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Bill would require inspections, family access and reporting for minor psychiatric hospitals
Summary
Rep. Maxine Diver presented HB 52 to mandate family contact, unannounced inspections with private interviews, annual seclusion/restraint reporting and 72-hour notification to guardians and the Department of Health; supporters called it a transparency measure while a Department of Health fiscal note estimated $225,800 UGF for one position to administer inspections and training.
Representative Maxine Diver (House District 31) told the Senate Finance Committee HB 52 was developed after a Department of Justice ADA review and prior reports that found concerning uses of seclusion and restraint in psychiatric hospitals for minors. She said the bill aims to strengthen safeguards and communication and noted testimony indicating Alaska Native children are disproportionately represented among minor psychiatric patients.
Rep. Diver outlined four central measures in the bill: a minor's right to confidential contact with a parent or approved adult for at least two consecutive hours per week; at least two annual unannounced inspections by the Department of Health that include private interviews of at least half of the minor patient population and age-appropriate wellness checks; an annual report to the legislature from the Department of Health (with DFCS data on minors in state custody, including in- and out-of-state placements) on types of seclusion and restraint used on minors; and a requirement that hospital staff provide written notification to the Department of Health and the minor's legal guardian within 72 hours of any seclusion or restraint event.
Ben Roth testified in support, saying the bill's transparency measures reduce risk of abuse and improve family access to communicate with children in care. Committee members asked no follow-up questions during invited testimony; public testimony was closed. Fiscal notes presented for HB 52 included two DFCS notes with zero additional cost and a Department of Health fiscal note estimating $225,800 UGF for one full-time position, associated training and regulatory changes.
Representative Diver closed by thanking the committee for hearing the bill; the committee concluded its work for the morning without a recorded vote on HB 52.
