[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6279643,"mediaKeyId","2621760-fc5626a51c8a69689d13d5c289e4e6aa","parentId",2621760,"title","Committee hears support for infant 'safe surrender' devices; HB64 would authorize baby boxes as an alternate surrender method","audioSeconds",2622,"startMs",4887510,"endMs",7510000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2621760-fc5626a51c8a69689d13d5c289e4e6aa&start=4887&end=7510","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2621760-fc5626a51c8a69689d13d5c289e4e6aa/thumbnail_4887510.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6279643/Alaska/Committee-hears-support-for-infant-safe-surrender-devices-HB64-would-authorize-baby-boxes-as-an-alternate-surrender-method","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279643-7b12c0778231306fbc7b74d1f61e4be9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163182&Signature=dGWbnLpVyBaMiRM8DkJQG3sJ9O34ruQimze4-oMLyqTo1H2uggfnhBMG05t-WYW4w6Vh5ieqGjNJ2RGOxXDCptqWCnWceKKL8WiD8ZCQU9x9lk7vXhoLX0WGC8pgCw0U8xDG3tKfHTcjTvJIUTrsmvMHqbiiP0urJAQNYWDiFuU-U-eu0C7piwWZLZG6~Wj~WI9DXhX~quDtcaRwyhZRmTOEBB0A3xWzhynW-4qt6JXlsx9BrV1GqNlNLeL1DK4GDEojnmkGoJc5x6IyEACEThPbbIE259sdU3LQ4U6TNuMuncILz-41-2c3p6f-Igxqk3BKZwTEBO9lbsyfAZ141g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","article","House Bill 64, introduced by Representative Tomaszewski (staff David Goff testified in his absence), would authorize infant safety devices — climate-controlled, affixed \"baby boxes\" — as an additional legally protected method of safe surrender under Alaska's safe-haven law. The bill would add designated facilities (hospitals, emergency departments, freestanding birth centers, rural health clinics, police and fire stations and other DFCS-designated facilities) where an affixed device could be placed, require immediate notification of public safety and medical personnel when an infant is surrendered and describe equipment standards for the device.

The nut graf: Supporters said the face-to-face requirement in the existing law can deter parents who want anonymity and that baby boxes provide a safe, passive option that immediately alerts staff; witnesses described donated, volunteer-funded deployment models used in other states and urged the committee to allow the option to reduce unsafe abandonments.

Invited testimony included Doug Schrage, fire chief of the Anchorage Fire Department, who said the face-to-face requirement can be an impediment and recalled an infant abandoned a block from a downtown fire station in November 2024; \"the face to face requirement of the current safe haven statue is an impediment to some people who want to be able to safely surrender their infant,\" he said. Julie Condell, a lead 911 dispatcher for the Anchorage Fire Department, supported the bill and said the boxes would trigger immediate alarms and dispatch so a child would be retrieved; \"if we can even save 1 life through this process, that everything else becomes secondary,\" Condell testified. Lonnie Marney, a Fairbanks city council member, described community fundraising models and noted cost estimates provided by manufacturers and local donors.

Legal and implementation questions arose in committee discussion. Committee members asked about how the state would track anonymous surrenders for child-welfare purposes and whether federal Indian Child Welfare Act requirements and diligent-search obligations would still apply; Carla Erickson, a child-protection attorney with the Department of Law, said existing child-in-custody procedures would still require diligent searches to identify relatives and to determine whether ICWA applies. Committee members also asked about device maintenance and monitoring; witnesses described alarm and sensor systems, interior video for verification and vendor maintenance agreements in other states.

Ending: Committee members set HB64 aside for future consideration and requested additional information on implementation details including maintenance, deployment models, training and how Office of Children's Services would handle anonymous surrenders while meeting ICWA and diligent-search requirements.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03/13/2025 03:15 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 64 would add authorized climate-controlled infant \"safety devices\" (baby boxes) to Alaska's safe-surrender statute so a parent could anonymously relinquish a newborn at designated facilities; the committee heard largely supportive testimony from fire and dispatch officials and set the bill aside for further review.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6279648,"Lawmakers hear competing views on HB70 allowing EMS to treat and transport operational canines; bill set aside",3067,1832120,4900000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2621760-fc5626a51c8a69689d13d5c289e4e6aa&start=1832&end=4900","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2621760-fc5626a51c8a69689d13d5c289e4e6aa/thumbnail_1832120.jpg","/articles/6279648/Alaska/Lawmakers-hear-competing-views-on-HB70-allowing-EMS-to-treat-and-transport-operational-canines-bill-set-aside","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279648-3c598796bf323e9e3efb058374db7cc6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163182&Signature=FmZ6LmvmmSDAs2Ew-eZ8QCzcRV7Y02sMdoo4tt~nO3K-ZoxNShWONcV9dTW8yuhIbDPUEnsdPIqEiRoDGpxjBnWOYBbf~8iZFuHxevUORYredoOcW9X35CQGrsqEi9lBlNrNTyWVyC5ahoiYK9Ubl9MhhSsCdi9RvcbnibYVgHd5JmJRHplt2MmEonKMrEQ~HIGaMvD0pPh7w9Nk4RGOlDc2buMETo3-dCR~K9P7RxUrvcIZNB5WrqEt1lsAJBlgzbha3I1p-gwIR2ynPzQuQz5DWAkvm7B3YqErxD0-hpT1qQh0FyZDvD4ubu4cVJMAx91ooNCOaANtScgSNygl5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 70, sponsored by Representative Shragi, would authorize emergency medical services personnel to provide on-scene pre-veterinary trauma care and transport for operational canines (K9s), add legal protections for EMS clinicians when they provide that care, and require training and written protocols if an EMS service chooses to participate. The sponsor summarized the bill as optional for services and focused on low-frequency, high-acuity events such as a police or search-and-rescue dog suffering combat-type trauma.

The bill prompted a division between EMS/tactical-medicine witnesses and veterinary associations. Brian Webb, a tactical paramedic from Anchorage who helped draft the sponsor language, described military and civilian canine tactical emergency care training and said the proposal was narrow and voluntary. \"EMS participation of canine care will be completely optional and is based on need and 100% approved by each services medical director,\" Webb told the committee. He and other EMS witnesses argued trained paramedics already use a small set of emergency medications and skills that can be applied to dogs to preserve life en route to veterinary surgery.

Veterinarians uniformly urged caution or opposed the bill as written. Rachel Berngardt, immediate past chair of the Alaska Board of Veterinary Examiners, said the board had not taken an official position and cautioned that \"Mister Webb spoke about nearly identical protocols. Nearly identical and identical are not the same thing,\" and urged careful definition of which medications and procedures would be allowed. Dr. Katrina Backus, a hospital medical director who testified as a veterinarian, warned that \"inappropriate treatments in emergency situations often do more harm than good\" and emphasized that some emergency interventions can worsen outcomes without specialized veterinary oversight.

Other testimony underscored the bill's practical arguments. Dr. Sean McPeck, a veterinary hospital owner who supports the bill, described remote and austere scenarios in Alaska where timely veterinary surgical care can be hours away and where paramedic interventions can be lifesaving: \"This is in route, in transit to a veterinarian... If we have massive hemorrhage, that can be direct pressure. Very simple, easy things.\" Search-and-rescue and law-enforcement handlers described rare but real incidents where transport or basic field interventions might have changed outcomes. Several veterinarians and the Alaska Veterinary Medical Association urged continued consultation and refinements to protocols and training, recommending an advisory process led by credentialed veterinary emergency specialists.

Ending: After extensive invited and public testimony on both sides, the committee set HB70 aside for a future hearing to allow further work on training, protocol specifics and veterinary oversight.","House Bill 70 would authorize EMS personnel to provide pre-veterinary emergency care to operational canines and include legal protections, training and protocols. The committee heard extensive pro and con testimony from paramedics, search-and-rescue handlers and multiple veterinarians; the bill was set aside for a future hearing.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6279651,"Committee adopts amendment to allow special designations for heart-attack and stroke care; HB27 passes from committee",1304,527965,1832000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2621760-fc5626a51c8a69689d13d5c289e4e6aa&start=527&end=1832","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2621760-fc5626a51c8a69689d13d5c289e4e6aa/thumbnail_527965.jpg","/articles/6279651/Alaska/Committee-adopts-amendment-to-allow-special-designations-for-heart-attack-and-stroke-care-HB27-passes-from-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279651-fa6b11fd18d9be5b03eb7167535b3209/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163182&Signature=f0pCv93lSO2UOEwszOgsfwS-LXEp-tJ8XvGxZIDO~a0huPpONfWDkCH7naIsUDY-LETwFWvRVIqIj07dop6Y~CUNCHHEjAamqDZ14oLOsAeN8dQdrXJpL-HaqRCkTNeDuDaqs8kUv97e~2T2sBPhzqTRmwqWDSuBL-BZCzbmQ35AuZraYyhEhWGCCOgJ33mFmYBgjg3VyX9MLamkUpCNPlPtE~jBW1rIeLD2qEi27xY8mhh9TBuOpuftM2g1O0TunhdsfBggGcI8vitXBgVK0q2SZFGewS7OpkBBUd1u3qX~ypcjPY~Uuxh0ikpVykhzBNY28qYza1Omh8LdPvk-Tg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chair Representative Mina opened the second hearing on House Bill 27, a bill to improve statewide response to major medical emergencies including heart attacks and strokes, and said the committee would hear committee discussion, public testimony and consider one amendment. Representative Ruffridge moved Amendment 1, which would add authority in statute for the state to designate and regulate varying levels of care for major medical emergencies, modeled on existing trauma center designations.

The nut graf: The amendment would let the Office of EMS use nationally recognized standards to credential hospitals as heart-attack or stroke centers and to form expert committees and registries similar to the trauma system; committee staff and agency witnesses said adopting the change would require modest additional personnel and database resources identified in the bill's fiscal note.

Dr. Michael Levy, an Anchorage EMS director and emergency physician, described the clinical rationale for acting on time for certain strokes. \"The types of interventions that are done now for certain types of strokes can convert devastating strokes that involve a large part of the brain to strokes that actually people have complete recovery from, even many, many hours after the onset of the stroke,\" Levy said, arguing timely triage and transport to capable centers reduces long-term disability. Gene Wiseman, section chief for Rural and Community Health Systems, told the committee the Office of EMS would replicate the trauma designation process for heart attack and stroke, including identifying nationally recognized credentialing bodies, forming subject-matter committees and maintaining registries. \"They work in conjunction with the American College of Surgeons for our level 2 hospitals ... I envision that it would be replicated, very, very, similarly to that system,\" Wiseman said.

Wiseman and other staff said the Trauma Systems Unit currently has limited staffing and that the fiscal note's proposed third position plus a database would be needed to coordinate designations and to maintain statewide registries tied to the new designations. Representative Ruffridge framed the amendment as a way to allow statutory flexibility to recognize facilities that meet national standards \"that produce that high level care and wanna take that designation on.\" The sponsor removed her objection after asking Wiseman how the amendment would function operationally; there were no further objections and Amendment 1 was adopted.

Later the committee voted to move a committee substitute for House Bill 27 from committee with the attached fiscal note. The clerk recorded no objections during the floor handling; committee members indicated the matter passed from committee for further processing.

Ending: The committee signed the report and proceeded to other bills. The record shows the committee adopted Amendment 1 and advanced HB27 with the committee substitute and fiscal note.","The House Health and Social Services Committee adopted an amendment to House Bill 27 to authorize the state to create special designations for facilities that provide heart attack and stroke care and advanced systems of care. The committee passed a substitute for HB27 out of committee with no objections.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears support for infant 'safe surrender' devices; HB64 would authorize baby boxes as an alternate surrender method

Lawmakers hear competing views on HB70 allowing EMS to treat and transport operational canines; bill set aside

Committee adopts amendment to allow special designations for heart-attack and stroke care; HB27 passes from committee