2018 Alaska Statutes
Title 44. State Government
Chapter 29. Department of Health and Social Services
Article 1. Organization.
Sec. 44.29.020. Duties of department.

(a) The Department of Health and Social Services shall administer the state programs of public health and social services, including

(1) maternal and child health services;

(2) preventive medical services;

(3) public health nursing services;

(4) nutrition services;

(5) health education;

(6) laboratories;

(7) mental health treatment and diagnosis;

(8) management of state institutions, except for adult penal institutions;

(9) medical facilities;

(10) adult public assistance;

(11) the Alaska temporary assistance program;

(12) child welfare services;

(13) general relief;

(14) a comprehensive smoking education, tobacco use prevention, and tobacco control program; to the maximum extent possible, the department shall administer the program required under this paragraph by grant to or contract with one or more organizations in the state; the department's program must include

(A) a community-based tobacco use prevention and cessation component addressing the needs of youth and adults that includes use of cessation aids such as a nicotine patch or a nicotine gum tobacco substitute;

(B) youth-based efforts that involve youth in the design and implementation of tobacco control efforts;

(C) anti-tobacco counter-marketing targeting both youth and adult populations designed to communicate messages to help prevent youth initiation of tobacco use, promote cessation among tobacco users, and educate the public about the lethal effects of exposure to secondhand smoke;

(D) tobacco use surveys of youth and adult populations concerning knowledge, awareness, attitude, and use of tobacco products; and

(E) an enforcement component;

(15) the Alaska Pioneers' Home and the Alaska Veterans' Home;

(16) licensure and regulation of child care facilities;

(17) a comprehensive marijuana use education and treatment program; to the extent possible, the department shall administer the program required under this paragraph by grant to or contract with one or more organizations in the state; the department's program must include

(A) a community-based marijuana misuse prevention component; the community-based component must provide for a youth services grant program to

(i) reduce initiation and promote cessation of marijuana use by youth, reduce youth access to marijuana products, and reduce exposure of youth to impaired driving dangers related to marijuana use;

(ii) provide recreational, educational, and character-building programs for youth outside school hours; and

(iii) address marijuana use prevention through outcome-based curricula, adult and peer mentoring, and opportunities for positive, prosocial leisure and recreational activities;

(B) marijuana public education designed to communicate messages to help prevent youth initiation of marijuana use, educate the public about the effects of marijuana use, and educate the public about marijuana laws;

(C) surveys of

(i) youth and adult populations concerning knowledge, awareness, attitude, and use of marijuana products;

(ii) the need for trained professionals working in organizations described in this paragraph;

(D) the development of plans to address the need for trained professionals and to assist in implementing a training program for those professionals;

(E) monitoring of population health status related to the consequences of marijuana use; and

(F) substance abuse screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment.

(b) The Department of Health and Social Services shall comply with AS 15.07.055 to serve as a voter registration agency to the extent required by state and federal law, including 42 U.S.C. 1973gg (National Voter Registration Act of 1993).

(c) The Department of Health and Social Services shall cooperate with the Department of Public Safety in enforcement of the prohibition on the possession, offer, display, marketing, advertising, or sale of illicit synthetic drugs under AS 17.21.