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Committee opens public testimony on SB 44, debates transparency and limits on restraints and medications for youth
Summary
Public testimony and senators’ questions focused on proposed reporting, parent notification, restraint use and medication practices in psychiatric hospitals for minors; sponsor Matt Klayman said he will file a committee substitute with language changes and the committee set a deadline for amendments.
The Senate Health & Social Services Committee opened public testimony on Senate Bill 44 on Jan. 30 and discussed proposed changes to reporting, parental notification and oversight for psychiatric care of minors.
Kathleen Wedemeyer of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights testified in support of the bill’s goals to "reduce the risk of abuse, strengthen family connections and improve the transparency of Alaska psychiatric hospitals," and urged additional limits on the use of psychiatric drugs for minors and expanded medical screening for undiagnosed conditions before psychiatric diagnoses and pharmacologic treatment.
Sponsor Senator Matt Klayman told the committee he will offer amendments to refine the bill. Klayman said he plans to replace the phrase "overseeing physician" with "professional person in charge," language that appears elsewhere in Title 47, to make clear which licensed professional may make certain treatment determinations. He also said the bill’s reporting requirement will be revised so the Department of Health—not the Department of Family and Community Services—collects certain information.
Committee members raised concerns about the use of restraints and of psychotropic medication in young people. Vice Chair Giselle and other senators described the potential for long-term effects of psychiatric medications on developing brains and urged caution. Senator Hughes and others asked whether improper use of restraint or medication could trigger licensing consequences for clinicians.
Bobby Nave, division operations manager for the Department of Health’s Division of Health Care Services, told the committee that overlapping state and federal regulations govern camera use during restraint and that the department’s certification and licensing program investigates complaints about improper restraint. "If deemed inappropriate and deemed that there's a specific individual that's professionally licensed, their actions led to that improper restraint, we would send that set up to their professional board to further investigate with those findings," he said.
What’s next: Senator Klayman said he is drafting a committee substitute and asked interested parties to submit amendment suggestions by noon on Tuesday, Feb. 4. He intends to present a committee substitute and seek further committee action on Thursday, Feb. 6. The committee did not vote on SB 44 during the hearing.
