Legislature(2017 - 2018)ADAMS ROOM 519
03/01/2018 09:00 AM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB176 | |
| HB301 | |
| HCR10 || HB168 | |
| HB110 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 110 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 176 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 301 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 168 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HCR 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 38 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HOUSE BILL NO. 110
"An Act relating to the practice of massage therapy;
relating to the Board of Massage Therapists; and
providing for an effective date."
10:34:25 AM
CRYSTAL KOENEMAN, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE KITO, introduced
the bill. She characterized the HB 110 as a "clean-up
bill". The massage board was recently established, and the
bill addressed licensure issues that became apparent over
the few years of board operation. The board had requested
several changes to their statutes to help ease the
licensure process for licensees and the Department of
Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED). She
explained the provisions in the bill. She spoke to the
difficulty in finding members to serve on the board. The
bill eased the restrictions for those who wish to be public
members of the board by allowing a former member of a board
to become a member of the massage board and removed the
original prohibition. In addition, HB 110 added language
for the board to adopt regulations governing massage
therapy establishments; increased the number of hours of
in-class supervised instruction and clinical work from an
approved massage school from 500 hours to 625 hours;
changes the annual fingerprint requirement to every six (6)
years; and reduces the number of hours of safety education
covering blood-borne pathogens from four hours to two
hours. The effective date was July 1, 2019.
10:37:17 AM
Representative Kawasaki asked why the blood-borne pathogens
hour requirement was decreasing to 2 hours from 4 hours.
DAVE EDWARDS-SMITH, CHAIR, BOARD OF MASSAGE (via
teleconference), replied that there was only two-hour blood
borne pathogen classes available because the national
standard was set at two hours. Currently, to comply with
statute, massage therapists were taking two of the same
classes. He further explained that an entry level analysis
project completed by 7 different national massage agencies
concluded that the educational standard should be 625
hours. He stated that most schools offered the higher
number of hours and he did not anticipate an impact to
schools located within the state or on reciprocity with
other states licensure.
10:40:11 AM
Co-Chair Seaton OPENED Public Testimony.
10:40:26 AM
VOLKER RUBY, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN MASSAGE THERAPY
ASSOCIATION ALASKA CHAPTER, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
supported HB 110. He related that he was a practicing
massage therapist for 13 years. He indicated that the added
language for the board to adopt regulations governing
massage therapy establishments granted enforcement
authority to shut down human trafficking operations using
massage therapy as a front. He noted the other
"modifications" in the bill and stated that the proposed
changes from the original statute were discovered through
the initial few years of licensing. He urged members to
move the bill from committee.
Co-Chair Seaton asked if the bill contained all the
necessary changes to current statute. Mr. Ruby responded
affirmatively.
Co-Chair Seaton asked Mr. Edwards-Smith if he wanted to
provide further testimony.
Mr. Edwards-Smith indicated the board's support for HB 110.
He elaborated that the board considered the bill necessary
for "statutory house cleaning". He restated the provisions
in the bill. He emphasized that the previous public member
of the board played a "valuable" role and he felt the board
was weakened while the seat was vacant. He strongly favored
loosening the requirements for the public member.
10:44:49 AM
JILL MOTZ, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference), spoke in
support of the legislation. She was a licensed massage
therapist and practiced massage since 2003 and sat on the
massage board. She qualified that her testimony was on
behalf of herself. She voiced that state licensure created
a cohesive and stable environment for the profession and
practitioners and HB 110 further enhanced the licensure.
She listed the provisions in the bill. She spoke to issues
of human trafficking and illicit massage businesses and
favored the licensing of establishments to hold the owners
legally accountable. She believed the bill changes were
reasonable and necessary. She thanked the committee for
supporting the legislation.
10:47:34 AM
Co-Chair Foster CLOSED Public Testimony.
Representative Wilson asked about a comment in the fiscal
note. She read the specific language on page 2 from the
fiscal note analysis:
The potential number of establishments affected by
this bill is unknown at this time. Future costs for
legal and hearing service expenses in out years are
unknown.
Representative Wilson requested clarity.
10:48:18 AM
JANEY MCCULLOUGH, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF CORPORATIONS,
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING, DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE, COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, explained
that the division was uncertain of the number of massage
therapy establishments.
Representative Wilson asked whether the licenses would be
charged to the establishment. Ms. McCullough responded in
the affirmative.
Representative Kawasaki asked about a massage therapist
that travelled to the client to perform the service. He
wondered how the establishment license applied to the
scenario. Ms. McCullough stated that the provision applied
to brick and mortar establishments and the definition would
be clarified in regulation. Representative Kawasaki wanted
to be clear that the bill only applied to brick and mortar
establishments. Ms. McCullough deferred comment to the
board chair. Representative Kawasaki commented that the
committee added a provision lessening the fingerprinting
requirements to once every three renewal cycles to the
board sunset bill HB 275 (Extend: Board of Massage
Therapists). He commented that HB 110 included the language
"once every 6 years". He asked whether there was a
difference between the language in both bills. Ms.
McCullough stated that the more accurate language was in HB
110. The goal was to require fingerprinting for every third
renewal but the language once every 6 years provided more
flexibility.
10:52:16 AM
Co-Chair Seaton did not want to place undue restrictions on
"mobile" massage. He did not want establishment licensure
requirements placed on any place a massage therapist
travelled to perform massage. He emphasized that he wanted
the statement on the record.
Representative Wilson favored moving the bill from
committee. She wondered whether the sponsor supported the
2019 effective date. Ms. Koeneman reported that the sponsor
supported the effective date.
Representative Wilson MOVED to report CSHB 110 (L&C) out of
Committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying fiscal note.
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
CSHB110 (L&C) was REPORTED out of committee with a "do
pass" recommendation and with a fiscal impact note by the
Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.
10:55:00 AM
AT EASE
10:55:47 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Foster reviewed the agenda for the following
meeting.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB110 2.19.18 Letters of Support.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 110 |
| HB110 Sectional Analysis 2.15.18.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 110 |
| HB110 Sponsor Statement 2.15.18.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 110 |
| HB110(L&C) Explanation of Changes 2.16.18.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 110 |
| HB 168-Sectional Analysis-2018.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 168 |
| State v ALIVE Voluntary summary and headnotes-2018.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 168 |
| HB 168-Leg Research-Meetings-2018.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 168 |
| HB 168 Sponsor Statement-2018.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 168 |
| HCR 10-Uniform Rule 20-2018.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HCR 10 |
| HCR 10-Sponsor Statement-2018.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HCR 10 |
| HB110 - Support.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 110 |
| HB 110 Support Letter Gibbs.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 110 |
| HB 301 02.28.2018 DCCED HFIN Followup.pdf |
HFIN 3/1/2018 9:00:00 AM |
HB 301 |