03/26/2013 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

                                                                                                                                
                 SB 4-MILITARY TRAINING CREDIT                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:05:21 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNLEAVY  reconvened the meeting  and noted the  arrival of                                                               
Senator Stedman.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DUNLEAVY announced  that the final order  of business would                                                               
be  SB  4.  "An  Act relating  to  applying  military  education,                                                               
training,  and  service  credit  to  occupational  licensing  and                                                               
certain   postsecondary   education   and   employment   training                                                               
requirements; providing for a  temporary occupational license for                                                               
qualified  military   service  members;  and  providing   for  an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:06:09 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BILL  WIELECHOWSKI, sponsor of  SB 4, explained  that the                                                               
bill directs  state boards to accept  relevant military education                                                               
training and service as equivalent  to some or all qualifications                                                               
for applying  for licenses or  certificates. It also  directs the                                                               
University of  Alaska and the Alaska  Commission on Postsecondary                                                               
Education  to   implement  policies  and  procedures   to  accept                                                               
relevant  military  education  as   credit  toward  a  degree  or                                                               
technical certificate.  The bill  is an effort  to stem  the high                                                               
unemployment rates  for veterans. This is  particularly important                                                               
for Alaska because  it has the highest percentage  of veterans in                                                               
the  country.  He related  that  a  number  of states  have  this                                                               
legislation  and  it's  the  number one  priority  for  the  U.S.                                                               
Department of Defense.  He noted that he  introduced an identical                                                               
bill last year.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:08:22 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE asked what happened to the bill last year.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   WIELECHOWSKI  explained   that  companion   bills  were                                                               
introduced in the House and Senate  and the House bill became the                                                               
vehicle, but it died on the last night of the session.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DUNLEAVY asked if this bill was identical.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
KENDRA KLOSTER, Staff, Senator Bill  Wielechowski, said this bill                                                               
is  substantially the  same, but  the previous  committee removed                                                               
language that allowed a temporary  license to be extended for 180                                                               
days.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:09:45 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR OLSON asked why the 180-day provision was removed.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. KLOSTER said  a member of that committee  was concerned about                                                               
such an  extension for  the medical profession.  It was  a policy                                                               
call and the sponsor accepted the change.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MARC SAN  SOUCI, Northwest Regional  Liaison, U.S.  Department of                                                               
Defense (DOD),  Tacoma, Washington, provided  information related                                                               
to  SB 4.  He  highlighted  that 28  states  have passed  similar                                                               
legislation granting  veterans credit toward  either occupational                                                               
licensing and/or academic credit.  He emphasized that the request                                                               
is not  for direct licensure if  it is not equivalent.  It's only                                                               
credit where  credit is due. He  pointed out that the  public has                                                               
already paid for veterans' training by paying taxes.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. SAN  SOUCI reported that  the Department of  Defense recently                                                               
released a new Joint Service  Transcript (JST) that is generic to                                                               
all branches  of the military. The  goal is to make  it easier to                                                               
evaluate  course descriptions  and training  among the  different                                                               
branches.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:14:21 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR OLSON asked how the military grades its students.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. SAN  SOUCI said  it varies  based on the  length and  type of                                                               
program, and  sometimes there is  variation between  the branches                                                               
of the  service. The  new JST  is intended to  make it  easier to                                                               
evaluate the courses for credit.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON asked what categories  of training besides medicine                                                               
are available and have benefitted by these training credits.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. SAN  SOUCI said  many job  categories have  benefitted, among                                                               
these are cosmetology and engineering.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON asked about firefighters and pilots.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SAN  SOUCI  responded  that   licenses  that  are  federally                                                               
regulated,   such  as   for  pilots   and  aircraft   maintenance                                                               
technicians,  probably wouldn't  be  included,  but licenses  for                                                               
firefighters,    engineering   technicians,    landscapers,   and                                                               
surveyors would be.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:17:57 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE  asked if  the $137,600 fiscal  note was  a "one                                                               
timer" for  travel costs for  the various occupational  boards to                                                               
get  together,  plus  $30,000  for  staff  costs  for  regulation                                                               
changes.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said yes. He  explained that the Senate Bill                                                               
last year  had a delayed  effective date and that  eliminated the                                                               
fiscal note. The  House bill had an immediate  effective date and                                                               
it had  a fiscal impact.  Senator Huggins preferred  an immediate                                                               
effective date, and that's what SB 4 has; thus, the fiscal note.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:19:02 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNLEAVY  stated he would hold  SB 4 in committee  and take                                                               
public testimony at the next hearing.