AlaskaHospitals would give minors private contact and report restraints
The vetoed bill proposed private weekly contact for hospitalized minors, unannounced hospital inspections, and reports on restraint use and care.
What it does
Minors in psychiatric hospitals would be able to have at least two total hours of private calls or video chats each week with a parent, guardian, or approved adult, unless an exception applies.
Health would publish a yearly report on restraint use, inspection findings, and residential care at psychiatric hospitals; Family and Community Services would provide data on children in state custody.
Health would make at least two unannounced visits each year to hospitals where a minor spent more than three nights in the prior year, and interview at least half of their minor patients.
Hospitals would notify Health and a minor's parent or guardian in writing within 72 hours of each use of seclusion or restraint, including the drug used for a chemical restraint.
Argument forPrivate weekly calls or video chats could help minors in psychiatric hospitals stay connected with family or another approved adult.
Argument againstUnannounced interviews with many young patients could interrupt care or make hospital visits more stressful for minors.
More detail
Psychiatric hospitals would help minors have private calls or video chats each week. This covers minors being evaluated or treated as inpatients at a psychiatric hospital, and contact with a parent, guardian, or another adult approved by the professional in charge. The contact would not be allowed if law or a court order prohibits it, or the professional in charge considers it harmful to treatment. The minor, a parent or guardian, or an adult approved by the professional in charge could request the contact. If enacted, this provision would take effect July 1, 2027; the contact time would total at least two hours each week.
The Department of Health would publish a yearly report on minors in psychiatric hospitals, using data gathered by the Department of Family and Community Services. The duties apply to the Department of Health and the Department of Family and Community Services; the report covers minors in psychiatric hospitals, including children in state custody who receive residential care. The report would include hospital totals for seclusion and restraint, medication used for chemical restraints, inspection findings, and residential care data. Family and Community Services would collect yearly data on state-custody minors' residential care in Alaska and out of state, including time spent in each setting, and send it to Health. If enacted, these duties would take effect July 1, 2027. Health would publish the report by November 1 each year, send it to legislative leaders, and notify the legislature.
The Department of Health would inspect certain psychiatric hospitals without advance notice. This covers each psychiatric hospital where minors are evaluated or treated as inpatients and at least one minor spent more than three nights during the preceding year. During each inspection, the department would interview at least half of the hospital's minor patients. Hospital staff could attend an interview only if the department requests their presence for safety. If enacted, this duty would take effect July 1, 2027. Inspections would occur at least twice each year, based on stays during the preceding year.
Psychiatric hospitals would notify Health and a minor's parent or guardian after each use of seclusion or restraint. The notice duty applies to psychiatric hospitals and each use of seclusion or restraint on a minor. The written notice would cover chemical, mechanical, and physical restraint. For a chemical restraint, the notice would name the psychotropic medication used. The definition excludes ongoing medication used to treat symptoms of an underlying psychiatric illness. If enacted, this duty would take effect July 1, 2027. Notice would be due no later than 72 hours after each use.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jun 20(H) VETOED BY Governor Mike Dunleavy 6/18/26Latest
- Jun 19(S) JOINT SESSION at 01:00 PM HOUSE CHAMBER
- Vote recorded (H) GOVERNOR VETO SUSTAINED Y36 N24 #3101. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 19(H) GOVERNOR VETO SUSTAINED Y36 N24
- Jun 10(H) 12:55 P.M. 6/5/26 Transmitted to GovernorTo Governor
- May 17(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) ADOPTED Y32 N8
- Vote recorded (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) ADOPTED Y32 N8 #2748. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded (S) PASSED Y20 N- #2718. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded (H) CONCUR AM OF (S) Y26 N14 #2748. Result: pass.Lower
- May 17(H) CONCUR AM OF (S) Y26 N14
- May 17(H) CONCUR MESSAGE RECEIVED AND TAKEN UP
- May 17(S) VERSION: SCS CSHB 52(FIN)
- May 17(S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) AS AMENDEDMajor
- May 17(S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE
- May 17(S) PASSED Y20 N-Major
- May 17(S) READ THE THIRD TIME SCS CSHB 52(FIN)Minor
- May 17(S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UCMinor
- May 17(S) FIN SCS ADOPTED UC
- May 17(S) READ THE SECOND TIMEMinor
- May 17(S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/17/2026
- May 16(S) FN6: (DOH)
- May 16(S) FN5: ZERO(DFC)
- May 16(S) FN4: ZERO(DFC)
- May 16(S) NR: OLSON, KAUFMAN, CRONK, KIEHL
- May 16(S) DP: HOFFMAN, MERRICK
- May 16(S) FIN RPT SCS 2DP 4NR SAME TITLE
- May 15(S) Minutes (SFIN)
- May 15(S) Moved SCS CSHB 52(FIN) Out of Committee -- Please Note Time Change --
- May 15(S) FINANCE at 01:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532
- May 13(S) Scheduled but Not Heard
- May 13(S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532
- May 12(S) Minutes (SFIN)
- May 12(S) Scheduled but Not Heard -- Please Note Time Change --
- May 12(S) FINANCE at 01:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532
- May 6(S) Heard & Held
- May 6(S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532
- May 6(S) DUNBAR
- May 6(S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): MERRICK, GIESSEL, GRAY-JACKSON, CLAMAN, STEDMAN, KAWASAKI,
- Apr 24(S) FIN
- Apr 24(S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALSMinor
- Apr 22(H) VERSION: CSHB 52(HSS) AM
- Vote recorded (H) PASSED Y37 E3 #2259. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 22(H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)Passed Senate
- Apr 22(H) COSPONSOR(S): JOSEPHSON, STORY, SCHRAGE, MINA, COSTELLO
- Apr 22(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE
- Apr 22(H) PASSED Y37 E3Passed House
- Apr 22(H) READ THE THIRD TIME CSHB 52(HSS) AMMinor
- Apr 22(H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UCMinor
- Apr 22(H) AM NO 1 ADOPTED UCMajor
- Apr 22(H) HSS CS ADOPTED UC
- Apr 22(H) READ THE SECOND TIMEMinor
- Apr 22(H) RULES TO CALENDAR 4/22/2026
- Mar 25(H) COSPONSOR(S): GALVIN, HANNAN
- Mar 25(H) FN6: (DOH)
- Mar 25(H) FN5: ZERO(DFC)
- Mar 25(H) FN4: ZERO(DFC)
- Mar 25(H) NR: STAPP
- Mar 25(H) SCHRAGE
- Mar 25(H) DP: JIMMIE, GALVIN, TOMASZEWSKI, HANNAN, MOORE, BYNUM, JOSEPHSON, FOSTER,
- Mar 25(H) FIN RPT CS(HSS) 9DP 1NR
- Mar 24(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- Mar 24(H) Moved CSHB 52(HSS) Out of Committee
- Mar 24(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Mar 18(H) COSPONSOR(S): JIMMIE
- Mar 17(H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --
- Mar 17(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Mar 17(H) Scheduled but Not Heard -- Delayed to a Call of the Chair --
- Mar 17(H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519
- 2025
- May 15(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- May 15(H) Heard & Held -- Recessed to 8:00 am on 5/16 --
- May 15(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Apr 30(H) FIN REPLACES L&C REFERRAL
- Apr 30(H) FN3: (DOH)
- Apr 30(H) FN2: ZERO(DFC)
- Apr 30(H) FN1: ZERO(DFC)
- Apr 30(H) NR: PRAX
- Apr 30(H) DP: FIELDS, GRAY, SCHWANKE, RUFFRIDGE, MEARS, MINA
- Apr 30(H) HSS RPT CS(HSS) 6DP 1NR
- Apr 29(H) Minutes (HHSS)
- Apr 29(H) Moved CSHB 52(HSS) Out of Committee
- Apr 29(H) HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES at 03:15 PM DAVIS 106
- Apr 24(H) Minutes (HHSS)
- Apr 24(H) Heard & Held
- Apr 24(H) HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES at 03:15 PM DAVIS 106
- Apr 22(H) Minutes (HHSS)
- Apr 22(H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 3:45 pm --
- Apr 22(H) HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES at 03:15 PM DAVIS 106
- Apr 7(H) COSPONSOR(S): BURKE
- Apr 3(H) Minutes (HHSS)
- Apr 3(H) Heard & Held
- Apr 3(H) HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES at 03:15 PM DAVIS 106
- Mar 25(H) Minutes (HHSS)
- Mar 25(H) Heard & Held
- Mar 25(H) HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES at 03:15 PM DAVIS 106
- Mar 3(H) COSPONSOR(S): FOSTER
- Jan 27(H) COSPONSOR(S): FIELDS
- Jan 22(H) HSS, L&C
- Jan 22(H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALSIntroduced
HealthcareMental Health