Governor signs multiple bills into law

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has been busy signing multiple bills over the past several weeks, including HB 172, SB 131, and three separate bills meant to increase and modernize public safety

First up is HB 172, The Crisis Stabilization Center Bill. HB 172 establishes an alternative placement option for individuals experiencing mental and behavioral health crises. It clarifies the process for treating people who are experiencing a mental health crisis, allowing a person experiencing a crisis to be admitted to a stabilization center for up to 23 hours and 59 minutes. It also requires a mental health professional to examine the patient within three hours of their arrival to the facility. The patient’s stay at the facility would include evaluation, stabilization, and treatment.

HB 172 builds off of previous legislation in 2020 that established crisis stabilization centers, which are intermediate treatment option for those facing mental health crises. The centers are open 24/7, staffed by mental health professionals, and designed to provide prompt mental health evaluation and stabilization.

The bill calls for an increase in the number of beds available for treatment and helping public safety officers focus on crime prevention while emergency healthcare professionals can focus on Alaskans in need.

“It was an honor and privilege to provide testimony in support of House Bill 172 which addressed critical ongoing efforts to advance a ‘no wrong door’ approach to crisis stabilization services,” wrote Michael Carson, Chairman of the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force of the bill’s signing.

“These services would create a 23-hour and short term crisis stabilization centers, working with law enforcement and first responders to connect community members for behavioral health critical services that are much needed.”

The bill was a response to an October 2018 lawsuit that alleged people experiencing mental health crises were instead being indefinitely detained in jails or emergency rooms due to a lack of beds at the state psychiatric hospital.

The law was not without controversy as it made its way through the Alaska House and Senate, with some indicating concerns to people’s civil liberties as the bill pertains to minors being taken to a crisis stabilization center without first informing parents and the administration of psychotropic medications without consent.

However, the final version of the bill does address concerns over notification of parents or guardians to read that: “who is a minor or an adult for whom a guardian has been appointed may not be transferred from a crisis stabilization center, evaluation facility, or treatment facility to a different crisis stabilization center, evaluation facility, or treatment facility before the center or facility makes a good faith attempt to notify the parent or guardian of the person, as applicable, of the proposed transfer.”

Addressing the administration of psychotropic drugs to minors, the bill states that before administration, “a mental health professional shall consult with a parent or guardian of the minor, evaluate the minor for drug withdrawal and medical psychosis caused by currently prescribed drugs or self-medication, and review all available information regarding the minor’s family history, diet, medications, and other contributing factors.”

And overall, the bill hopes to expand the accessibility of care to behavioral treatment rather than having someone wait for care in an emergency department or jail.

The bill was passed with a near unanimous vote, with Representatives David Eastman and Chris Kurka as the dissenting votes.

Meanwhile, on July 29, the Governor signed into law 3 bills aimed at increasing public safety for all Alaskans. HB 106 will align Alaska law with federal requirements regarding reporting missing persons under the age of 21.

HB 106 ensures missing persons cases involving someone under 21 will be met with urgency. It also addresses recent changes in federal law that require law enforcement agencies to transmit reports of missing persons under the age of 21 into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) no more than 2 hours after a person has been reported missing. Under the current law, Alaska law enforcement has up to 24 hours to report a missing person under the age of 18. HB 106 brings state law up to date with the new federal law and aligning with the current practice of Alaska’s law enforcement agencies.

HB 325 updates the state’s domestic violence statutes, the definition of consent, and better protects victims of crime. The bill updates domestic violence statutes with a clear definition of consent as “freely given, reversible agreement specific to the conduct at issue by a competent person.”

House Bill 325 also addresses domestic violence laws relating to revenge porn. Additionally, the bill ensures timely testing of rape kits in 6 months as opposed to 1 year; it requires individuals pursuing a name change to notify the courts of a history criminal charges, as well as parole, probation, or sex offender status; and finally, the bill permanently revokes teaching certificates from those individuals who possess or distribute child pornography.

“For too long, Alaska has led the nation in the highest rates of domestic violence and sexual assault. With the passage of HB 325, we are taking necessary steps in protecting Alaskans,” said Representative Sara Rasmussen, who sponsored the bill.

SB 7 will now require the Department of Public Safety to publish policies and procedures related to the conduct of peace officers. With a spotlight on law enforcement conduct over the past decade, SB 7 is designed to ensure transparency between police departments and Alaskans. SB 7 requires the Alaska Department of Public Safety to publish policies and procedures on the department’s website.

“Senate Bill 7 was developed in order to restore trust between the general public and public safety officers,” said Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson, one of the bill’s sponsors, who hopes that the passage of the bill will increase transparency and accountability, and creating a better environment.

In a statement, Governor Dunleavy said that public safety is a top priority:

“No matter who they are or where they live, no Alaskan should live in fear. By enacting these commonsense measures, we’re making Alaska safer. We’re closing loopholes in our assault laws, keeping offenders accountable if they change their names, improving response times for missing persons while increasing protections for college-aged Alaskans, and codifying transparency in our public safety policies.”

The Governor expressed that safety should not be a political issue and that these bills are a result of bipartisan progress

Lastly, on July 30, Governor Dunleavy signed Senate Bill 131 (SB 131), which provides firefighters statewide with expanded workers’ compensation disability coverage.

During the bill signing ceremony at the Girdwood Fire Department, Station 41, the Governor praised Alaska’s firefighters for being ready to risk their lives for their neighbors and community before saying,

“It is important they know the State values their efforts, and Senate Bill 131 exemplifies that gratitude. With this bill, our firefighters will now have expanded workers’ compensation disability coverage should they face a cancer diagnosis and can receive impairment and death benefit payments that are commiserate with their line of work and sacrifice.”

SB 131 recognizes the impact and exposure of harmful, carcinogenic chemicals which firefighters may be exposed to, adding breast cancer to the presumptive cancers covered by workers’ compensation disability. The bill also increases the workers’ compensation permanent partial impairment and death benefit payments.

In attendance to the ceremony, Senator Roger Holland, who helped write the bill, added his praise and thanks to Alaska’s firefighters, saying,

“Thank you, firefighters, volunteers, and first responders for your unwavering, tireless response to the many calls for help from our community. We know you are doing all you can to protect Alaskans, continuing to put yourselves in dangerous circumstances to save the lives of our neighbors. Senate Bill 131 is just a small way to support these women and men in the firefighter service.”