SB 44 Alaska Senate · 34th Legislature (2025-2026)

An Act relating to the rights of minors undergoing evaluation or inpatient treatment at psychiatric hospitals; relating to the use of seclusion or restraint of minors at psychiatric hospitals; relating to a report published by the Department of Health; relating to inspections by the Department of Health of certain psychiatric hospitals; and providing for an effective date.

This bill (SB 44) protects minors receiving inpatient mental health care in psychiatric hospitals. It requires hospitals to provide minors with weekly confidential communication (via phone or video) with parents or approved adults, and mandates hospitals to notify parents within one business day of any seclusion or restraint use. The Department of Health must publish annual reports tracking restraint use, inspect hospitals twice yearly (interviewing at least 50% of minor patients), and collect data on minors’ care from other agencies. These provisions take effect July 1, 2025.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 22, 2025 Last action Apr 10, 2025

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What changed between versions

SB 44 → CSSB 44(HSS) · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to clarify who is responsible for authorizing communication between minors in psychiatric care and their families, expanded reporting requirements to include medication details for chemical restraints, and refined data collection protocols for minors in state custody. These changes aim to improve transparency and accountability in how psychiatric hospitals treat minors and document their care.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on minors in psychiatric hospitals, but the applicability of certain provisions was clarified to specify the 'professional person in charge' rather than an 'overseeing physician' for communication authorization, and data collection was narrowed to focus on minors in state custody for certain reporting requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the authority for approving communication between minors and their families from an 'overseeing physician' to the 'professional person in charge' of the psychiatric hospital.

Added the ability for psychiatric hospitals to place reasonable limits on the number of communication calls permitted with minors.

Modified data collection requirements to focus specifically on minors in state custody rather than all minors receiving residential care.

Reorganized the structure of reporting requirements to consolidate data collection provisions under subsection (f) and update related reporting requirements in subsection (e).

ADDED

Added requirement for annual reports to include the type of psychotropic medication used for each chemical restraint.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 7, 2025

Committee

(S) REFERRED TO FINANCE

upper

Feb 6, 2025

Upper · Passed

(S) Moved CSSB 44(HSS) Out of Committee

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors