HFIN-260507-0900

Okay, I'll call this meeting of the House Finance Committee to order. Let the record reflect that the time is 9:09 AM on Thursday, May 7th, 2026. And present today we have Representative, uh, Representative Stapp, we have Representative Bynum, Representative Kocher-Shragi, Chair Josephson, Representative Galvin, Representative Jimmy, Representative Hannon, and myself, Co-Chair Foster. And just a reminder for folks to mute their cell phones. And we have two items on the agenda today, and that's Senate Bill 24.

It's the tobacco and e-cig cigarette bill. And then we also have House Bill 258. That is the statewide spay and neuter program. And both of these bills are being introduced today. We'll take invited testimony.

And let's see here. So with that said, let's see here. First up— oh, I know. I wanted to let everyone know today is Tallulah's birthday. So please wish her a happy birthday.

Happy birthday, Tallulah. And we also have with us Representative Allard. And so with that, I'd like to invite up Senator Stevens as well as his staff, Mr. Tim Lamkin. If you could both put yourselves on the record and begin your testimony or your presentation. We have testimony later.

We have a lot of testimony, by the way. Just so folks know, we do have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5. We had 6. I think we're at 5. Senator Stevens, thanks for being here.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks for hearing this bill. Senator Gary Stevens, Kodiak. Really appreciate your hearing this bill again. We passed it in the past and you've been supportive of it.

This bill is about protecting our children from becoming addicted to nicotine. It's about restricting sales of nicotine products to youngsters. As you are well aware, the tobacco industry has responded to the decline in cigarette smoking with these other options, other smoking options in the forms of— form of vaping devices, particularly designed to appeal to our young children. And, and it's working. It's working very well.

This bill is an effort to push back on a multi-billion dollar industry that's trying to addict young people to these substances. The bill raises the legal age to buy, sell, use, and possess cigarettes, nicotine products, and e-cigarettes products to age 21. The bill is also complementary to a federal program that will provide the state with millions of dollars to publicize the dangers of addiction. And we've deferred this issue, Mr. Chairman, for simply too long. The time is now to face the industry and help protect young Alaskans who are being targeted for potentially a lifetime of addiction.

So thank you for hearing that, Mr. Chairman. Great. Thank you very much. We're going to jump right into invited testimony. I think we've— we're supposed to hear the bill the other day.

So apologies to everyone who, who was here to do testimony the other day. And thanks for being here again today. The first person we have up for invited testimony testimony is Ms. Jamie— let's see here— or actually Dixie St. John, school nurse for Kenai Middle School. If you're there, if you could please put yourself on the record. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Lampkin, Tim Lampkin, staff to Senator Stevens.

We're trying to get Dixie online. She's a nurse in school as we speak, so let's maybe go ahead with Ms. Burgess, if it— with your indulgence. Okay, and as soon as I see her come online, I have a note on here to try to let her testify, so we'll keep an eye out for her. Ms. Jamie Burgess, if you could put yourself on the record.

I don't see—. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Thanks for being here, Ms. Burgess. We can hear you just fine.

Okay, great. Thank you. My name is Jamie Burgess. I am the superintendent of Mill Public Schools. Um, so good morning to members of the House Finance Committee.

I'm testifying today on behalf of Senate Bill 24, which creates a legal age limit to sell, purchase, and possess vaping products and to provide funds to support cessation and detection devices. Number of schools have struggled with vaping in our schools since the rise of vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic. We took advantage of federal funding which allowed us to install vape detectors, as did many other districts across the state and our country. However, our situation with our vape detectors has become almost untenable with our staff unable to respond often to alerts as they continue to increase in frequency. Along with tobacco-containing vape products, we are also struggling with vapes which contain marijuana.

My high school site administrators have worked very hard to implement an anti-vape campaign. There are posters everywhere, conversations worked into our middle and high school health and physical education courses. Courses, and we have partnered with our local hospital to have healthcare staff come in for assemblies and to spend time in our lunchroom periodically with information on the dangers of vaping and available cessation help. One of the biggest challenges we face is that the vape products currently available have much more nicotine than cigarettes, and students have been easily persuaded that these are safe due to advertising campaigns which insinuate that these are safer than cigarettes Combined with the wide, wide range of available flavors and the absence of the less attractive cosmetic impacts of cigarettes, such as yellow teeth, yellow fingers, smoker's breath, and the general smoke smell, many of our students struggle with a desire to quit. But the addiction that we see is fast and significant.

We have been seeing student vaping cutting across all ethnic and socioeconomic levels. We have students who have lost the ability to participate in athletic events due to vaping. And despite all of our efforts at the school level, we still have too many students using. Our administrators, to some extent, are struggling with feeling that punitive discipline, such as in or out, in or out of school suspension, is not worth their limited time, given that many students are significantly addicted and struggling, and we want our students in class and learning. We believe that any efforts to reduce access to vape products for our students should receive strong support and also ways to provide funding for effective cessation programs.

Thank you, and I'm open to any questions that any committee members may have. Great, thank you very much. And as my superintendent for, uh, my Nome Schools, want to say thank you and appreciate your testifying. Do we have any questions? Seeing none, thank you very much, Ms. Burgess.

Next up, we are going to— thank you. And let's see, I am checking the list here and I don't see— so we are going to go next to Billy Strickland. Mr. Strickland, if you can put yourself on the record and go ahead and give us your testimony. Yes, can you guys hear me? Yes, we can.

Okay, good morning. My name is Billy Strickland, B-I-L-L-Y S-T-R-I-C-K-L-A-N-D. I serve as the executive director of the Alaska School Activities Association, and I come today to speak in favor of passing this bill. Alaska member schools have reported hundreds of tobacco violations from 2020 to 2026 involving schools across Alaska. This is not isolated to one community or region, or region.

School administrators and activities directors consistently report that the vast majority of these violations involve students vaping and other nicotine use. The trend is moving in the wrong direction. Reported violations increased from 95 in 2022 to 162 in 2023. 203 In 2024, and 239 this school year. Youth vaping is not just a health issue, it's a school discipline eligibility and student engagement issue.

When students are removed from athletics and activities, they lose access to some of the strongest protective factors schools provide: coaches, teammates, structure, accountability, and belonging. The report shows repeated and escalating violations demonstrating that schools are dealing with an ongoing nicotine addiction and substance use problem, not isolated incidents. Schools are already doing their part through reporting requirements, educational completion, additional competition penalties, and reinstatement requirements. Enforcement after the fact is not enough. Prevention, reduced youth access, and stronger statewide policy is needed.

SB 24 gives Alaska an opportunity to address youth vaping before more students become addicted to nicotine and before schools are left managing the consequences alone. Supporting SB 24 means supporting healthier students, stronger schools, and keeping more students connected to positive school activities. Thank you very much. And I would be glad to answer any questions you might have. Okay.

Thank you very much, Mr. Strickland. I got a question from Representative Tomaszewski. Thank you, Co-Chair Foster. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Strickland, for being here.

A quick question. It's not part of this bill, but do you think that if we banned flavors on vaping products, that it would reduce the use of vapes? Mr. Strickland, I—. [Speaker:DR. RICHARD HENDERSON] I think it could only help. You know, anything is better than nothing.

This is a, you know, very complex problem. Anecdotally, most students that are using alcohol are making a bad decision, but our students that are vaping are often addicted to this substance. So I think those flavors are entry points. But ultimately, it's because the student is addicted is why they continue. Okay, thank you very much.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Strickland. Next up, we've got— let's see, I'm going to check the list again here. We have Ms. Dixie St. John online. Ms. St. John, if you can put yourself on the record and provide us with your testimony. Yeah, hi, so my name is Dixie St. John and I'm a middle school nurse at Kenai.

Um, I'm working with students in grades 6, 7, and 8. I am speaking today as an individual, not representing an organization or group. I strongly urge you to support SB 24. In just over 2 years at my school, we have confiscated 77 vapes, um, from students. That number should be very alarming to you, but what's more alarming is that it does not capture the full scope of the problem.

These are only the devices that we have been able to catch. There's many more that we're not catching. Yesterday we confiscated a Crush brand vape advertised as delivering up to 50,000 puffs. It contained 50 milligrams per mil of nicotine in 20 milliliters of e-liquid, about 2,000 milligrams of nicotine. For comparison, a single cigarette contains 10 to 12 milligrams per cigarette.

These devices also allow for a boosted hit, delivering even higher doses instantly. It takes 2 puffs off of this device to equal 1 cigarette. A student reported paying $30 for this device, and they go anywhere from $15 to $25 for something like this. These are not hard to get. It's equal to like 30 packs of cigarettes for $30.

They are cheap, they are accessible, and they are extremely addictive. While I know Alaska law does place restrictions on shipping and online sales of vaping products, these products are still clearly making their way into the hands of our students and targeting them specifically, showing that current protections are not enough. What I see in school is deeply concerning. Students cannot make it through a single class period without asking to leave to go and vape. They are not just experimenting, they are dependent.

They are distracted, they are anxious, they are struggling to focus. They are missing instruction time, falling behind academically, and losing the ability to fully engage in their education. This is not something that we can fight alone on the school level. Nicotine is not harmless, especially for developing brains. It impacts attention, memory, and emotional regulation, which we see every single day.

The student I, uh, the students I care about for every day are showing these effects in real time, and I am seeing it daily. This is no longer just a behavior issue. It is a growing addiction crisis in our schools. Um, funds raised by this tax would go towards tobacco prevention efforts. While the bill mentions, um, options like, uh, purchasing vape detectors and things like that, I strongly believe these funds would be most impactful in It's invested in schools and community-based prevention programs, programs that support education, early intervention, and real help for the students who are already struggling with the addiction.

Just expecting kids to stop using something that takes adults many, many, many times and lots of help to quit is ridiculous. We have a responsibility to act. Increasing the legal age and strengthening protections around access are proven ways to reduce use youth use. The longer we can delay exposure, the less likely these young people are to developing a lifelong addiction. Policies like the SB 24 are not just about regulation.

They're about protecting the health, futures, and potential of our students, which is our future generation, right? Um, as a school nurse, I am asking you to see what we are seeing on the ground. This is urgent, this is real, and our students need stronger protections. We cannot pat students down. Students down.

You know, they hide them. They are resilient. They know how to get away with things. And that is just their nature. So we need help.

Thank you for your consideration. Do you have any questions? Great. Thank you very much. We do have a question.

Representative Tomaszewski. Yes. Thank you for being here today. Do you, although not part of this legislation, do you believe that flavors of vape have a— if we were to ban flavors on these vape products, do you think that would have a way to reduce the use and recidivism of this, using this product?

I personally, obviously I'm not a scientist, but I personally believe that would have a huge impact on the dabbling and the coolness behind it. You know, like previous said, students usually begin by like trying it as like wanting to fit in or experimentation, but they quickly become addicted. And the flavorings, they love the flavorings. They love the feel and the look of the devices. But yes, absolutely, the smell of them.

All the kids that I teach, they talk about that they smell so good. So yes, I think it would help. As well as all of the other things like raising the limit and things like the age limit. Thank you so much. Okay.

Representative Bynum. Thank you, Co-Chair Foster. Through the chair, thank you for being here to testify, even telephonically. Really quick. So you're engaged in the school setting.

It's my understanding that tobacco products are prohibited in general on school facilities. Is that generally the case for students and faculty, or is that just a prohibition for students only? Ms. St. John.

Um, I don't know if I say through the chair. Um, uh, yes, it— we do not have— staff is not allowed to use. If they were to use, I don't know of any— anybody who actually uses because they would have to get in their vehicle and leave the premises. Which I don't know anybody that does that. So yes, we are not, it is a non, it's for the entire, nobody is supposed to be on campus using, so.

Thank you for that. So I guess technically the term would be it's a smoke-free campus in general when we talk about our schools. Correct. Thank you. Okay, thank you very much for your testimony, Ms. St. John.

And so we've got two other testifiers here. Next up is Theresa Roble, if you can state your name and your position there and affiliation.

Uh, good morning, my name is Teresa Roble. I am the director for policy and advocacy at the Alaska Children's Trust. I'm calling today to testify in strong support of Senate Bill 24, which addresses the minimum age to buy and possess tobacco products and establishes consistent taxation of all tobacco products, including now vaping products. Aaska Children's Trust is a statewide lead organization focused on the prevention of child abuse and neglect. We believe in a future where Alaska's children, youth, and families have the knowledge, skills, supports, and resources they need to thrive.

We support policies that promote the health and well-being of Alaska's children and youth, and that includes policies targeted at reducing underage use of tobacco and nicotine products. Those products carry serious, well-documented health, health consequences, particularly in young people. Nicotine is highly addictive, and adolescent brains are especially vulnerable. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, repeated exposures to surges of dopamine from nicotine can disrupt brain systems that affect attention, learning, and impulse control. Young people who use tobacco products are more likely to experience respiratory illness, cardiovascular effects, and long-term dependence on nicotine.

For youth already navigating mental health challenges, nicotine use can complicate and worsen those Addictions. Senate Bill 24 supports the reduction in underage tobacco use by aligning state law with federal statute, raising the minimum purchase age for all tobacco products from 19 to 21. Preventing the initiation of tobacco use is far more effective and far less costly than treating nicotine addiction and related consequences later. The introduction of e-cigarettes and vaping has fundamentally changed the landscape of youth nicotine use in Alaska and across the country. E-cigarettes have become a new on-ramp to a nicotine addiction for young people who have never used tobacco before.

E-cigarettes and vapes are marketed in ways that appeal highly to youth. They're available in a wide variety of flavors, sold in bright packaging, and they're designed with features like touchscreens and USB charging that make them convenient and attractive to young people. Vapes produce little odor, making them really easy to conceal. Youth can use them in schools, public spaces, and at home without that telltale smell that would otherwise alert a parent or teacher. The result is unsurprising.

According to Kids Count 2024, 17% of Alaska high school students reported having used a vape in the past month. In 2022, vapes were the most used nicotine product by youth in the state. Senate Bill 24 addresses the youth nicotine crisis in two ways. First, it raises the minimum purchase age for all tobacco products from 19 to 21 aligning state law with federal statutes. Alaska's current 19-year-old threshold leaves a gap.

There are many 19-year-olds who are still in high school or interact often with former peers from high school. This means that there are legal purchasers of tobacco products that have direct, even daily, access to younger peers. Raising the age to 21 would close that gap and send a consistent message about what our state values when it comes to youth health. Second, Senate Bill 24 establishes a sales tax on e-cigarette products, making the tax on vaping products consistent with taxes on other tobacco products in the state. Targeted taxation is already how Alaska approaches cigarettes and alcohol, both of which have seen consistent decline in use— decline in use since state taxes were introduced.

Alaska's last peak in reported alcohol use by high school students was 40% in 2011. In 2023, youth had declined to 24%. Research from other states has shown that increased prices on e-cigarette products through taxation result in measurable reductions in youth use. Age restrictions and tax policy are investments in the health of Alaska's children and families. When we reduce the likelihood that a teenager becomes a nicotine-dependent adult, we reduce downstream costs to our healthcare system, behavioral health system, and workforce.

Senate Bill 24 is part of a preventative solution to combat the consequences of nicotine addiction on Alaska communities. Prevention is the most cost-effective path. We encourage your support for Senate Bill 24. Thank you very much for the opportunity to testify today. Thank you very much, Ms. Roble.

We've got a question from Representative Tomaszewski. Thank you, Ms. Roble, for being here. You mentioned flavors in your testimony. Do you believe that if we did an outright ban on flavors, that that would help reduce the rate of new kids coming on and becoming addicted to these products?

I believe it would help in some ways. I know that Other vape products are now just flavorless, and so we would need to have more beyond just flavors. But also knowing that there are still legal purchasers who will get it to use hands, having a taxation allows some of those funds to go towards prevention. Thank you. Okay, thank you very much, Ms. Roble, for your testimony.

And last up, we have, uh, Kari Nissen, if you can put yourself on the record.

Good morning, co-chairs and members of the committee. My name is Kari Nissen, and I'm representing the American Lung Association in Alaska. Today's e-cigarette market is dominated by disposable products that are larger, cheaper, and deliver far more nicotine. According to the CDC Foundation and the Truth Initiative, Over just a 3.5-year period, the total amount of nicotine sold skyrocketed by 249%, while the number of products being sold increased by only 35%, a dramatic sign that nicotine products are becoming far more potent and addictive. Both popular with youth, disposable e-cigarettes are low cost, high in nicotine, and and heavily flavored.

They're designed to attract, designed to hook, and designed to keep youth coming back. Some of these products have digital screens, Bluetooth connectivity, and even built-in games. SB 24 provides Alaska with critical tools to respond. First, price matters. Decades of evidence show that increasing the price of tobacco products Taxation is an effective way to prevent and reduce youth use.

When prices go up, use goes down. And 34 other states have implemented taxation on these devices. Second, clarity matters. SB 24 aligns tobacco sale age with federal law. Federal law raised the legal age to purchase tobacco products to 21 in 2009.

Alaska law still says 19, creating confusion for retailers and consumers alike. Updating state law will support compliance, strengthen enforcement, and reduce youth access. This alignment will make Alaska's already strong enforcement framework even more effective. And third, sustained prevention matters. SB 24 helps ensure Alaska has the resources to keep up with an industry that is evolving quickly and aggressively targeting our next generation.

SB 24 is practical, evidence-based, and a great response to an ever-changing public health threat. It protects our youth, supports enforcement, and strengthens prevention. Thank you. Thank you very much, Ms. Niesen. And I don't see any questions.

I want to note that we also have with us Representative Moore. And so thank you very much for your testimony. That takes us to the end of our invited testimony period. Just a reminder to the committee, we do have a hard stop. We have floor today, so we do have a hard stop in about 25 minutes.

We do have another bill before us. So I think what we're going to do is walk through that relatively short presentation that Mr. Lampkin has prepared, and then we'll do maybe 3 questions for the sponsor, and then we'll jump right in. I know that we've got invited testimony for the next bill, and we want to make sure we get through that. So it's just one invited testifier. But with that, Mr. Lampkin, if you could put yourself on the record.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your indulgence with this presentation. For the record, Tim Lampkin, Lamkin, spelled L-A-M-K-I-N, staff to Senator Stevens. Before you, I just want to point out with some visual aids the campaign that we've been addressing since the mid-20th century, the tobacco industry using advertising and marketing tactics that— in a playbook that they used then that they continue to use now. But with the added technology of the internet and promotional activities that are occurring online that are— that are tempting our youth into these addictive habits. This is a dated picture, but it's just a small sample set of what's being confiscated out there.

The devices range in shape and style from toys, would look like a thumb drive, might look like a can of soda, could look like a Star Wars lightsaber, and so forth. This is a small, small sample. We could probably at this point, when I've surveyed our schools independently, of every single school district in this state is being impacted by this activity. And I could probably fill up your desks here in this U-shaped full with the devices that have been confiscated to date. This is some online sampling to indicate the number of hits or puffs that these devices have, and they range quite broadly in their concentration, the amount of nicotine, the number of drags that they get.

I would invite you to compare— I've asked friends that are tobacco smokers, cigarette smokers, to at some point maybe count the number of drags that you have and compare that to the number of hits and the dollars spent. If you do the math, some of these hits are a fraction of a penny per hit. This is an infamous photo taken in 1994 known as the Waxman Hearings, where the top CEOs of the tobacco industry at that time swore on oath that nicotine in tobacco was neither addictive nor harmful to to health. And I think we all know that since that time that's been proven vastly false. And now we are faced with the same group or representatives of these companies telling us that they should continue to market these, these things to our young people.

I just want to keep that slide up as a reminder as we're— as we continue to be approached by interest groups in this matter to amend the bill and/or change it in manners that would benefit the industry. While I'm here, I thought I would touch upon Representative Tomaszewski's— through the chair— as regards banning the flavors. That's something that I've struggled with for some time.

While at the federal level is sort of a patchwork of such activity, it's not been ineffectual. And it kind of leads us into a conversation about what exactly to tax. Types of juice that's out there, the types of devices. That's sort of the clever, dare I say devious, nature of these, these products and the way they're designed and marketed. I, at this time, feel fairly resolved that banning the flavors outright would just drive these products to the black market.

There's definitely an entrenched demand for these products, and particularly for the flavors, not only for our young people but for Adults who rightfully can make the choice to take up these habits. And the best I've been able to manage so far, and I'll refer you to Section 24, which is the consumer protection laws that would make it unlawful to market products in a manner that would result in a young person buying. That's as close as I've been able to touch an outright ban on those flavors. Um, and I think Representative Bynum's question was answered as regards teachers smoking on campus, that generally we have smoke-free campuses and that's non-issue, I think. But thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Okay, thank you very much. We'll take up to 3 questions. First one, Representative Ballard. Thank you. And through the co-chair, this is actually a simple question.

So when you are all talking to individuals, have you had anybody come to you and defend the vapes and the flavors and say, hey, this isn't really necessary. We don't need to raise the age limit. I mean, you have this slide up and I'm going to do a follow-up. Mr. Lampkin. Through the chair, Representative Allard, I can't— I'm trying to think of folks that have defended— I suppose there's different camps on this issue and different components, for example.

Because of the tax? There's folks that don't want a tax. There's folks that really want a tax. There's folks that don't mind the tax but want to keep the age the same or lower the age. There's folks that don't like the tax but want to increase the age, particularly the military component, the "take the bullet" rhetoric.

So I have to admit that frankly, and to be bluntly honest, over the Since 2014, roughly 12 years now of working on this issue, as we continue to take no action and let our young people become addicted to this activity consistently, I suppose the only folks that consistently oppose this bill are those that, number one, profit by it, that they're in the business of making money, which there's a vast amount of money being made, or to suffer and speak through the filter of their own addiction. To nicotine or both. Thank you. Can I do a quick follow-up? So I have a colleague who sits to the right of me, and I'm sure he'd probably disagree with me.

But what I will say from my experience with the military, and I know Senator Stevens served as well, the military doesn't necessarily want individuals to smoke or take— you could go behind me. It's okay.

Because it is distracting. And I know how addictive they are. I've seen it with kids. My daughters were in school in high school, and I was shocked by how many kids actually vape. But it does distract from our overall mission in the military.

There's a reason they're not allowed to drink until they're 21 as well. And I would say that it would also cause the— healthcare system within the military. It will cause issues there as well. So I am for bringing the age up. There's a lot of training when you're in the military, when you're with individuals, when it comes to combat or your job or anything else.

I don't think there's a lot of training when it comes to vaping. And I'm sure there's videos and during Sergeant's time and everywhere else that they try to discourage the military members. So you can use that against my my colleague, and I'm sorry, but I really think that we should be able to tell 18-year-olds or anybody below the 21-year age, whatever, that this is really bad. I have seen pictures. They put holes in their lungs, and it's— I think that the flavors that Tomaszewski was talking about gives them this fake faux feeling that everything is okay, and they're obsessive.

With it. I had an individual that I knew that had to take a break every 2 hours— or not every 2 hours, twice an hour— and they would go into the bathroom, vape, and then they'd come back out, and it was totally distracting. But the bottom line is, I, I, yeah, I had a complaint about the retailers and the tax on it, but if it, it prevents the kids from doing it, I appreciate it. So thanks for bringing it forward. Sorry, that was a little long.

I'm done. Okay. Aye. And let's see, I think what we're going to do is we'll take Representative Bynum's question. We're a little short on time, and then we'll go to the next bill.

So Representative Bynum. Thank you, Co-Chair Foster, through the chair. Thank you for bringing this here, Senator Stevens. Thank you, President Stevens. Thank you.

Just really quick, I mean, the military conversation aside and what the federal government is doing on bases and the regulatory for troops, I was just hoping we could, like, bottom line up front, whether or not we're going to be creating criminal penalties, whether or not we're adding taxes, but the alignment of— I was hoping you might be able to comment on the alignment of putting the age at 21 with federal law and what benefits that brings to the state. Mr. Lampkin. Tim Lampkin, staff to Senator Stevens. Through the chair, Representative Bynum, That is a nexus that has been neglected for some time now. I believe it was in 2019 when our President Trump made the initial ban, and that's since been agreed with by Congress.

And we have since that time had this loophole that the state of Alaska continues to hold at 19, age 19, to buy, sell, purchase, and so forth. And so there are grant monies available. They were at one time up in the neighborhood of $5 million. That window may have closed and we may have by now, because we've been slow to bring our age up, may have lost some of those monies. And I would defer with that being said to Ms. Katie Stephens or Kristi Knight from the— from Health who would administer those type of grant programs.

Would you like her to? Okay. Ms. Katie Stephens, if you can put yourself on the record.

Hello, through the chair, this is Katie Stephens with the State of Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. Uh, thank you for your question. Um, while I do wish I could speak to that, our partners actually at the Division of Behavioral Health, um, who run our Synar enforcement program would be able to best answer that question as far as, um, how their budgets may or may not have been impacted, uh, by delaying, uh, alignment with federal law here in the state of Alaska. Okay, Mr. Lampkin. Tim Lampkin.

To specify, that'd be Mr. Ed Smyers, who is the chief investigator and enforcement gentleman out on the field that runs that program. He was unable to join us today, but I'll certainly get him here next time. Okay, real good. Okay, sounds good. I think what we're going to do is at our next meeting, we'll take up questions again.

We do have public testimony and 8 fiscal notes, and at that meeting I intend to set an amendment deadline. So with that, Senator Stevens, any closing comments? No, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have to say it's been fascinating to hear from people online talking about the issues that they're facing, the very quick addiction that happens, that it's hard for these kids to quit, that affects the developing brain. And easy to conceal.

And, you know, we need to get in line with the federal program, I believe. And hopefully some additional funds will be available. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Great.

Senator Stevens, appreciate you being here. Thank you very much. We're going to jump right into the next bill before us today, and that is the House Bill 258, is the statewide spay/neuter program. I'd like to invite up Representative Stapp as well as his staff, Ms. Elizabeth Rexford, if you could please come up to the table. We only have about 10 minutes, and I want to make sure that our invited testifier has an opportunity to testify.

So I think I'm going to do something slightly unorthodox, but I'm going to jump right into the invited testimony first. And so with that, Mr. Nick Laginas from the Borough Assembly, uh, for Fairbanks North Shore Borough. If you could put yourself on the record and go ahead and provide us with your invited testimony.

Yeah, good morning, chairs, uh, and, and members of the committee. My name is Nick Lajinas. I'm the— I'm on the Fairbanks North Shore Borough Assembly, which has brought forth the House Bill 258 board as a legislative priority. And, and are you I'm sorry, are you on a speakerphone?

Yeah, is that much better? Oh great, that's perfect. Thank you. Oh good, I'm sorry about that. Um, so not sure if you heard, but at any rate, um, yes, I'm Nick Laginas, member of the Fairfax North Strathmore Borough Assembly, uh, which helped bring forward House Bill 258 as our legislative priority.

I am also the president of the nonprofit Strathmore Dogs. That provides resources to dogs living outside all over Alaska to include free insulated dog houses, straw, veterinary care, rehoming, live trapping of lost pets, and food, all with unpaid volunteers. I genuinely believe Alaska will be a better place with the passage of House Bill 258, the statewide spay/neuter program. As a lifelong 53-year resident of North Pole, I am no stranger to the challenges of living in interior Alaska, but Alaska is vast, and every region— coastal, rural, and urban— faces its own unique hardships. We design solutions to meet those specific challenges where people live and work.

Today I want to call your attention to a problem that many Alaskans may not see every day, but one that affects every region of our state, including the communities each of you represent. Alaska is quietly facing the compounding consequences of overpopulation of stray and unwanted animals. These consequences are real and serious: bites and injuries on humans, the spread of harmful and sometimes deadly diseases, health and behavioral problems caused by animal inbreeding, significant financial strain on communities and families, generational trauma for children exposed to animal suffering, alarming rates of burnout, compassion fatigue, and even suicide among volunteer animal advocates. While this problem is most visible in rural communities where veterinary care is often limited or nonexistent, we would be naïve to believe it does not affect the entire state. Alaskans are known for helping one another, even when we disagree with our neighbors.

We step up when someone's in need. Living in extreme conditions teaches us that our actions or inactions can have immediate consequences. That value, looking out for one another, runs deep in our state, and I feel the necessity to inform you that this spirit of helping thy neighbor pales in comparison to what Alaskans, animal welfare advocates, and nonprofits are doing every day. Let me be clear, our network of nonprofit rescues, municipal shelters are not failing, quite the opposite. These organizations are passion-driven with ingenuity and sheer determination.

They routinely accomplish the impossible with limited resources. Many of you witnessed this firsthand when animal welfare groups rallied during the Typhoon Halong, risking their own safety to rescue 218 dogs, animals whose owners were instructed to leave behind. Over decades, these groups have built extraordinary relationships and partnerships with veterinarians, air carriers, shipping companies, and with each other. Flights have been diverted from scheduled flight plans to pick up injured animals to be flown into Anchorage or Fairbanks to receive emergency care and make things like this happen. Generally, in time-sensitive situations, 24/7, 365, and they do so without complaint.

But even the strongest army needs reinforcements. Our animal advocates are fighting a battle. They simply cannot won— be won through rescue alone. They need prevention. This is why I'm bringing you not just a problem, but a solution.

House Bill 258 is that solution. By supporting spay and neuter services statewide, This bill addresses the root cause of animal overpopulation, reduces long-term costs to communities, improves public health and safety, and eases the emotional and financial burden carried by volunteers and municipalities alike. On behalf of your constituents and on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves, I respectfully ask for your support of House Bill 258. Thank you for your time and consideration. Great, and thank you very much for your invited testimony.

We're going to go right over to the sponsor if you'd like to put yourself on the record and introduce the bill. Yeah, I think— go to your foster record. I represent Will Stapp, East Fairbanks, Fort Wayne, right in Badger House, District 32, and my illustrious staff, Miss Rexford. Liz, for the record, Elizabeth Rexford, staff to Representative Stapp. And HB 258 just creates a statewide Spay and neuter program primarily designed to help folks in all around the state.

And this particular area is rural Alaska that are struggling with feral dogs and cats primarily. As I've gone throughout this hearing, feral cats are actually quite a big problem even here in Juneau, as the former OMB director so duly noted in his public testimony in the packet. But I'll kick this over to my staff, Ms. Rexford, to kind of go brief overview of the bill because we're pressed for time. So, Ms. Rexford. Ms. Rexford.

Through the co-chair, Elizabeth Rexford here. I'll just walk us through the sectional analysis. Section 1 creates both the program and fund within the Department of Environmental Conservation under Alaska Statute 03-55-200. Revenue sources would include special request license plates, donations, federal or private funding. And interest earnings from the fund.

The program would provide financial assistance for spay and neuter services. This section establishes the eligibility criteria at or below 130% of the federal poverty level for Alaska. This section also establishes the reimbursement rate of up to 80% of the prevailing costs for, for the participating providers. The department would be responsible for verifying eligibility, setting reimbursement rates and processes, promoting awareness of the program, maintaining a list of participating providers, and submitting an annual report to the legislature. Section 2 allows the state to create spay and neuter specialty license plates.

Section 3 establishes a $100 fee for the license plates. Section 4 adds the fund to our state accounting statutes to ensure proper tracking and management of funds. Section 5 allows Alaskans to voluntarily contribute part of their permanent fund dividend to the fund. Section 6 ensures that the fund appears on the PFD applications. Section 7 exempts the fund from the standard 7% permanent fund dividend coordination fee.

Section 8 requires the DEC to submit the first annual report by January 18, 2028. And Section 9 establishes the effective date of January 1, 2027. Okay, real good. Questions? Representative Hammond?

I have a—. Thank you, Chair Foster— a quick question because the— and I'm looking for the definition and it starts in title where it's companion animal spay, and so I'm trying to just understand if that's a legal definition that confines it to dogs and cats, or is there a distinguishment between feral and domestic, or sled dogs versus pets, but wanting to know when that term companion appears in the bill if that has a legal distinction that's substantial in eligibility of animals covered. Representative Staff. Yeah. For the record, Representative Staff, through the chair, to Representative Hannan.

Good question. I don't think it has a legal connotation that makes a certain distinction or not, but I'll defer to my staff if you know the answer to that, or I can certainly get back to the committee. Ms. Rexford, through the co-chair, we did remove one section through the First Committee of Referral that did refer to feral cats. So this doesn't deal with any feral cats, even though there is a large problem in Alaska with it. This is a bill purely aimed at prevention, and I've only heard problems with cats and dogs over the last few months.

So I'm going to assume that it's for cats and dogs. So, yeah, I mean, I suppose if somebody had a pet raccoon, you could spay that thing too, though. Chair. Representative Ballard. I'm sorry, sorry, I meant Representative Hernandez.

Thank you. I had one follow-up. So as your research— thank you, Chair Foster. So as Ms. Rexford, if you're getting back to legal, I guess my points of interest are, are we covering feral dogs or, you know, dogs that no one is claiming? We've excluded feral cat colonies.

And is there a distinction between sled dogs versus pets, right? Because I know that sometimes— I know there's a very high-profile case right now in the— and there is a distinction in how they can enforce because they were sled dogs, and there are different standards of care allowed. And so just trying to figure out the scope of coverage. I believe— I share your concern that we have a problem, and I think it's prevention is a good thing. That sounds tough.

Yeah. Through the co-chair to Representative Mahanot, I honestly don't think the bill makes a distinction, but I will have to get a lifeline and check with the legal department. It's a really good question, though. I rarely get stumped here, so I'm impressed. Thanks.

I'm going to try. Unfortunately, we do need to adjourn out. I do have on the list Representative Allard and Bynum for our next meeting on this. We're going to go ahead and Representative Foster. I've got the floor to go to.

Representative Bynum, do you have a—. If it was okay, I just wanted to comment to the sponsor of the bill. Thank you for bringing a bill forward that fills up my mailbox, email box. So—. Representative Stepp.

There will be plenty more emails. They'll keep coming until the vote improves there, Representative Bynum. Thanks. Okay. And our next meeting is scheduled for this afternoon at 1:30, and at that meeting we'll hear two bills.

It's House Bill 388, the Bolkfield Loan Cap Bill and also House Bill 193, Paid Parental Leave. So if there's nothing else come for the committee, we'll be adjourned at 9:58 AM. Thank you.