[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6063158,"mediaKeyId","3270679-30812ce97d21699f0c2043d12691f5da","parentId",3270679,"title","Alaska Senate Committee advances bill to expand pharmacists' patient-care authority, excludes abortion‑inducing drugs","audioSeconds",116,"startMs",398000,"endMs",514000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270679-30812ce97d21699f0c2043d12691f5da&start=398&end=514","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270679-30812ce97d21699f0c2043d12691f5da/thumbnail_398000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6063158/Alaska/Alaska-Senate-Committee-advances-bill-to-expand-pharmacists-patient-care-authority-excludes-abortioninducing-drugs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063158-bbceb2994a8160dd7a422d255011dd74/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186481&Signature=csRB7YPVpvHZT3J6InkNe9Vky8ElMTdFxmukxqQwuK0ZJ2qrKq8cm0XPiUPwIqQB57eLZ-wmixtFz-ZkMwQJO8JhObOvbtpU8gINJmET1gvgvwVgppsVVmL7aESRq4Qt2f~VsjovifWj8zxgzKmWtiBpcI5WE-39nNUoOGMxVNr6IA81EKPbtHUFBCZ4g4pbxzpl~kYCHfbW5oAizQ7uQVRrmIauv2R1LVDAA73tilityQPkpNNk30NAmo3yTblpdPTHpgrEQRgSQq6gozatjQrH~62r2Q4m1TdjYT5A50m2X~RmrpkSU7jBEjgUUaeEizGFiVVGYw7ZAJew9MGWRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-05-09T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Labor and Commerce Committee members on Friday advanced legislation to expand pharmacists' patient‑care authorities while explicitly excluding authorization to prescribe abortion‑inducing drugs.

Senate Bill 147, sponsored in the Senate by Senator Kathy Giesel (R–District E, Anchorage), would allow pharmacists with doctoral training to provide a broader set of patient‑care services — including testing, prescribing and administering certain medications within their education, training and experience — through collaborative practice agreements. \"Pharmacists are highly qualified and trained health care professionals,\" Giesel said during the committee's second hearing on the bill.

The substitute adopted by the committee inserts language clarifying that \"patient care services\" do not include the pre‑prescription of an abortion‑inducing drug to a patient. Conrad Jackson, staff to Senator Bjorkman and the committee, explained the change on the record as an edit to section 6 (page 5) of the bill.

Supporters testified in favor of the bill as a workforce and access measure. Dan Nelson, identifying himself as director of pharmacy for the Canada Chiefs Conference, said SB 147 \"will increase access to pharmacists providing patient care services, maximizing the professional capacity of Alaska's existing healthcare professionals.\" Multiple practicing pharmacists — including Linda Gutierrez Miller, Amity Winborg, Barry Christiansen, Britney Karnes, Amy Young and Ballard Saul — described experience working under collaborative practice agreements and said the bill would help expand access, especially in rural areas. \"Patients these days have multiple chronic conditions,\" Gutierrez Miller said, adding that collaborative practice agreements improved chronic disease management.

Opponents raised patient safety concerns and cautioned against expanding prescribing authority without safeguards. Nicole Thomas, a registered nurse from Anchorage, said pharmacies are often busy and questioned whether pharmacists would have sufficient time for comprehensive assessments. Steven Pierce of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights urged restrictions on psychiatric drug prescribing, saying he feared expansion could increase psychiatric drug use without appropriate oversight. Pamela Samash (Nenana) and public witnesses opposed on the grounds of conscience and potential access to abortion drugs before the substitute clarified the bill's limits.

Committee members asked for clarifications during discussion. Brandy Cygno Martin (testifying for the Alaska Board of Pharmacy) and other witnesses noted statutory guardrails in current law limit pharmacist care to conditions that are minor, self‑limiting, or have clear diagnostic tests. \"It wouldn't just be something that any random pharmacist in any setting would be providing,\" Cygno Martin said, describing settings in which board‑certified psychiatric pharmacists or clinic pharmacists might work under collaborative arrangements.

Procedural actions: the committee adopted the proposed committee substitute as a working document and, following public testimony and discussion, voted to report the committee substitute from committee with individual recommendations and an attached fiscal note. The committee record shows no recorded roll‑call vote; the motions were adopted \"without objection.\"

What the bill does not change: witnesses and staff emphasized that the bill does not alter dispensing rules (pharmacists' routine dispensing of prescriptions) and does not change pharmacists' authority to fill a prescription written by a physician or other prescriber. Brandy Cygno Martin told the committee the bill \"does not touch\" dispensing functions; it concerns additional patient‑care services outside dispensing.

The committee will send the reported substitute forward with its recommendations and the attached fiscal note. Further amendments or floor action may follow as the bill advances.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","05/09/2025 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Labor and Commerce Committee members advanced a revised measure that would let doctoral‑level pharmacists test, treat and prescribe within collaborative practice agreements while adding language that explicitly bars pharmacists from prescribing abortion‑inducing medication.","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},6063142,"Committee hears support for occupational therapy licensure compact to ease interstate practice",166,5282000,5448000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270679-30812ce97d21699f0c2043d12691f5da&start=5282&end=5448","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270679-30812ce97d21699f0c2043d12691f5da/thumbnail_5282000.jpg","/articles/6063142/Alaska/Committee-hears-support-for-occupational-therapy-licensure-compact-to-ease-interstate-practice","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063142-1d5cd8fb1f4ede6b1b73e61c76336dd0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186481&Signature=Enu45x9uq07P~TOFBHxuVaO1xNmg7avMq9Rg5Gb8eejx9F79qgETuO9dxQOQkJEc6t1dNnoVo3y3T21UoYq6UzbBSvZauYQeKAoE-Uf3NwceJfDuXPALd6svEHW-AXdShG9YoAnnj~hYJtvfZib0qly9x9WW4dq2lSAMKtkS3JwcmUAvbdqGYmcMlrRGDa1yB6oxVMToc4oek4hZzpTr10P~upqfso7BAMOwlAFIPBLDgLgW5u~2aIiJeCuGKlDtsmTfjrkTRwNdhTdgsis4Sp1mHbQfFHkDlFIxkHOHq4O3dvkq4KmT92D3SQNOvYDvHevRRpMyv5wgKmd4Bd3Eaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 172, presented to the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, would enact the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact in Alaska to ease interstate practice for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants and improve access to services in the state.

Matt Churchill, committee staff, explained the shortage of occupational therapists in Alaska and said the compact would make it easier for therapists from other compact member states to provide services in Alaska via a compact privilege. \"There's only one training program in the entire state, and we simply don't have enough occupational therapists for the many Alaskans who are in need of this life changing service,\" Churchill said.

Keith Buckout, policy analyst with the Council of State Governments' National Center for Interstate Compacts, described how the compact establishes a uniform pathway for practitioners to practice in other member states subject to the receiving state's laws and possible jurisprudence exams, while also requiring background checks and enabling sharing disciplinary information across states. Buckout said the compact already has 32 member states and is becoming operational.

Local health‑care and licensing officials expressed support. Brianna Oswald, president of the Alaska Occupational Therapy Association, said the organization represents about 73 occupational therapy practitioners and supports the bill as a means to reduce bureaucratic burdens and increase access. Kathleen Hansen, system director of rehabilitation for the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, testified that licensure delays hinder hiring and access to care. Rebecca Dean, public board member of the Alaska Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Licensing Board, testified the board unanimously supports SB 172 and HB 173 and is prepared to administer the compact privilege process; the board also highlighted that the PT compact recently launched and that the licensing board has experience with similar operational changes.

Committee action: The committee received invited testimony and recorded support from the licensing board and provider groups. The committee did not complete final action on the bill during this session; it scheduled further committee work and will consider the measure again at a future date per the committee calendar noted at adjournment.

","Senate Bill 172 would enact the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact to enable licensed occupational therapists and assistants to practice across compact states via a compact privilege; licensing board, providers and compact experts testified in support to address workforce shortages.",{"_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},6063146,"East‑side Cook Inlet set‑netters back bill to create new administrative area",73,3564000,3637000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270679-30812ce97d21699f0c2043d12691f5da&start=3564&end=3637","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270679-30812ce97d21699f0c2043d12691f5da/thumbnail_3564000.jpg","/articles/6063146/Alaska/Eastside-Cook-Inlet-setnetters-back-bill-to-create-new-administrative-area","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063146-9f6903e19bfb297cac303bab7f63d58e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186481&Signature=LKX-fci0UPm5D-7TVxFcXANdtCcmd2ZPUaOWf52nPIEuHEhg6eyAE9tW7eoLVhatWwKZd0CaMX0JeKMgCgB1M5JOd2SR8FlwuXqhv1866IJozrOuDokKuxYrz6MBG6lcoFx9O82QPevP7LkdBJqvaURy2ri8j30H2D31FMpxs07wpXL5vyh3E713n5TouOtzYkpYUqV8H9bb9BRjSmiqtLT8dZftQFYQN54SkRXhzsj8TntR9cxrMaCoJcI~Kil2bg7WnZIjkz6pDw1nBSVqskfKyMtB716rj~SVVLRSvBj61eJRwKpIOfMlGdz1c7M7HZANam2t9EDTB3qxHv9O2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 158, presented during a second hearing in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, asks the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC) to draw a new administrative boundary in the upper subdistrict of the central Cook Inlet to incorporate six statistical areas traditionally fished by East‑side set‑netters.

Conrad Jackson, committee staff, described the measure as recognizing the uniqueness of the fishery and existing management practices: \"Senate Bill 158 proposes [CFEC] to draw a new boundary area in the upper subdistrict of the central district of Cook Inlet that would incorporate the six statistical areas that have been traditionally fished by the East Side set netters.\" Several East‑side set‑netters testified in support, describing multiple consecutive poor seasons and conservation concerns, especially for Chinook salmon.

Testimony emphasized the fishery's distinct character and local hardship. Greg Johnson, an East‑side set‑netter since 1981, said the fishery is \"very unviable\" and urged the committee to start the conversation through the bill. Multiple speakers — Gary Hollier, Gary Diamond, Alan Crookston, Dan Norman, Joanne Wichers, Lisa Gabriel, Andy Hall, Travis Every and others — described multi‑generation family participation, years of disasters, and a small fleet that has borne the conservation burden. \"Our fishery is limited while sport and personal use fisheries are unlimited in effort and access,\" said Andy Hall (Kenai Peninsula Fishermen's Association president; testifying on his own behalf), arguing the change would give local fishers tools to plan for the future.

CFEC testimony referenced by staff at the earlier invited hearing suggested that, if enacted, the agency could implement the bill in a straightforward way. Supporters said creating a separate administrative area would allow management to reflect the fishery's unique geography, infrastructure and social conditions.

Committee action: Committee received public testimony and moved to report SB 158 from committee with individual recommendations and an attached fiscal note (motion adopted \"without objection\"). The bill will move forward in the legislative process with the committee's recommendations.

","Senate Bill 158 would direct the Alaska Department of Fish and Game/CFEC to create a new administrative boundary in the upper subdistrict of the central Cook Inlet to reflect the distinct East‑side set‑net fishery; many local fishers testified in favor.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6063151,"Committee advances renaming and technical changes to Alaska State Human Rights Commission",197,2938000,3135000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270679-30812ce97d21699f0c2043d12691f5da&start=2938&end=3135","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270679-30812ce97d21699f0c2043d12691f5da/thumbnail_2938000.jpg","/articles/6063151/Alaska/Committee-advances-renaming-and-technical-changes-to-Alaska-State-Human-Rights-Commission","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063151-4e1a5682ac68192a54ce89bf6e53d135/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186481&Signature=lumLWreUDRuqRjNRJigt4gUrVFN2xSk4mCrrRUMhI5E33atc-JVC4sJtxkgXimgw-2ybJLLCCEraOx2ngBhqGMQaSP3DyAXNnMEVTNu-vi9RGDvBXsJnSAlouibct1Pty2ZPTZY5QodQ0ZFQ7XiSUh5lPP5id3g4a2lGb3BtdLz83ZyfOv4qBK1lwxXVS2ifSIAT-UpWGbCzEaHVMwqcT~XgKRrJWmdLH3ra5GcGehU5G~0NenXDpXC3MRgO2hXj52cmGmb83Uw5a57EB~j2~268A8pnK1IEflDucJODM5Cx2IYx-yqoUhn-5AodN5zB7FKMVAHVyAyt5~MDPKSR3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee advanced Senate Bill 117, a technical and organizational package for the Alaska State Human Rights Commission that includes a name change and several operational clarifications.

Senator Scott Kawasaki (chair, Senate State Affairs Committee) told the committee the bill renames the body to the Alaska State Commission for Civil Rights to align modern terminology with the agency's functions and to clarify several authorities. \"It also does four other items,\" Kawasaki said, summarizing the bill: it clarifies the commission can investigate and hold hearings involving nonprofit employers; it permits a religious‑organization defense in discrimination claims; it changes the timing and format of the commission's annual report to November 15 and electronic delivery; and it narrows the grounds for gubernatorial removal of commissioners to cause (including incompetence, neglect or misconduct), rather than removal without cause.

Rebecca Carrillo, a commission representative, explained the practical reason for shifting the report deadline: ASHIRA (data) is not available early enough for immediate post‑session reporting and the later date allows staff adequate time to analyze data and prepare the report.

William Craig and other invited witnesses, including commission staff, voiced support for the name alignment and the reporting change. Committee members had no substantive questions on the bill during the hearing. The committee moved to report Senate Bill 117 from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes (motion recorded in the transcript as adopted \"without objection\").

","Senate Bill 117 would rename the Alaska State Human Rights Commission to the Alaska State Commission for Civil Rights, clarify authority to investigate nonprofit employers, adjust removal standards for commissioners, and change the timing and format of the commission's annual report.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6063156,"Committee backs bill letting Alaska‑based commercial fishing insurance cooperatives form without insurer regulation",853,2202000,3055000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270679-30812ce97d21699f0c2043d12691f5da&start=2202&end=3055","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270679-30812ce97d21699f0c2043d12691f5da/thumbnail_2202000.jpg","/articles/6063156/Alaska/Committee-backs-bill-letting-Alaskabased-commercial-fishing-insurance-cooperatives-form-without-insurer-regulation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063156-0c8b0fe1ee6895a882510beedd013236/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186481&Signature=k4h6DUOl-XH~dN4EPMF1xZlSE2Xi2U35H-EiXZX16v6styKq~W8F5H9EP89ennGvyKeyKeVFx~1K-jdiZ9e1PF1oTsdKznq~rf3t5PvmKVnMOtZqP~MqMzLs0uBnU5ueljT~lC4iHB0N~R7Pr9x6FnD7KGDM2JRiGfXel4TcjrfL7Eb7pUh-G3AmfYAzuwY1ih756UoK0-bgQGx8CoUgtb-PMT6uW5gpGtOtHDWUoGVc~6JvAX9rg2XWdJLzo5-aQ2JlWDMd-oBdlMpiCzAjMqb7Fc2NJ2kmzpNWO-RybrG2I8IWWKPCnY-EuZZFOxnud3T~oqpTqUe2Ntbl2zsQtg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee moved forward on House Bill 116, a measure to allow commercial fishermen to form member‑owned insurance cooperatives in Alaska without being regulated as insurers under Title 21 of state law.

Representative Louise Stutes (House District 5, Kodiak, Cordova, Seward), presenting the bill, said the measure implements Recommendation 10(a) of the Joint Legislative Task Force on evaluating Alaska's seafood industry. \"House Bill 116 would allow commercial fishermen to enter into a cooperative insurance agreement to pay claims arising from liability or damage to a vessel without being regulated under Title 21, the state's insurance code,\" Stutes said.

Witnesses, including Tracy Welch, executive director of United Fishermen of Alaska, Laurie Wing Hyer, director of the Division of Insurance (state), and Bob Kehoe (manager of existing pools that operate under Washington law), told the committee that rising premiums and reduced availability from private underwriters are making insurance costly or unavailable for many vessel owners. Welch said cooperatives can provide a lower‑cost alternative and noted several pools already operate for Alaska vessels from Washington.

Director Wing Hyer explained the bill's operation to the committee: it mirrors language in Washington's insurance code that exempts such cooperatives from insurance‑company regulation while allowing the members to underwrite risks, set underwriting guidelines and make pool determinations. \"They would control their own destiny as respects insurance on the vessels,\" the director said.

Committee members asked practical questions about governance and recourse. Wing Hyer responded that a cooperative could refuse to insure a given applicant but could not, once a vessel was a member, simply refuse to pay claims based on caprice.

Representative Stutes and invited testifiers said the pools currently managed from Washington insure roughly 840 vessels and that Alaska‑based cooperatives could permit underwriting rules tailored to local realities, including coverage for older or wooden vessels and dividends for good loss experience. Stakeholders said the change would come at no cost to the state and could lower operating costs for commercial fisheries hit by high operating expenses and soft markets.

Committee action: Representative Stutes presented the bill and invited testimony; the committee moved to report the bill with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes (motion adopted \"without objection\" in the transcript). Next steps include committee recommendations and any fiscal attachments as the bill advances.

","House Bill 116 would allow member‑owned commercial fishing insurance cooperatives to operate in Alaska without being treated as insurers under Title 21; proponents said the change would lower premiums and improve access to insurance for an aging fleet.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Alaska Senate Committee advances bill to expand pharmacists' patient-care authority, excludes abortion‑inducing drugs

Committee hears support for occupational therapy licensure compact to ease interstate practice

East‑side Cook Inlet set‑netters back bill to create new administrative area

Committee advances renaming and technical changes to Alaska State Human Rights Commission

Committee backs bill letting Alaska‑based commercial fishing insurance cooperatives form without insurer regulation