Committee adopts committee substitute and reports SB 228 to fund school opioid‑awareness program

The Senate Education Committee on April 24 adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 228 and voted to report the bill from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes.

Aides and the sponsor explained the substitute (version n) adds an uncodified provision directing the Alaska Department of Health to present a proposal within six months requesting that the opioid settlement steering committee allocate settlement funds to support an opioid awareness program and prevention curriculum in public schools for grades 6–12. Mike Mason, staff to Chair Tobin, said the change reflected committee input seeking uses for opioid settlement money and that the bill sponsor had checked this approach with the Department of Health.

President Stevens moved to adopt the committee substitute as the working document; Chair Tobin adopted it "without objection." Stevens then moved to report SB 228 from the Senate Education Committee "with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes," and the chair announced that the bill was reported from committee. No roll‑call vote was recorded in the transcript; actions were adopted by voice.

What’s next: The committee signed the committee report and transitioned to the SB 66 presentation; the bill will move forward consistent with the committee report and any subsequent floor action.