00CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 168(HES)                                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to temporary permits for certain optometrists."                                                        
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1.  AS 08.72 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                   
04  Sec. 08.72.172.  PERMIT FOR LOCUM TENENS PRACTICE.  (a)  The board                                                    
05 may issue a temporary permit to a nonresident optometrist for the purpose of assisting                                  
06 or substituting for an optometrist licensed under this chapter.  The optometrist who                                    
07 will be assisted or for whom the nonresident optometrist will be substituting shall                                     
08 submit a written request to the board asking for the locum tenens permit to be issued                                   
09 for the nonresident.  A resident optometrist licensed under this chapter may not request                                
10 more than one locum tenens permit within a 12-month period.                                                             
11  (b)  A permit issued under this section is valid for 60 consecutive days and                                          
12 may be renewed up to two times within a 12-month period if circumstances warrant.                                       
13 Permits issued under this section are not valid for more than 180 consecutive days of                                   
14 practice within a 12-month period.                                                                                      

01  (c)  A person who applies for a permit under this section shall pay the required                                      
02 fee and furnish proof of                                                                                                
03   (1)  holding a valid, current, and unrestricted license to practice                                                  
04 optometry issued by a state or territory of the United States or by a province or                                       
05 territory of Canada, Australia, or New Zealand; and                                                                     
06   (2)  there being no unresolved complaints or formal charges filed against                                            
07 the applicant with a licensing board.                                                                                   
08  (d)  Within 10 days after a permit has been issued under this section, the board                                      
09 shall forward to the department a report of the issuance of the permit.                                                 
10  (e)  The board shall issue to a permittee under this section an endorsement or                                        
11 other evidence of authorization to use pharmaceutical agents or perform other special                                   
12 procedures that are not authorized under a general license issued under AS 08.72.150                                    
13 if the permittee                                                                                                        
14   (1)  meets the requirements of this chapter for obtaining the                                                        
15 endorsement or other authorization; or                                                                                  
16   (2)  met requirements substantially similar to those of this chapter for                                             
17 the use of pharmaceutical agents or performance of other special procedures, as                                         
18 applicable, under the license granted to the permittee in the jurisdiction for which the                                
19 permittee furnished proof of licensure under (c)(1) of this section.