Judiciary earlier in the week with a committee substitute 
which changed the title of the bill to ''An Act relating to the 
definition of harassment.'' Other minor amendments were made to clarify 
the form of harassment addressed in the bill.

HB 357: STATUTORY REFERENCES TO DISABILITIES, sponsored by 
Representative Wilson, passed House HESS Committee and is in House 
Finance Committee. The bill changes references in Alaska statutes from 
“handicapped” to “persons with disabilities”.

SB 200: USE OF FORCE TO PROTECT SELF/HOME, sponsored by Senator 
Therriault, passed Senate Judiciary and is ready to move to the floor. 
The bill allows force, or deadly force, as a legal option under certain 
circumstances where life, property, and the welfare of others is at high 
risk. Broadens existing statute, which allows a person to use force to 
defend property that a person owns or leases, to include ''specific 
places a person has a right to be."

SB 200 allows the use of force to protect children threatened with death 
or serious injury, kidnapping, sexual assault, sexual abuse of a minor 
in the first degree, or robbery. It also permits use of force by a 
victim remaining inside an automobile being car-jacked, or by a person 
outside a vehicle being stolen if there is a victim inside that vehicle. 
Finally, the bill prohibits the use of force for any reason against law 
enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, or those assisting 
them in their official duties.

SB 224: OLDER ALASKANS' DAY, sponsored by Senator Gary Stevens, passed 
Senate State Affairs Committee and is now in Senate Rules. SB 224 
establishes the second Wednesday of September as Older Alaskan's Day to 
honor residents 60 years or older.

COMMITTEE SCHEDULE: Look here for committee meetings for the coming 
week. Bill hearings OFTEN change. If you are planning to testify it is a 
good idea to check the committee calendar the day of the hearing.

Go to BASIS Committee schedules:
http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/hearing_form.asp?session=24

H)HESS FIN SUB * Feb 06 Monday 7:00 AM HOUSE FINANCE 519
Division of Behavioral Health Youth for Success Initiatives

H)CORRECTION FIN SUB * Feb 07 Tuesday 7:00 AM HOUSE FINANCE 519
Detailed Overview FY07 Gov's Request Commissioner Marc Antrim

H)STA* Feb 07 Tuesday 8:00 AM
*+ HB 399 ELDER FRAUD AND ASSISTANCE/OPA

H/S)CHILDREN'S CAUCUS * Feb 07 Tuesday 12:00 PM BUTROVICH 205
+ Healthy Teen Relationships with Dr. Stan Weed, PhD, Institute for 
Research and Evaluation, and Carol Kidwell, Program Director, Let's Talk 
Health Relationships

H)HESS* Feb 07 Tuesday 3:00 PM
*+ HB 408 DEFINITION OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
+ Presentation by Dept. of Health and Social Services on "Bring the Kids 
Home" + Presentation by University of Alaska President, Mark Hamilton 
and Dept. of Education Commissioner Roger Sampson

H)HESSFIN SUB * Feb 08 Wednesday 7:00 AM HOUSE FINANCE 519
Division of Juvenile Justice & Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority

H/S)JOINT SESSION * Feb 08 Wednesday 11:00 AM
Chief Justice Bryner's Annual State of the Judiciary Message

H)JUD* Feb 08 Wednesday 1:00 PM
*+ HB 353 SENTENCING FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES
*+ HB 339 DEF. OF VICTIM/PAROLE BOARD HEARINGS
*+ HB 363 ADDITIONAL JUDGES FOR THIRD DISTRICT

S)HESS* Feb 08 Wednesday 1:30 PM
*+ SB 252 DEFINITION OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

H)L& C* Feb 08 Wednesday 3:15 PM
+ Confirmation Hearings Board of Marital and Family Therapy; Physical 
Therapy and Occupational Therapy;

H)LAW FIN SUB * Feb 08 Wednesday 4:00 PM HOUSE FINANCE 519 Budget Overview

S)JUD * Feb 09 Thursday 8:30 AM
*+ SB 240 DRUG OFFENSES: NEIGHBORS AS CRIME VICTIMS

S)FIN* Feb 09 Thursday 9:00 AM
=+ SB 218 CRIMINAL SENTENCING AND POLYGRAPHS

H)HESS* Feb 09 Thursday 3:00 PM
Presentation by National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence (NCADD)

H)HESSFIN SUB * Feb 10 Friday 7:00 AM HOUSE FINANCE 519
Division of Public Assistance Human Services Community Matching Grants

Download legislators contact numbers:
http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/infodocs/WHOSEWHO2005.pdf

Governor’s Corner:
View the FY07 Budget
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/07_OMB/budget/index.htm
Read the Governor’s state of the state address:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/speeches.php?id=2148
Read the Governor’s state of the budget address:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/speeches.php?id=2158

Governor Murkowski announced the appointment of two working groups 
recommended in a report by the Alaska Council on Homelessness. The 
report “Keeping Alaskans Out of the Cold” was the work product of a 
group appointed by the governor to look at ways agencies could address 
the problem of homelessness in Alaska. The council provided a final 
report to the governor in late 2005.

The council recommended that the governor appoint a steering committee 
to research options and develop a housing trust framework which will 
maintain the affordability of housing. The governor asked Jeff Jessee, 
CEO of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, to chair the steering 
committee.

The council also recommended the appointment of a work group on 
affordable housing. The work group will help determine ways the private 
sector can help address community and statewide barriers and solutions 
to ending homelessness, including encouraging private investment, local 
planning issues, and use of “best practices” that will improve the 
affordable housing inventory in Alaska. The governor asked Dan Fauske, 
executive director of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, to chair 
the work group.

Governor Murkowski also announced the passage of the federal budget 
reconciliation bill by the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill 
contained an Alaska Medicaid formula change critical for the state. 
Under the provision, the federal-state cost percentages will revert to 
those which existed prior to October 1, 2005 pending a two year study of 
health costs in Alaska and other factors. This congressional action 
prevents the need for a $53 million FY06 supplemental appropriation for 
the Medicaid program and another $66 million for FY07.




SPECIAL EVENTS

Medicare Prescription Coverage Information for Seniors and the Legislature:

On January 1st, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services initiated 
Medicare Part D, the prescription drug program that provides benefits 
for individuals covered by both Medicare and Medicaid.

If you missed last week’s overview in the House HESS committee you have 
another opportunity to learn about the plan. Senator Dyson, Chairman of 
the Senate HESS Committee, has organized a hearing for seniors and the 
Legislature to learn about the prescription drug benefit plan.

The hearing will be on Wednesday, February 22 at 1:30 pm and will be 
telecast statewide on Gavel-to-Gavel.

Contact your legislative monitor:
Caren Robinson dcc at alaska.net


-- 
Randy H. Magen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Social Work
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
(907) 786-6901
FAX: (907) 786-6912
http://afrhm1.uaa.alaska.edu