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SENATE BILL NO. 220
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
BY SENATOR GIESSEL BY REQUEST
Introduced: 1/21/26
Referred: Health & Social Services, Finance
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act establishing a community health worker certification; relating to medical 1
assistance coverage for certified community health worker services; and providing for 2
an effective date." 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 4
* Section 1. AS 18 is amended by adding a new chapter to read: 5
Chapter 11. Community Health Workers. 6
Sec. 18.11.010. Community health worker certification. (a) The department 7
shall adopt regulations regarding the certification of community health workers, 8
including 9
(1) the scope of practice for certified community health workers; 10
(2) the minimum qualifications, including education and training 11
requirements, for certification; 12
(3) the standards and requirements for education and training programs 13
established to certify community health workers; 14
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(4) the continuing education requirements to renew a certificate; 1
(5) the minimum qualifications, including education, training, and 2
experience, that a certified community health worker must meet to provide education, 3
training, or continuing education to other certified community health workers; 4
(6) criteria for denying, suspending, and revoking a certificate when 5
necessary to protect public health and safety and a process for an individual to appeal 6
a decision by the department that denies, suspends, or revokes a certificate; and 7
(7) a schedule of fees to be paid upon application for an initial 8
certificate or renewal of a certificate. 9
(b) The department may adopt regulations that allow for reciprocity 10
agreements with other states that offer community health worker certification. 11
Sec. 18.11.020. Community health worker certification application; 12
requirements. (a) An individual may apply to the department for a certificate to 13
practice as a certified community health worker on a form prescribed by the 14
department. 15
(b) The department shall issue or renew a certificate to an applicant who meets 16
the qualifications set out in this chapter and regulations adopted under this chapter and 17
pays the applicable fees. A certificate is valid for two years. 18
(c) The department shall waive the minimum education and training 19
requirements for certification for an applicant who has, within the previous three 20
years, completed at least 960 hours of paid or volunteer experience providing services 21
within the scope of practice of a certified community health worker in a licensed 22
health care facility or in the service of a licensed health care provider. 23
(d) An individual may provide services within the scope of practice of a 24
community health worker and hold out publicly as a community health worker without 25
obtaining a certificate under this section. 26
Sec. 18.11.030. Definitions. In this chapter, 27
(1) "certified community health worker" means a community health 28
worker who holds a valid certificate; 29
(2) "community health worker" means an individual who provides 30
nonmedical services as a liaison between health and community service providers and 31
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users of those services, to facilitate access to and coordinate medical and behavioral 1
health services and improve the quality of service delivery and medical and behavioral 2
health outcomes; 3
(3) "department" means the Department of Health; 4
(4) "health care facility" has the meaning given in AS 18.20.499. 5
* Sec. 2. AS 47.07.030(b) is amended to read: 6
(b) In addition to the mandatory services specified in (a) of this section and the 7
services provided under (d) of this section, the department may offer only the 8
following optional services: case management services for traumatic or acquired brain 9
injury; case management and nutrition services for pregnant women; certified 10
community health worker services; personal care services in a recipient's home; 11
emergency hospital services; long-term care noninstitutional services; medical 12
supplies and equipment; advanced practice registered nurse services; clinic services; 13
rehabilitative services for children eligible for services under AS 47.07.063, substance 14
abusers, and emotionally disturbed or chronically mentally ill adults; targeted case 15
management services; inpatient psychiatric facility services for individuals 65 years of 16
age or older and individuals under 21 years of age; psychologists' services; clinical 17
social workers' services; marital and family therapy services; professional counseling 18
services; midwife services; prescribed drugs; physical therapy; occupational therapy; 19
chiropractic services; low-dose mammography screening, as defined in 20
AS 21.42.375(e); hospice care; treatment of speech, hearing, and language disorders; 21
adult dental and dental hygiene services; prosthetic devices and eyeglasses; 22
optometrists' services; intermediate care facility services, including intermediate care 23
facility services for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities; skilled 24
nursing facility services for individuals under 21 years of age; and reasonable 25
transportation to and from the point of medical care. 26
* Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 27
read: 28
MEDICAID STATE PLAN; WAIVERS. The Department of Health shall, as 29
necessary for federal approval by the United States Department of Health and Human 30
Services, submit amendments to the state plan for medical assistance coverage or apply for 31
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any waivers necessary to implement sec. 2 of this Act. 1
* Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 2
read: 3
TRANSITION: INITIAL REGULATIONS. (a) Before adopting the regulations 4
required under AS 18.11.010, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, the Department of Health shall 5
seek recommendations from a statewide or nationally recognized community health worker 6
organization regarding 7
(1) core competencies required for the certification of community health 8
workers, including education and training; 9
(2) the type of examination or other means best suited to assess competency 10
for certification; 11
(3) standards and requirements for education, training, and continuing 12
education programs for certified community health workers; 13
(4) minimum education and training standards for certified community health 14
workers who provide education, training, or continuing education to other certified 15
community health workers; 16
(5) standards of professional conduct for certified community health workers; 17
and 18
(6) other matters the Department of Health determines are necessary. 19
(b) In this section, "certified community health worker" and "community health 20
worker" have the meanings given in AS 18.11.030, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act. 21
* Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 22
read: 23
CONDITIONAL EFFECT; NOTIFICATION. (a) Section 2 of this Act takes effect 24
only if, on or before July 1, 2031, the United States Department of Health and Human 25
Services 26
(1) approves waivers or amendments to the state plan submitted under sec. 3 27
of this Act; or 28
(2) determines that approval of the waivers or amendments to the state plan 29
for medical assistance coverage submitted in accordance with sec. 3 of this Act is not 30
necessary. 31
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(b) The commissioner of health shall notify the revisor of statutes in writing within 30 1
days after the United States Department of Health and Human Services approves the waivers 2
or amendments to the state plan or determines that approval of the waivers or amendments is 3
not necessary. 4
* Sec. 6. If sec. 2 of this Act takes effect, it takes effect on the day after the date the United 5
States Department of Health and Human Services approves the waivers or amendments to the 6
state plan or determines that approval of the waivers or amendments is not necessary. 7