Legislature(2019 - 2020)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/12/2019 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): | |
| SB11 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 11 | TELECONFERENCED | |
1:48:19 PM
CHAIR REINBOLD announced that the final order of business would
be SENATE BILL NO. 11, "An Act relating to temporary courtesy
licenses for certain nonresident professionals; and relating to
the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic
Development."
1:48:31 PM
SENATOR SCOTT KAWASAKI, Alaska State Legislature, as sponsor of
SB 11, stated he briefly spoke at the last meeting. He stated
that Senator Costello has previously sponsored legislation to
address this important issue for military spouses and their
families. He said that over 9,000 servicemen and women serve in
Fairbanks. He anticipated an additional 4,000 members will move
to his region with the F35s. He said that of the 10,000 military
at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, over 5,000 are spouses. He
said that these spouses work in important professions and
certificated programs. He would like them to be able to perform
their duties without any barriers. He has been working closely
with the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic
Development (DCCED) and other legislators in the last few years
to ensure that can happen. He related that former Representative
Bill Thomas originally introduced a bill in 2011 to expedite
courtesy licenses. The bill has evolved and last year it passed
the House unanimously. He said he appreciated the work that
Senator Costello, as Co-Chair of the Joint Armed Services, did
on the bill; however, it did not pass in the final days of the
legislative session. He said that SB 11 is the exact language in
House Bill 28 in the last legislature. He said this bill is pro-
military, pro-jobs, and pro-economy.
1:50:34 PM
MERCEDES COLBERT, Staff, Senator Scott Kawasaki, Alaska State
Legislature, introduced SB 11 on behalf of the sponsor, Senator
Scott Kawasaki. She paraphrased from a prepared statement, which
read as follows:
Senate Bill 11 would require Department of Commerce,
Community, and Economic Development to report on the
progress of drafting and implementing regulations for
temporary courtesy occupational licenses for eligible
military spouses.
In 2011, House Bill 28 was passed to help ease the
transition for military families as they transferred
to Alaska. AS 08.01.063 provides expedited temporary
courtesy licenses to eligible spouses of Active Duty
Service members who already hold a license in another
state.
In the fall of 2017, Fairbanks business leaders and
legislators found that despite a series of nationwide
legislations, military families were still having
difficulties transitioning throughout many states,
including Alaska, particularly regarding obtaining
occupational licenses.
This issue was reiterated in the November 2017,
Updated Preliminary Findings of the Eielson Air Force
Base Regional Growth Plan. As a part of the study,
Focus Groups were conducted among military families to
discover what challenges they may face when relocating
to Alaska to serve. One of the comments featured in
these findings, was "Anyone who has a license in a
different state is required to get a new license or
certification in Alaska. This is a challenge."
The point of HB 28 was to reduce this same sort of
challenge back in 2011, so the fact that one persists
shows that there is still some area for improvement.
After the University of Minnesota study, DoD published
a document entitled "Evaluation of Licensure
Implementation Best Practices," which was provided to
members, and featured two examples of legislation
regarding occupational licensing for military spouses
from Connecticut and Washington. [DOD presents about
this]
The main difference between these and HB 28 from 2011,
is that Washington and Connecticut's versions include
and set requirements for a report that is to be
presented to their variation of a Joint Armed Services
Committee.
SB 11, the one you are hearing today is directly
modeled off these bills. Then-Rep. Kawasaki introduced
HB 262 in 2018, which passed the House unanimously and
earned bipartisan support in the Senate before it got
stalled at the end of session.
In 2017, of 13,396 Occupational License Applications,
fewer than 35 were received for the Military Spouse
Request for Expedited Application. With more than
20,000 active duty personnel in Alaska and about half
of them here with spouses, this very low number seems
to reflect a lack of communication about the program
at several levels.
As DOD notes, they found some board staff were not
even aware of this opportunity afforded by the 2011
legislation. Some boards are more aware, further along
with implementation than others.
1:53:59 PM
With fewer than 35 temporary courtesy licenses
provided that year, yet with thousands of military
spouses in the state, it seems there may be a lost
opportunity for military families to take advantage of
this program that gets them to work quickly and
contributing to the local economy.
In Fairbanks, we expect 800-1000 spouses to arrive
steadily over the next 10 years alongside more than
1400 direct employees and personnel associated with F-
35 platform. As a Senator of a district where many
will be living, we want to ensure spouses are afforded
as much information as possible about opportunities
available to them.
Simply put, by requiring the department to issue a
report on military spouse occupational licensure, SB
11 would help facilitate communication between the
boards, DCCED, Dept of Defense and military community,
and would help keep the legislature informed as to any
continual challenges or room for improvement.
It took 7 years for lack of reporting to show there
was an issue or shortcoming that could have been
provided if a reporting requirement was included in
the original bill in 2011. We appreciate the
communication by the Division of Licensing since then,
in coordination with the Dept of Defense, which we
believe was a result of introducing this legislation
last year. We hope to keep this going by passing this
bill to improve the program.
1:54:24 PM
What the Bill Does:
Report would include:
- Expedited application procedures
- Progress made for implementing regulations, changes to
regulations made to accommodate the needs of military
spouses, and any plans for future regulations
- Provide the number and type of the licenses that have
been issued
- Provide update about the Department's efforts to
inform each board authorized to issue these licenses
and how they are working with the military community
about informing military spouses they may apply for
temporary expedited occupational licenses
- The department shall annually produce and distribute
to each board authorized to issue these licenses
informational materials to improve the board's
knowledge of the licenses, the application process,
and best practices in providing applicant support.
- Encourages the designation for a single employee to
serve as Point of contact for public information and
inquires related to temporary courtesy licenses (which
from what the Dept. has said, will be dept. Director
Sarah Chambers).
Report would be submitted to JASC on or before March 1
each year, ahead of the annual meeting during session.
Department shall consolidate two most recent reports
and submit biennial report to legislature on or before
March 1 during first regular session.
1:55:46 PM
WHY JASC? JASC acts as a liaison between military
installations and the state, ensuring Alaskans are
aware of military missions while reaching out to those
who serve the nation here in Alaska. JASC members
typically represent areas of the state in or near
where military installations are located, where many
active duty service members live with their families.
The more information available to JASC members, the
better military families may be served in return by
state lawmakers.
The report would be publicly available, which would
help legislators, military community, boards and DOD
communicate and coordinate, so spouses are aware of
opportunities available to them as they relocate to
Alaska in service to the nation.
1:56:18 PM
SENATOR BIRCH thanked her for the background. He pointed out
that licensure is about public safety. He said he is supportive
of this bill. He said engineering uses reciprocity to practice
in other states. He asked who ensures the licensure has a
reciprocal jurisdiction.
1:57:14 PM
MS. COLBERT deferred the question to the Department of Commerce,
Community and Economic Development (DCCED).
1:57:37 PM
SARA CHAMBERS, Deputy Director, Juneau Office, Division of
Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing, Department
of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED), stated
that the department supports SB 11. It will not change any of
the licensing procedures. She said that the department already
expedites military spouse licenses and has established
credentialing and reciprocity provisions for licensure for most
professions.
She said that the department continually looks for ways to
improve. For example, the department has drafted a bill it hopes
will be introduced in the next few weeks that would offer a
temporary license for all licenses. She explained that the bill
would bypass the board, which is often the holdup. She offered
her belief that this bill is a good way to hold the division
accountable.
1:59:11 PM
SENATOR BISHOP asked whether this bill relates more to
accountability and how well the department is performing.
MS. COLBERT answered yes, that is pretty much how it is framed.
1:59:28 PM
SENATOR BISHOP asked whether he knew how many reciprocity
agreements the state has with other states on occupational
licensing.
MS. CHAMBERS answered that there are very few national
reciprocity agreements, otherwise known as licensure compacts.
She said Alaska does not have any, that the state has its own
licensure by credentials that says if a licensee holds a license
in another state or jurisdiction, that Alaska will make the
requirements a little less onerous than if the person is seeking
initial licensure. She indicated that licensure compacts are
rare and the medical and nursing boards have been discussing it.
However, the legislature has not yet adopted licensure compact
legislation.
2:00:19 PM
SENATOR COSTELLO thanked the sponsor's staff. She said expedited
licensure for spouses is a great way to support our military
families. She said these professionals give back to our
communities. She asked whether she knew how much faster the
expedited licensure process will be for military spouses.
MS. CHAMBERS said that it would depend on the license type. She
indicated that it could even slow the process down since it
would treat the licensee differently. She said the department is
working on ways to streamline the process.
2:01:44 PM
SENATOR COSTELLO asked for information on the top ten licenses
in Alaska and the timeframe for license approval for each one.
MS. CHAMBERS asked whether this was from the time somebody
applies or when they complete the application.
SENATOR COSTELLO clarified that she meant from the time the
applicant contacts the department to the time they have the
license in hand.
MS. CHAMBERS offered to provide an overview to the committee
that would provide a sense of the different timelines.
2:03:03 PM
CHAIR REINBOLD remarked that she cosponsored the bill last year.
She said that her district represents Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson (JBER), and this is an important issue to her
constituents. She related her personal experiences living in
Norway and problems she encountered.
2:04:55 PM
SENATOR BIRCH expressed his willingness to move the bill.
2:05:27 PM
CHAIR REINBOLD opened public testimony, and after ascertaining
no one wished to testify, closed public testimony on SB 11.
SB 11 was held in committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| L&C Psychologists and Psychological Associate Examiners Resume - Johnson.pdf |
SL&C 3/12/2019 1:30:00 PM |
|
| L&C Dental Examiners - Resume Dschaak.pdf |
SL&C 3/12/2019 1:30:00 PM |
Governor's Appointees to Boards and Commissions |
| L&C Dental Examiners Resume - Hronkin.pdf |
SL&C 3/12/2019 1:30:00 PM |
Governor's Appointees to Boards and Commissions |
| L&C Dental Examiners Resume - Nielson.pdf |
SL&C 3/12/2019 1:30:00 PM |
Governor's Appointees to Boards and Commissions |
| L&C Dental Examiners Resume - Lucas.pdf |
SL&C 3/12/2019 1:30:00 PM |
Governor's Appointees to Boards and Commissions |
| SB 11 Supporting Document - Rep. Thomas Letter of Support.pdf |
SL&C 3/12/2019 1:30:00 PM |
SB 11 |
| SB 11 Supporting Document- Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Letter of Support.pdf |
SL&C 3/12/2019 1:30:00 PM |
SB 11 |