reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 17. Child Protection › Sec. 47.17.068. Penalty for failure to report.

A person who fails to comply with the provisions of AS 47.17.020 or 47.17.023 and who knew or should have known that the circumstances gave rise to the need for a report, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 17. Child Protection › Sec. 47.17.069. Protective injunctions.

(a) A court may enjoin or limit a person from contact with a child if the attorney general establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that the person
(1) has sexually abused a child;
(2) has physically abused a child; or
(3) has engaged in conduct that constitutes a clear and present danger to the mental, emotional, or physical welfare of a child.
(b) This section does not limit the authority of the attorney general or the court to act to protect a child.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 1. Comprehensive Planning. › Sec. 47.18.010. Development of statewide plan.

(a) With the advice of the Alaska Human Relations Commission, the department shall develop a comprehensive statewide plan to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of state programs that relate to the prevention of adolescent pregnancy and the provision of services to adolescent parents and their children under AS 47.18.100 - 47.18.140, and to peer counseling under AS 47.18.200.
(b) The plan developed under (a) of this section must
(1) review and include existing programs and services of state government;
(2) examine and consider the achievements and experiences of projects that are similar to those authorized under AS 47.18.100 - 47.18.140 and 47.18.200;
(3) give priority to the consolidation and improvement of existing programs;
(4) make recommendations with regard to the need for new or expanded programs and services within the existing level of funding;
(5) consider the findings and recommendations of the Alaska's Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenthood Task Force; and
(6) make recommendations concerning the incremental implementation of the plan.
(c) The Department of Education and Early Development, the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall assist the department in developing the plan required under (a) of this section. In addition, through appropriate means, the department shall solicit advice from teens, parents, educators, school administrators, taxpayers, civic groups, community organizations, Native organizations, officials of local governments, religious institutions, and other concerned persons about how state programs can be coordinated and operated in a manner that will enhance their effectiveness and efficiency in addressing the many needs associated with adolescent parenting, the prevention of adolescent pregnancies, and the provision of adolescent peer counseling.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 2. Public Information About Programs. › Sec. 47.18.050. Public awareness campaign.

(a) The department shall develop and implement statewide a continuing public awareness campaign, including appropriate public forums and workshops, radio and television public service announcements, and press releases designed to
(1) communicate to the public the scope and magnitude of the adolescent pregnancy and parenthood problem in the state;
(2) encourage community activities that will educate adults and adolescents about the importance of reducing adolescent pregnancy;
(3) enlist the active support and involvement of members of the public and community organizations in the development and implementation of community-based programs and activities to reduce adolescent pregnancy and assist adolescent parents in obtaining needed educational, vocational, and parenting skills.
(b) A primary policy and objective of the public awareness campaign required under (a) of this section shall be to encourage adolescents to abstain from premarital sexual intimacy.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 3. Adolescent Pregnancy Projects. › Sec. 47.18.100. State funding authorized.

In order to encourage and support community-based initiatives to combat the many problems associated with adolescent pregnancy and parenthood, the department shall, from appropriations for that purpose, give grants or award contracts to fund a percentage of the cost of local projects designed to prevent adolescent pregnancy and assist adolescent parents in obtaining needed educational, vocational, and parenting skills.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 3. Adolescent Pregnancy Projects. › Sec. 47.18.110. Eligible projects.

(a) Projects funded under AS 47.18.100 shall be designed with a holistic approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of adolescent parenthood and a broad array of related circumstances, such as low self-esteem, domestic violence, substance abuse, economic security, financial responsibilities of having a child, cultural integrity, sources of adolescent stress, parenting skills, educational and vocational opportunities, and access to reproductive health services.
(b) Projects funded under AS 47.18.100 may include one or more of the following types of activities:
(1) family life education;
(2) counseling services for adolescents who are, or who may think they are, pregnant or who want to avoid pregnancy;
(3) prenatal care for pregnant adolescents;
(4) job training and placement for adolescent parents;
(5) educational and support services for adolescent parents;
(6) other activities that, in the judgment of the department, are likely to have a tangible effect on combating a problem associated with adolescent pregnancy or parenthood.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 3. Adolescent Pregnancy Projects. › Sec. 47.18.120. Applications for project funding.

(a) A person or group seeking funding under AS 47.18.100 shall apply to the department on a form provided by the department.
(b) When applying under (a) of this section, the applicant must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department that the proposed project
(1) has been designed with extensive assistance from local community members who represent a variety of interests, cultures, and perspectives on adolescent pregnancy and parenthood;
(2) is based on sound research, to the maximum extent possible;
(3) will maximize collaboration among all relevant agencies involved in the needs being addressed by the project;
(4) includes an evaluation component to measure project effectiveness;
(5) includes a public awareness campaign component.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 3. Adolescent Pregnancy Projects. › Sec. 47.18.140. Promotion of program and projects.

(a) The department shall take appropriate actions to publicize the availability of funds under AS 47.18.100 - 47.18.140.
(b) The department shall annually conduct regional conferences or workshops across the state to
(1) showcase the activities and achievements of projects funded under AS 47.18.100 - 47.18.140 for which the evaluation components have shown a high level of success;
(2) encourage and support the replication of these successful projects; and
(3) increase public awareness of the availability of state administered services and programs to address the many problems associated with adolescent pregnancy and parenthood.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 4. Adolescent Peer Counseling. › Sec. 47.18.200. Peer counselor program.

(a) The department shall develop and implement a continuing statewide program of technical support and assistance to encourage school districts, municipalities, and nonprofit corporations incorporated under AS 10.20 that initiate implementation, or that are considering implementation, of adolescent peer counseling groups under adult supervision for
(1) prevention of adolescent behavioral patterns that jeopardize physical and mental health and that hamper social, educational, and personal development; and
(2) spreading information about services that are available to adolescents to help them with their health needs.
(b) The program of technical support required under (a) of this section must include
(1) suggested methods for maintaining a high level of adolescent, parental, and community support for peer counseling groups;
(2) workshops, seminars, or other training opportunities for adolescent peer counselors and their adult leaders; this training must include sessions to
(A) develop interpersonal communications skills;
(B) teach accurate health information, emphasizing sexual development;
(C) provide information about services that are available in the peer counselors' areas and how those services can be obtained for pregnancy prevention, and prenatal care; and
(D) encourage adolescents to avoid major risk-taking behavior and to reinforce responsible behavior and self control;
(3) assistance in selecting appropriate resource materials for the groups;
(4) recommended mechanisms for effectively monitoring and evaluating the activities and accomplishments of the groups; and
(5) other similar services to assist and encourage school districts and municipalities in establishing and administering adolescent peer counseling groups.
(c) In developing the program of technical support and assistance required under (a) of this section, the department shall review and consider the activities and accomplishments in other states that have developed peer counseling networks. The department shall solicit contributions of money and expertise from the private sector that may be available for this type of program.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 5. Foster Care Transition Program. › Sec. 47.18.300. Program authorized.

(a) The department, in coordination with local public and private agencies, shall design, develop, and implement a foster care transition program to provide support and services to individuals who
(1) reach or have reached the age of 16 or older while in state foster care and have not yet reached 23 years of age; and
(2) meet other eligibility criteria established by the department under (b) of this section.
(b) The department may adopt regulations to carry out the purposes of AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390, including regulations establishing eligibility thresholds, standards, and limits for the program. The department shall develop the regulations in consultation with those public and private organizations considered necessary by the department.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 5. Foster Care Transition Program. › Sec. 47.18.310. Program design.

The department, in coordination with local public and private agencies, shall design the program as a continuation of the training efforts related to independent living skills that were initiated when the state foster care recipients were identified as being likely to remain in state foster care until reaching the age of 18. The program design must require that program participants are directly involved in identifying the program activities that will prepare them for independent living.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 5. Foster Care Transition Program. › Sec. 47.18.320. Program development.

(a) Subject to the availability of an appropriation made for the purposes of AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390, the program may provide
(1) education and vocational training;
(2) assistance in obtaining educational and vocational training;
(3) career and employment services;
(4) training in basic life skills;
(5) housing and utility assistance;
(6) mentoring and counseling; and
(7) other appropriate services to complement the efforts of former state foster care recipients to achieve self-sufficiency.
(b) In developing the program, the department shall cooperate with and coordinate the use of the resources available from other state and federal agencies designed to provide support and services consistent with the purposes of the program.
(c) If appropriations to meet the purposes of this section are insufficient, the department shall submit a written report to the legislature advising the legislature of
(1) the department's efforts to use existing funds efficiently; and
(2) the opportunities and services the department cannot provide under the existing appropriation level.
(d) When an individual 16 years of age or older who has been in state custody under AS 47.10 for at least six months is released from state custody, the department shall, in addition to any training, services, and assistance provided under (a) - (c) of this section, provide the individual with or assist the individual with obtaining the individual's
(1) birth certificate; the birth certificate may be an official or certified copy;
(2) social security card;
(3) health insurance information;
(4) medical records;
(5) driver's license or identification card; and
(6) certificate of degree of Indian or Alaska Native blood, if applicable.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 5. Foster Care Transition Program. › Sec. 47.18.330. Program implementation.

(a) The department may implement the program through the award of contracts or grants to qualified entities to provide services under the program. The department may award contracts and grants if the contracts and grants further the purposes of and meet the requirements of AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390 and applicable regulations adopted under those sections.
(b) Contracts awarded under this section shall be administered in accordance with AS 47.05.015 and regulations adopted under that section. Grants awarded under this section shall be awarded using requirements established in regulations adopted under AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390 that are substantially similar to those set out in AS 47.05.015 for contracts.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 18. Programs and Services Related to Adolescents › Article 5. Foster Care Transition Program. › Sec. 47.18.390. Definitions.

In AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390,
(1) “program” means the foster care transition program authorized under AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390;
(2) “qualified entities” means municipalities, other political subdivisions of the state, nonprofit corporations formed under AS 10.20, churches and religious organizations, and incorporated and unincorporated entities operating within the state that meet the requirements established by the department in regulation;
(3) “state foster care” means foster care, as defined in AS 47.10.990, that is provided to a person who is in the custody of the department under AS 47.10 and AS 47.12.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 1. Services for Developmentally Delayed or Disabled Children. › Sec. 47.20.060. Purpose.

It is the purpose of AS 47.20.060 - 47.20.290 to
(1) subject to the availability of funding, provide quality learning and related early intervention family support services to eligible children under the age of three who have developmental delays or disabilities and, on a discretionary basis, to those children under the age of three who are at risk of developmental delays or disabilities;
(2) bring together and make optimal use of all available federal, state, local, and private resources for the benefit of children under the age of three with developmental delays or disabilities and their families;
(3) expand and improve existing learning and early intervention services and to provide and arrange for comprehensive services through local agencies and statewide support programs.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 1. Services for Developmentally Delayed or Disabled Children. › Sec. 47.20.070. Establishment of early intervention services system program.

(a) The department, with the assistance of the Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education, shall establish a coordinated, comprehensive, statewide system of multidisciplinary interagency programs that provide appropriate early intervention services to eligible persons under AS 47.20.060 - 47.20.290.
(b) The department is the lead agency for purposes of federal law with respect to the administration of the early intervention services system required under (a) of this section. The department shall establish and administer the system required under (a) of this section so that the state is eligible for the maximum available funding from public and private sources.
(c) In connection with the system established under (a) of this section, the department shall
(1) develop a state plan that identifies the best methods of providing services to children under the age of three with developmental delays or disabilities and their families and report to the governor on the extent to which that plan is being implemented in the state;
(2) develop and implement an educational program concerning the nature and effects of developmental delays and disabilities;
(3) serve as a clearinghouse for educational materials and information about developmental delays and disabilities;
(4) organize and encourage training programs for persons who provide services to children under the age of three with developmental delays and disabilities and their families;
(5) establish a training program for paraprofessionals who provide services to children under the age of three with developmental delays and disabilities and their families;
(6) cooperate with other public and private agencies and individuals to facilitate the transition of children served in the early intervention system to the formal education system;
(7) identify and use all public and private resources available to the state; and
(8) monitor and evaluate the services provided to ensure the demonstrable effectiveness of the services and compliance with state and federal law and department policy regarding the provision of early intervention services.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 1. Services for Developmentally Delayed or Disabled Children. › Sec. 47.20.080. Program eligibility.

(a) A child and the child's family are eligible for core early intervention services and additional early intervention services under AS 47.20.060 - 47.20.290 if the child is under the age of three and
(1) experiencing developmental delay or disability; or
(2) at risk of experiencing developmental delay or disability if early intervention services are not provided.
(b) If the department estimates that funding available for services under AS 47.20.060 - 47.20.290 will be insufficient to provide services to all persons who are eligible under (a) of this section, the department shall eliminate coverage for services in the following order:
(1) additional early intervention services for persons eligible under (a)(2) of this section;
(2) additional early intervention services for persons eligible under (a)(1) of this section;
(3) core early intervention services for persons eligible under (a)(2) of this section; and
(4) core early intervention services for persons eligible under (a)(1) of this section.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 1. Services for Developmentally Delayed or Disabled Children. › Sec. 47.20.090. Finding and evaluating eligible participants.

(a) The department shall establish a comprehensive system for finding children and their families who are eligible for services under AS 47.20.060 - 47.20.290. This child find system must
(1) include a public awareness program focusing on early identification of developmentally delayed and disabled children under three years of age;
(2) provide for participation by primary referral sources; and
(3) include procedures with timelines for referral of eligible participants to service providers.
(b) The department shall, within 45 days after a child's referral for services under (a) of this section, ensure that all affected public agencies and service providers
(1) provide for a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation of the functioning of the child and the needs of the child's family so that the family can appropriately assist in the development of the child;
(2) in consultation with the child's parents, develop a written individualized service plan that identifies how the needs of the child and the family could be met.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 1. Services for Developmentally Delayed or Disabled Children. › Sec. 47.20.100. Individualized family service plan.

The individualized family service plan developed under AS 47.20.090(b)(2) shall be based on the evaluation conducted under AS 47.20.090(b)(1) and must include, subject to AS 47.20.080(b),
(1) provisions for case management services to implement the plan, including the name of the case manager from the profession most immediately relevant to the child's or family's needs who will be responsible for the implementation of the plan and coordination with other agencies and persons;
(2) a statement of the child's present levels of physical development, cognitive development, language and speech development, psychosocial development, and self-help skills, based on appropriate objective criteria;
(3) a description of the family's concerns, priorities, and resources as they relate to the future enhancement of the child's development;
(4) a description of the specific early intervention services that will help meet the unique needs of the child and the family, including the frequency, intensity, and method with which the services should be delivered;
(5) the projected dates for initiation of services and the anticipated duration of the services;
(6) an outline of the major outcomes expected to be achieved for the child and the family along with the criteria, procedures, and timelines that will be used to determine the degree to which progress toward achieving the outcomes are being made and whether modifications or revisions of the outcomes or services are necessary; and
(7) a statement of the steps that will be taken to support the transition of the child and the family to the use of services available under other appropriate programs, including programs for children who are three years of age or older.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 1. Services for Developmentally Delayed or Disabled Children. › Sec. 47.20.110. Other duties of the department.

(a) The department shall adopt regulations necessary to implement AS 47.20.060 - 47.20.290, including regulations
(1) for personnel development, including preservice and in-service training programs for providers of early intervention services;
(2) to govern resolution of intra-agency and interagency disputes about the provision of services under AS 47.20.060 - 47.20.290 and the financial responsibility of the respective parties for those services;
(3) that ensure that services are provided to children and their families in a timely manner pending the resolution of disputes among public agencies or service providers;
(4) providing for due process with respect to the rights of children and parents who are eligible for services under AS 47.20.060 - 47.20.290; the regulations must provide that during the pendency of a complaint about a change in services, the child and family shall continue to receive the prior services unless the state and the family otherwise agree, or, if the complaint relates to an application for initial services, the child and family shall receive the services that are not in dispute; and
(5) for the award of grants under AS 47.20.060 - 47.20.290.
(b) The department shall establish a system for compiling data on the numbers of children and their families in the state who need early intervention services, the numbers being served, the types of services provided, and other information as required under federal law. Personally identifiable information obtained under AS 47.20.060 - 47.20.290 is confidential for purposes of AS 40.25.110 - 40.25.120.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 2. Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening, Tracking, and Intervention Program. › Sec. 47.20.300. Department to implement program.

The department shall plan, develop, and implement a hearing screening, tracking, and intervention program to facilitate compliance with the requirements of AS 47.20.310 - 47.20.390.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 2. Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening, Tracking, and Intervention Program. › Sec. 47.20.320. Reporting and tracking program.

(a) The department shall develop and implement a reporting and tracking system for newborns and infants screened for hearing loss in order to provide the department with information and data to effectively plan, establish, monitor, and evaluate the newborn and infant hearing screening, tracking, and intervention program. Evaluation of the program must include evaluation of the initial hearing screening, follow-up components, and the use and availability of the system of services for newborns and infants who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families.
(b) A physician or other person attending the birth in the state, or a hospital on behalf of a physician or other person attending the birth, shall report information related to hearing screening required under (a) of this section as specified by the department. A person who provides audiological confirmatory evaluation and diagnostic services for newborns and infants whose hearing was screened under AS 47.20.310 shall report information as specified by the department in regulation.
(c) The information received under (b) of this section shall be compiled and maintained by the department in the tracking system. The information shall be kept confidential in accordance with the applicable provisions of 20 U.S.C. 1439 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), as amended by P.L. 105-17. Data collected by the department that was obtained from the medical records of the newborn or infant shall be for the confidential use of the department and are not public records subject to disclosure under AS 40.25.110. Aggregate statistical data without identifying information compiled from the information received is public information.
(d) A hospital or other health facility, clinical laboratory, audiologist, physician, registered or advanced practice registered nurse, certified direct-entry midwife, officer or employee of a health facility or clinical laboratory, or an employee of an audiologist, physician, or registered or advanced practice registered nurse is not criminally or civilly liable for furnishing information in good faith to the department or its designee under this section. The furnishing of information in accordance with this section is not a violation of AS 08 or AS 18 or regulations adopted under AS 08 or AS 18 for licensees under those statutes.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 2. Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening, Tracking, and Intervention Program. › Sec. 47.20.330. Intervention program.

(a) The department shall establish guidelines for the provision of follow-up care for newborn and infant children in the state who have been identified as having or being at risk of developing a hearing loss. The services recommended must include appropriate follow-up care for newborns and infants with abnormal or inconclusive screening results, such as diagnostic evaluation, referral, and coordination of early intervention service programs if the newborn or infant is found to have a hearing loss.
(b) The parents of all newborns and infants diagnosed with a hearing loss, as reported to the department, shall be provided by the department with written information on the availability of follow-up care through community resources and government agencies, including those provided in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 1400 - 1482 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), as amended. Information provided by the department must include listings of local and statewide nonprofit deaf and hard of hearing consumer-based organizations, parent support organizations affiliated with deafness, counseling and educational services, and programs offered through the department and the Department of Education and Early Development.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 2. Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening, Tracking, and Intervention Program. › Sec. 47.20.340. Outreach campaign.

The department shall conduct a community outreach and awareness campaign to inform medical providers, pregnant women, and families of newborns and infants of the newborn and infant hearing screening, tracking, and intervention program and the value of early hearing screening, tracking, and intervention.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 2. Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening, Tracking, and Intervention Program. › Sec. 47.20.350. Report.

The department shall prepare an annual report for the governor about the newborn and infant hearing screening, tracking, and intervention program administered under AS 47.20.310 - 47.20.390. The report must include recommendations on improving the early screening, tracking, and intervention program, including strategies to increase the rate of early screening and the use of appropriate early intervention techniques. The department shall notify the legislature that the report is available.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 2. Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening, Tracking, and Intervention Program. › Sec. 47.20.360. Performance evaluation.

(a) The department shall collect and compile performance data on the early hearing screening, tracking, and intervention program established under AS 47.20.300 - 47.20.390 to ensure that the program is in compliance with AS 47.20.300 - 47.20.390 and the regulations adopted under AS 47.20.300 - 47.20.390. The performance evaluation must include
(1) a comparison of the number of infants born in the state to the number of infants screened;
(2) the referral rate for confirmatory diagnostic evaluation;
(3) the follow-up rate for intervention; and
(4) the number of false screening results.
(b) In conducting a performance evaluation, the department shall establish hearing screening performance standards that must include a false positive rate and a false negative rate for screening results of less than or equal to three percent.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 20. Special Services for Certain Children › Article 2. Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening, Tracking, and Intervention Program. › Sec. 47.20.390. Definitions.

In AS 47.20.300 - 47.20.390,
(1) “commissioner” means the commissioner of health;
(2) “department” means the Department of Health;
(3) “follow-up care” means all of the following:
(A) services necessary to diagnose and confirm a hearing loss;
(B) ongoing audiological services to monitor hearing;
(C) communication services, including aural rehabilitation, speech, language, social, and psychological services;
(D) support services for the infant and family; and
(E) early intervention services described in 20 U.S.C. 1431 - 1445 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), as amended;
(4) “hearing loss” means a hearing loss of 40 decibels or greater in the frequency region important for speech recognition and comprehension in one or both ears, approximately 500 through 4000 Hz;
(5) “hearing screening” means automated auditory brain stem response, otoacoustic emissions, or other appropriate screening procedure approved by the department;
(6) “infant” means a child 30 days to 24 months old;
(7) “newborn” means a child less than 30 days old;
(8) “parent” means a natural parent, stepparent, adoptive parent, legal guardian, or other legal custodian of the child;
(9) “program” means the newborn and infant hearing, tracking, and intervention screening program established under AS 47.20.310 - 47.20.390.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 21. Adventure-Based Education › Sec. 47.21.010. Establishment.

(a) The Department of Family and Community Services shall establish an adventure-based education program designed to bring adventure-based education to appropriate juvenile offenders and others selected by referral agencies.
(b) Adventure-based education is a short-term, intensive training program designed to remedy failure patterns and encourage development of self-esteem, self-confidence, and social awareness in
(1) certain delinquent juveniles in the custody of the Department of Family and Community Services;
(2) certain juveniles identified by the schools, division of social services, the courts, youth workers, or other community referral systems, as being able to benefit from adventure-based education.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 21. Adventure-Based Education › Sec. 47.21.020. Program.

(a) An adventure-based education program must include provisions for the following phases:
(1) Phase I: Basic Skills Learning
(A) physical conditioning: running, hiking, swimming, and other related activities;
(B) technical training: the use of specialized tools and equipment, camping, cooking, map reading, navigation, life saving, drown proofing, and solo survival;
(C) safety training: first aid skills, emergency care, preventative medicine, nutrition, health, and personal hygiene care;
(D) team training: rescue techniques, evacuation exercises, and fire fighting;
(E) solo: solitary living for a short period with minimal equipment;
(F) interpersonal skills training: coping skills, individual and group problem solving, and societal communication skills;
(G) culturally relevant activities: traditional modes of subsistence living, traveling and surviving in wilderness areas and communities in the state, and cross-cultural experiences;
(2) Phase II: Skills Generalization
(A) vocational counseling and placement;
(B) family and interpersonal counseling;
(C) community systems utilization: transportation, community services systems, and community problem solving.
(b) Criteria for adventure-based education programs shall be established by the Department of Family and Community Services and must include provisions for
(1) staff members with background experience in Outward Bound, NOLS, Alaska Wilderness Experience, Inc., or other similar wilderness skills programs or indigenous cultural experience;
(2) minimum program standards.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 24. Protection of Vulnerable Adults › Sec. 47.24.011. Duties of the department regarding services and protection for vulnerable adults.

In order to facilitate the provision of supportive and protective services for vulnerable adults, the department shall
(1) compile information on available supportive and protective services for vulnerable adults in the state;
(2) establish, publicize, and maintain a vulnerable adult centralized intake office;
(3) develop and coordinate a statewide system to serve vulnerable adults who are in need of protective services;
(4) establish criteria and procedures for the authorization and supervision of other state agencies or community-based service providers to serve as designees of the department under this chapter;
(5) in accordance with this chapter, designate other state agencies or community-based service providers to deliver supportive and protective services to vulnerable adults who are in need of protective services;
(6) develop within the vulnerable adult centralized intake office a central registry for reports of vulnerable adults in need of protective services;
(7) maintain confidentiality of records as provided for in AS 47.24.050; and
(8) adopt regulations to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 24. Protection of Vulnerable Adults › Sec. 47.24.013. Reports of undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self-neglect of vulnerable adults in out-of-home care facilities.

(a) If a report received under AS 47.24.010 pertains to the undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self-neglect of a vulnerable adult that is alleged to have been committed by or to have resulted from the negligence of the staff or a volunteer of an out-of-home care facility, including a facility licensed under AS 47.32, in which the vulnerable adult resides, the department may forward the report to the long term care ombudsman for investigation under AS 44.25.310.
(b) The department shall investigate a report received under AS 47.24.010 regarding the undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self- neglect of a vulnerable adult that is alleged to have been committed by or to have resulted from the negligence of the staff or a volunteer of an out-of-home care facility in which the vulnerable adult resides.
(c) Upon receipt of a report under (a) or (b) of this section, the long term care ombudsman and the department shall
(1) conduct an investigation as appropriate under AS 44.25.310 or this title, respectively;
(2) coordinate and cooperate in their responses to and investigations of the report if their jurisdictions overlap.
(d) If the long term care ombudsman directly receives a report regarding the undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self- neglect of a vulnerable adult in an out-of-home care facility, the ombudsman may provide the report, and the results of the ombudsman's actions or investigations regarding the report, to the department's vulnerable adult centralized intake office. The ombudsman shall obtain the informed consent of the vulnerable adult or the vulnerable adult's resident representative before providing the report to the department. The department may investigate the report as described in AS 47.24.015 if the department determines that action is appropriate. In this subsection, “resident representative” has the meaning given in AS 44.25.390.
(e) [Repealed, § 15 ch 19 SLA 2017.]
(f) If an investigation conducted by an agency under this section shows reasonable cause to believe that a certified nurse aide has committed abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property, the agency shall report the matter to the Board of Nursing.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 24. Protection of Vulnerable Adults › Sec. 47.24.016. Surrogate decision makers for vulnerable adults.

(a) If the department determines under AS 47.24.015 that a vulnerable adult is in need of protective services, but the department cannot obtain the vulnerable adult's consent to receive the services because the vulnerable adult is unable to consent or lacks decision making capacity, and has no guardian, conservator, attorney-in-fact, trustee, or surrogate for health care decisions under AS 13.52.030 to serve as the vulnerable adult's surrogate decision maker, the department may select from the following list, in the order of priority listed, an individual who is willing to be the vulnerable adult's surrogate decision maker for the purpose of deciding whether to consent to the vulnerable adult's receipt of protective services:
(1) the vulnerable adult's spouse, unless the vulnerable adult or the spouse have initiated divorce, dissolution, or legal separation proceedings;
(2) an individual who lives with the vulnerable adult in a spousal relationship or as a domestic partner and who is 18 years of age or older;
(3) a son or daughter of the vulnerable adult who is 18 years of age or older;
(4) a parent of the vulnerable adult;
(5) a brother or sister of the vulnerable adult who is 18 years of age or older; or
(6) a close friend or relative of the vulnerable adult who is 18 years of age or older.
(b) An individual from the list in (a) of this section may not be selected as a surrogate decision maker if
(1) the department determines that individual does not possess decision making capacity; or
(2) there are allegations that individual is a perpetrator of the undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, or neglect of the vulnerable adult.
(c) If the department intends to select a surrogate decision maker from a priority level in the list in (a) of this section and there is more than one individual at that priority level who is willing to be the surrogate decision maker, those individuals
(1) may select from amongst themselves, by majority vote, an individual to serve as the surrogate decision maker; or
(2) as a group may serve as the surrogate decision maker and reach decisions by consensus.
(d) The department may not continue to provide protective services to a vulnerable adult based on the consent of a surrogate decision maker serving under this section or AS 13.52.030 if the department determines that the vulnerable adult has become able to consent or has regained decision making capacity since the surrogate's consent was given. The department may continue protective services to a vulnerable adult who has become able to consent or has regained decision making capacity only if the vulnerable adult consents.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 24. Protection of Vulnerable Adults › Sec. 47.24.017. Delivery of protective services for vulnerable adults.

(a) If the department determines under AS 47.24.015 that a vulnerable adult is in need of protective services and the vulnerable adult, the vulnerable adult's guardian, conservator, attorney-in-fact, trustee, a surrogate decision maker selected under AS 47.24.016, or a surrogate for health care decisions under AS 13.52.030 consents to receipt of the protective services, and to the extent that resources are available, the department shall ensure that the protective services for the vulnerable adult are provided by the department or its designee within 10 working days after the department received the report under AS 47.24.010 regarding the undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self-neglect of the vulnerable adult. However, if circumstances beyond the control of the department or the department's designee make it impossible to provide the protective services within the 10 working days, the department shall ensure that the services are provided as soon as possible after that time.
(b) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, if the department determines that an emergency situation exists that necessitates provision of protective services to a vulnerable adult, the department may provide the necessary protective services in a manner determined by the department to be the most appropriate in light of the emergency situation, regardless of whether the vulnerable adult or any other person has consented to receipt of the services.
(c) To the extent practicable, protective services provided under this section shall be delivered in a culturally relevant manner that protects the vulnerable adult's right to the least restrictive environment and maximizes that person's own decision making capabilities.
(d) If the protective services under this section include the placement of a vulnerable adult in an assisted living home at the state's expense, the minimum daily reimbursement rate to the assisted living home for the vulnerable adult is $70. The department may, under its regulations, provide for a daily rate higher than $70 if the additional care provided to the vulnerable adult in the assisted living home justifies the additional reimbursement. In this subsection, “assisted living home” means an assisted living home licensed under AS 47.32.
2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions › Chapter 24. Protection of Vulnerable Adults › Sec. 47.24.019. Petitioning court for certain protective services.

(a) If, after investigation under AS 47.24.015, the department has reasonable cause to believe that a vulnerable adult is in need of protective services and is an incapacitated person, the department may petition the court under AS 13.26 for appointment of a guardian or temporary guardian, or for a change of guardian, for the vulnerable adult for the purpose of deciding whether to consent to the receipt of protective services for the vulnerable adult.
(b) If, after an investigation under AS 47.24.015, the department has reasonable cause to believe that a vulnerable adult is mentally ill and as a result either is likely to cause serious harm to self or others or is gravely disabled, the department may petition the court under AS 47.30.700 to initiate an involuntary commitment proceeding.
(c) If a vulnerable adult who has consented to receive protective services, or on whose behalf consent to receive protective services has been given, is prevented by any person from receiving those services, the department may petition the superior court for an injunction restraining the person from interfering with the provision of protective services to the vulnerable adult.