House panel advances bill to expand early intervention for delayed infants

The House Health and Social Services Committee voted Friday to advance legislation that would expand early intervention services for Alaska infants and toddlers with developmental delays.

Senate Bill 178 would lower the state's eligibility threshold from 50% developmental delay to 25% for children ages 0-3 seeking services through the Infant Learning Program. Senator Lukie Gail Tobin told the committee that Alaska has the most restrictive benchmark for providing intervention services for young children who experience developmental delays.

The bill was first introduced in April 2025 and referred to Finance that May, but died in committee. The current version passed the Senate on May 13, 2026, before moving to the House.

Tobin, who co-chairs the Alaska Children's Caucus, said the caucus identified the legislation as its top priority through a stakeholder-driven survey process. Alaska Children's Trust has also listed SB 178 as a priority item in its 2026 legislative agenda.

Tobin said the change would save the state roughly $38 million annually in special education costs, as children who receive early intervention are less likely to need special education services once they enter the K-12 system.

"That 50% benchmark means you were struggling for months, maybe years before you are able to access quality intervention services," Tobin said.

Tobin told the committee the bill would generate a $17 return for every dollar invested over the course of a child's K-12 education. She said the state would reach a break-even point on the investment around year six, even accounting for one to two years needed to adjust the Medicaid plan to recoup federal dollars for the services.

After brief discussion, Representative Fields suggested reporting out the bill immediately. The committee then passed the bill without objection during the Friday morning hearing, which lasted from 8:06 a.m. to 8:12 a.m. Chair Representative Mena noted the hearing was largely procedural, as the committee had already passed the identical House Bill 376 from committee earlier this session.

"Senate Bill 178 is the identical companion bill to House Bill 376 on expanding the Infant Learning Program, which was considered and passed out of this committee earlier this session," Mena said.

A representative moved Senate Bill 178 from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes.

The bill now moves to the House floor for consideration. A fiscal note from the Department of Health estimated $454,500 in unrestricted general funds in fiscal year 2027 for two permanent positions. A separate Medicaid fiscal note estimated roughly $5.5 million beginning in fiscal year 2028, split between federal receipts and state general fund match.