Alaska House votes to require that schools stock overdose-reversal drugs

Alaska schools may soon be required to stock drugs that reverse opioid overdoses.

On a 37-2 vote, the Alaska House of Representatives approved House Bill 202, sending it to the state Senate for further consideration.

Rep. DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer and the bill’s sponsor, said it’s important that the Legislature address a growing problem. Alaska had 342 fatal drug overdoses in 2023, she said, and while “those weren’t necessarily people in schools or under 18, but it’s a trend that goes throughout all ages.”

Rep. Alyse Galvin, I-Anchorage, said overdoses are absolutely a problem in schools within the state’s largest city.

“In Anchorage just last month, we had 10 incidents of fentanyl in five different high schools. This is real, this is here, this is hot, this is a problem,” she said.

Speaking to fellow lawmakers on Friday, Johnson said that while large school districts, such as Anchorage, already mandate antiopioid drugs, many smaller districts do not.

In addition, while those drugs have become common at fire stations and other public facilities — including the state Capitol — that isn’t true in rural Alaska.

“There are small schools sprinkled throughout Alaska, and oftentimes they are the center of the village, the community … and all number of activities can take place there,” she said. “This may be the only place that you can find an opioid reversal kit in some of those small towns.”

Reps. Mike Prax, R-North Pole, and David Eastman, R-Wasilla, cast the lone votes against the bill and questioned whether a mandate would cause more trouble than good. 

Prax said he believes the bill could raise liability questions for schools, and Eastman questioned whether the cost in time and money would be worth it.

Other members of the House said that the answer is an unequivocal yes.

“If we can save one life, the effort is worth it,” said Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau.

Johnson noted that if drug dealers can get drugs into communities, the state can certainly get antioverdose drugs into those same communities.

“Drug dealers, they’re pretty good at distribution. We should probably learn something from them,” she said.

House votes to clamp down on pharmacy benefit managers

In a separate vote on Friday, the House approved legislation to limit the powers of health care managers that negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. 

In recent years, many firms that conduct those negotiations have been bought by chain pharmacies, and legislators at the state and federal levels believe those acquisitions are driving up the cost of prescription drugs and forcing independent pharmacies out of business.

House Bill 226, from Rep. Jesse Sumner, R-Wasilla, passed the House on a 30-7 vote and advances to the Senate for further work. 

The bill is lighter than what its supporters wanted; to cut costs, it excludes state employees and union benefit plans, affecting only private health plans. 

Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, was among the lawmakers who criticized those exclusions and voted against the bill. Sumner responded to Stapp’s criticism by saying he looks forward to cosponsoring Stapp’s bill to add those plans next year.

Shellfish farm bill passes House

Also Friday, the House voted to ease the approval process for aquatic farms that grow shellfish and seaweed, among other products. Mariculture, as it is known, is Alaska’s fastest-growing agricultural sector, with dozens of new farms authorized in the past few years. Lawmakers approved House Bill 329, from Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, on a 38-1 vote, sending it to the Senate for further review.

Also Friday, the state Senate voted:

• to require public schools to hold classes on the history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the United States. Senate Bill 131, from Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, was approved on a 19-0 vote and advances to the House for further consideration.
• to adopt the “Honor and Remember” and “Honor and Sacrifice” flags as official symbols of the state to recognize soldiers, police and firefighters killed in the line of duty. Senate Bill 174, from Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, advanced to the House on a 19-0 vote.
• in favor of a resolution declaring May 2024 as Mental Health Awareness Month and May 5-11 as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness week. Tardive Dyskinesia is a disorder that involves involuntary repetitive movements, experienced by some people taking antipsychotic medications. House Concurrent Resolution 15 passed the House on April 3 by a 38-1 vote and passed the Senate on Friday by a 19-0 margin.
• to not advance a bill allowing “qualified persons” to carry concealed handguns on school grounds under certain circumstances, effectively killing the bill for the year. Senate Bill 173 was written by Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, and Hughes sought to release the bill from the Senate Judiciary Committee without a hearing. Hughes’ motion failed on a 7-12 vote.
• to approve a resolution asking the federal government to boost the marketing of Alaska seafood. The Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 14 in February, and the House passed it Wednesday, but some House changes had to be confirmed by the Senate.