Alaska 2025-2026 Regular Session

Alaska Senate Bill SCR4 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	34-LS0902\A
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11	11	SENATE CONCURRENT R ESOLUTION NO. 4
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13	13	IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
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15	15	THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
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17	17	BY SENATORS GRAY-JACKSON, Cronk
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19	19	Introduced: 4/15/25
20	20	Referred: Health and Social Services
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23	23	A RESOLUTION
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25	25	Designating May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month; and designating May 4 - 10, 1
26	26	2025, as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week. 2
27	27	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
28	28	WHEREAS one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental illness each 4
29	29	year, and it is estimated that over 108,000 adults in the state have a mental health condition, 5
30	30	such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and a growing number of other 6
31	31	debilitating behavioral health conditions; and 7
32	32	WHEREAS one in six youths aged 6 - 17 in the United States experiences a mental 8
33	33	health disorder each year; and 9
34	34	WHEREAS, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and 10
35	35	Prevention, the peak age of onset of a mental health disorder is adolescence and early 11
36	36	adulthood, with half of all mental health conditions beginning by age 14, and 75 percent by 12
37	37	age 24; and 13
38	38	WHEREAS it is estimated that over 8,000 youths in the state aged 12 - 17 experience 14
39	39	depression, 62.9 percent of whom did not receive care in the last year; and 15
40	40	WHEREAS high school students with significant symptoms of depression are more 16 34-LS0902\A
41	41	SCR 4 -2- SCR004A
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44	44	than twice as likely to drop out as students without symptoms of depression; and 1
45	45	WHEREAS more than half of the individuals in the United States with mental health 2
46	46	conditions did not receive treatment last year; and 3
47	47	WHEREAS, with residents of the state struggling to receive needed mental health 4
48	48	care, 29,000 adults in the state did not receive the care last year, with cost being the reason for 5
49	49	which over 42 percent of those individuals did not receive the care; and 6
50	50	WHEREAS 377,470 residents of the state live in communities that do not have 7
51	51	enough mental health professionals; and 8
52	52	WHEREAS anyone is susceptible to experiencing mental health difficulties, just as 9
53	53	anyone is susceptible to physical health issues and emergencies; and 10
54	54	WHEREAS, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four 11
55	55	patients receiving long-term treatment with an antipsychotic medication will experience 12
56	56	tardive dyskinesia; and 13
57	57	WHEREAS tardive dyskinesia affects approximately 600,000 people in the United 14
58	58	States, and nearly 70 percent of Americans living with tardive dyskinesia have not yet been 15
59	59	diagnosed; and 16
60	60	WHEREAS, although tardive dyskinesia may look or feel different from day to day, it 17
61	61	is a chronic condition and symptoms may be persistent; and 18
62	62	WHEREAS one in eight emergency department visits in the United States is related 19
63	63	to mental illness or substance use disorder; and 20
64	64	WHEREAS suicide is a public health problem and leading cause of death in the 21
65	65	United States; and 22
66	66	WHEREAS the state ranks second in the nation in suicides per capita, suicide is the 23
67	67	second leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 10 and 34 in the state, and, 24
68	68	on average, one person dies by suicide every 48 hours in the state; and 25
69	69	WHEREAS it is more important than ever to build a stronger mental health system 26
70	70	that provides the care, support, and services needed to help people build better lives; and 27
71	71	WHEREAS the state of an individual's mental health affects the individu
72	72	al's ability to 28
73	73	navigate the environment and societal relationships, adapt to changing situations, and develop 29
74	74	healthy coping strategies; and 30
75	75	WHEREAS addressing complicated mental health needs with coordinated, 31 34-LS0902\A
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79	79	comprehensive mental health services provides a lifeline for families and individuals 1
80	80	struggling with the complex process of locating appropriate treatment; and 2
81	81	WHEREAS residents of the state must work together to overcome and eliminate the 3
82	82	discrimination and stigma that may deter individuals from seeking consistent support and 4
83	83	adequate mental health treatment; 5
84	84	BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages all residents of the 6
85	85	state to recognize those affected by mental health issues and the important role that support, 7
86	86	acceptance, and mental health services play in enriching the lives of the residents of the state; 8
87	87	and be it 9
88	88	FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature designates May 4 - 10, 10
89	89	2025, as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week; and be it 11
90	90	FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature designates May 2025 as 12
91	91	Mental Health Awareness Month. 13