Legislature(2017 - 2018)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
04/23/2018 08:00 AM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB340 | |
| HB343 | |
| HB262 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 340 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 343 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 262 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 262-MILITARY SPOUSE COURTESY LICENSE
8:05:33 AM
CHAIR COSTELLO announced the consideration of HB 262. [CSHB
262(L&C) was before the committee.]
8:05:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT KAWASAKI, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau,
Alaska, sponsor of HB 262, said the state is very generous
towards the 17,000 active duty armed service members and more
than 70,000 veterans who reside in Alaska. There are VA tuition
waivers within the UA System, state defense liaisons work with
school districts, expedited hunting and fishing licenses are
available, and small businesses offer discounts. HB 262 seeks to
strengthen the current mechanism to ensure that military spouses
are aware of the opportunities for expedited occupational
licensure.
In 2011, House Bill 28 was passed to provide expedited temporary
professional licenses to spouses of active duty military
members. Several other states passed similar legislation and
some included a reporting mechanism so the legislature could
track the process. Last year his office learned that military
spouses were not utilizing the expedited temporary professional
licensure process. HB 262 implements a reporting requirement in
an effort to increase the use of this benefit.
8:08:40 AM
MERCEDES COLBERT, Staff, Representative Scott Kawasaki, Alaska
State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska stated that HB 262 would
require the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic
Development (DCCED) to report on the progress of drafting and
implementing regulations for temporary courtesy occupational
licenses for eligible military spouses. The program for these
licenses was established in 2011, but a study conducted last
fall on behalf of the Department of Defense found that despite a
series of bills passed nationwide, military families were still
having difficulties transitioning their occupational licenses.
The issue was reiterated in November with the updated
preliminary findings of the Eielson Air Force Base Regional
Growth Management Plan. As part of that study, focus groups were
established to identify the challenges military families face
when they relocate to Alaska. Comments featured in the findings
indicated that more needed to be done to improve the program.
She reported that in 2017, fewer than 35 of the 13,396
occupational license applications were from military spouses.
Alaska has 17,000 active duty service members and at least one-
third are here with their spouses. That very low number reflects
a lack of communication. The Department of Defense study found
that many occupational boards in Alaska were not even aware of
the opportunity the 2011 legislation provided. She noted that
the sponsor's office heard through the Fairbanks Economic
Development Corporation that more work needed to be done to
improve access to these licenses and to ensure communication
among board staff, the Department of Defense, and the military
community. HB 262 was introduced to help improve that
communication.
MS. COLBERT advised that 800-1,000 spouses are expected to come
to Alaska in the next 10 years in the company of 1,400 direct
employees and personnel associated with the F-35 platform in the
Fairbanks area. A big reason for introducing HB 262 was to
improve access to economic development for those families. Many
of them will be living in the sponsor's district.
She expressed appreciation that the division of licensing had
been very communicative about what it had been doing to
implement the 2011 legislation. She opined that passage of HB
262 will encourage more consistent communication.
MS. COLBERT briefly read the new subsections (e), (f), and (g)
of AS 08.01.063 proposed by HB 262. She highlighted that the
Joint Armed Services Committee (JASC) serves as a liaison
between military installations in the state and JASC members
typically represent areas of the state where military
installations are located. The more information available to
JASC members, the better military families can be served.
CHAIR COSTELLO noted that Sarah Chambers, the deputy director of
the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional
Licensing (DCBPL) was available to answer questions.
8:14:45 AM
SENATOR GARDNER asked if the division would work through JASC to
get the names and addresses for the newly arrived military
members.
MS. COLBERT deferred to the division to discuss their outreach.
She reiterated the reason for the JASC to specifically receive
the report and the need for one individual in the department to
be a point of contact to field questions about licensure from
military members and spouses.
SENATOR GARDNER asked why, when it's safe and appropriate,
occupational license reciprocity wasn't available to everyone.
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI said it was a policy call. Noting that
reciprocity was available to teachers, physicians, and a few
other professions or occupations, he suggested Ms. Chambers
speak to the reasoning for other available licenses.
SENATOR GARDNER said she didn't understand why the state
wouldn't make it easy for anyone to come to Alaska and use their
training, providing that it was appropriate and the licensing
standards were equally rigorous.
8:17:53 AM
SENATOR MEYER asked how the program authorized by House Bill 28
in 2011 had worked.
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI said a study conducted in the fall of
last year showed that very few people were taking advantage of
the program. He introduced HB 262 in the belief that instituting
a reporting requirement would strengthen that existing
legislation. Several other states that passed similar
legislation have initiated required reporting and HB 262 uses
that boilerplate language. He noted that the packets contained a
letter from the Department of Defense that talked about how this
bill would complement the existing legislation.
SENATOR MEYER asked how many people have applied for a courtesy
license and how long it took to get the license.
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI said there were 35 applications and Ms.
Chamber could discuss how long it took to receive the expedited
licenses and which professions were represented.
8:19:40 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked if it was possible for someone to apply
for an expedited license once they knew they were being
transferred to the state because some know a year in advance of
their actual transfer.
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI suggested Ms. Chambers address the
details, but he'd like a person to be able to resume their
career as soon as they arrive. That's the point of the
legislation; it's pro economic development, pro job, and pro
military.
SENATOR STEVENS expressed hope that an answer would be
forthcoming and shared his belief that someone should be able to
apply as soon as they know they're being transferred.
8:21:34 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE observed that the temporary license was good
for just a year so the applicant would need a regular license if
they stayed longer than that.
8:22:06 AM
SARAH CHAMBERS, Deputy Director, Division of Corporations,
Business and Professional Licensing, Juneau, Alaska, explained
that HB 262 requires the division to create an annual report for
the legislature regarding courtesy licenses for military
spouses. She said the division had been working to facilitate
discussions with military entities regarding this benefit since
the initial legislation was adopted, but military agencies were
dissatisfied with the flow of that information. She acknowledged
that despite the division's efforts, it was clear that a more
intimate relationship with those agencies was needed. She said
HB 262 seeks to improve communication and that was happening
through meetings with the Forget Me Not Coalition, which is an
amalgamation of entities that work with military spouses on a
daily basis. She expressed optimism about learning ways to help
military spouses access the division's resources.
MS. CHAMBERS referenced Senator Gardner's question and advised
that there were very few true reciprocal licenses. However,
nearly every one of the division's 43 licensing programs have
fewer barriers for individuals who hold a license in another
state. The boards were analyzing interstate licensure compacts,
particularly with health care professions, but it would take
specific legislation to accomplish that type of licensure. Some
license requirements, such as construction contractors, are very
straightforward and don't require an exam. A few licenses, such
as marine pilots and big game commercial services, require
Alaska-specific knowledge that can only be obtained by being in
Alaska. Reciprocity for those licenses wouldn't make sense.
She advised that the existing licensing programs issued over
13,000 new licenses in FY17, but just 35 applicants identified
themselves as military spouses. Those were in the areas of:
massage therapy, pharmacy, psychology, social work, barbers and
hairdressers, and professional counselors. She said a military
licensing page was visible from every page of the division's
website, but the improved communication with the Forget Me Not
Commission should increase awareness of the expedited licensure.
As a point of interest, she reported that there were fewer than
20 active duty military licensures and fewer than 15 people
applied to use their military experience to gain licensure in
Alaska. She said the division was working with each of the
boards to increase awareness and provide better service.
MS. CHAMBERS referenced Senator Steven's question and said the
division actively encourages everyone to apply for a license as
soon as they know they have orders, even if they don't intend to
move to Alaska. She acknowledged the need to do a better job if
military spouses were finding it difficult to navigate the state
bureaucracy.
8:31:24 AM
CHAIR COSTELLO thanked Ms. Chambers for the information.
SENATOR MICCICHE asked if it was possible for someone to apply
for a license before they arrive in Alaska and go to work as
soon as they get off the plane.
MS. CHAMBERS said if all the documentation is in order and the
application is complete, the answer is yes. Not having a
complete application causes delays. Some information, like for
health care professionals, must come from the institution where
the person worked and that can take time. The division worked
with the boards to streamline the process of reviewing
applications offline and not waiting three to four months for
the next board meeting. She noted that a couple of boards were
uncomfortable with that process but the division was committed
to continuing the process to expedite things.
SENATOR MICCICHE asked if someone would receive a regular
license if they submitted a complete application and satisfied
all the board requirements.
MS. CHAMBERS said the division would encourage individuals to
apply for a full license if they meet all the requirements, but
oftentimes a temporary license makes sense.
8:35:20 AM
SENATOR STEVENS said he appreciates the efforts to expedite
licensure for military spouses, but there was still a problem
with the length of time it takes Alaskans to obtain a
professional license. He specifically noted the long delay to
get a license from the Board of Psychology. He expressed his
intention to follow up with specific legislation to address the
problem.
8:36:29 AM
MS. CHAMBERS said she would appreciate working with his staff to
resolve problems for specific individuals as well as any
underlying problems with the process. The Board of Psychology
was one that does not approve licenses offline, which takes a
little longer. However, the division has a policy of letting
people know within a week that they've been approved of
licensure. She encouraged all legislators to notify the division
when they hear about specific problematic situations.
SENATOR STEVENS highlighted the financial consequences
including Medicaid billing - when someone in the psychology
field is not given timely notification that they qualified for a
license.
8:38:13 AM
CHAIR COSTELLO opened public testimony on HB 262.
8:38:36 AM
DAVID NEES, Research Associate, Alaska Policy Forum (APF),
Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of HB 262. He stated
that the Department of Defense (DoD) study recommended five
steps to make it easier for military spouses to obtain licensure
and the fifth step was to collect data, which HB 262
accomplishes. He related that the DoD study looked at
cosmetology, dental hygiene, mental health occupations,
occupational therapy and real estate licensures in all 50
states. Their recommendation was that the legislation should
contain the word shall" instead of "may" and that the term
substantially equivalent" in the licensure was very important
to make it easier for military spouses. He noted that this
cohort had a 20 percent unemployment rate even though they may
be licensed in another state.
MR. NEES said the other four requirements from the DoD study
were that the websites of licensing agencies should include
military accommodation licensure on each page; the boards should
be educated that it was their responsibility to ensure expedited
temporary licensure works; that the license application should
have a separate box to self-identify as a military spouse; and
improving portability and continuing education. He noted that
the Division of Occupational Licensing in the State of Alaska
does not cover the areas of education and health services. There
are shortages in these areas and APF would recommend adding
language to the bill to make it easier for military spouses to
fill vacancies in those two occupations. He reiterated support
for the bill.
8:41:33 AM
DALE VANDE HEY, Liaison, State Liaison Office, Military
Community and Family Policy, Department of Defense, San Antonio,
Texas, expressed appreciation for shining a light on the issue
of expedited temporary licensure for military spouses. It is a
key quality of life issue that his office had been working on
since House Bill 28 was enacted in 2011. The DoD continues to
advocate for anything that can be done to improve the process
and enable military spouses to easily transition to Alaska and
continue a career in their selected discipline. He reiterated
support for HB 262 to improve the process.
8:43:59 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked Mr. Vande Hey to give members an idea of
the length of assignments for military personnel.
MR. VANDE HEY said the average assignment is about three years,
but it can be more depending on the specialty.
SENATOR MICCICHE asked if the DoD ranks the states on services
to military families and tracks the gaps that legislatures
should be aware of.
MR. VANDE HEY replied the DoD website
[statepolicy.militaryonesource.mil] lists the ten key issues for
military families that have been identified across the 50 states
and can be addressed by state legislatures. It shows where
Alaska fits relative to the other states on these issues.
CHAIR COSTELLO suggested the members share that in their
newsletters to constituents.
8:49:04 AM
CHRISTIE RODRIGUEZ, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska,
testified in support of HB 262. She related that she had been a
military spouse for more than 20 years and had struggled to
continue her education as she was transferred with her spouse.
Once she received her degree, she faced daunting challenges
getting her professional career started. This is a common theme
in military life and helps account for the fact that military
spouses are 47 percent underemployed compared to their civilian
counterparts. She said the spotlight on the issue of licensure
for military spouses is appreciated and state laws are being
enacted, but implementation is still a problem. She emphasized
the need for transparency and the ability to access information.
She said HB 262 would be very helpful for capturing date about
how things are going for military spouses and taking things in a
positive direction.
CHAIR COSTELLO thanked her for her comments and her family's
military service.
8:55:01 AM
BILL THOMAS, representing self, Haines, Alaska, stated support
for HB 262. He shared that he was the sponsor of House Bill 28
that passed in 2011. He noted that the veteran's caucus worked
with the Department of Defense on the language. The bill was
intended to provide support for military families and veterans
and HB 262 furthers that goal.
8:57:06 AM
CHAIR COSTELLO found no further comments and closed public
testimony on HB 262.
8:57:39 AM
SENATOR MEYER moved to report HB 262 from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).
CHAIR COSTELLO found no objection, and CSHB 262(L&C) moved from
Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.