Legislature(2021 - 2022)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/26/2021 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s) | |
| SB86 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 86 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
SB 86-TEMPORARY PERMITS & LICENSES
2:00:19 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 86 "An Act relating to
occupational licensing; relating to temporary licenses, permits,
and certificates; and providing for an effective date."
She explained that this committee bill extracted the issue of
temporary licensure from the Governor's Disaster Declaration.
This is the second hearing and there is a committee substitute
for the committee's consideration.
2:00:49 PM
SENATOR HOLLAND moved to adopt the Committee Substitute (CS) for
SB 86, work order 32-LS0531\B, as the working document.
2:01:07 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO objected for an explanation of changes.
2:01:19 PM
MELODIE WILTERDINK, Staff, Senator Mia Costello, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, recounted that there were just two
changes between version A and version B of SB 86. On page 1,
line 6, the term "may" was changed to "shall" so subsection (a)
reads as follows:
(a) The department may on an expedited basis issue a
temporary license, permit, or certificate under this
section to engage in an occupation regulated under
this chapter to an individual who holds a
corresponding license, permit, or certificate in good
standing in another jurisdiction and pays the required
fee for a temporary license, permit, or certificate
established by the department.
On page 2, lines 2 through 5, a new subsection (c) establishes
that the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic
Development (DCCED) shall issue a temporary license to a
qualified military spouse within 10 days after it receives a
complete application from the spouse of an active duty military
member.
2:03:03 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO removed her objection. Finding no further
objection, version B was adopted.
2:04:06 PM
SARA CHAMBERS, Director, Division of Corporations, Business, and
Professional Licenses, Department of Commerce, expressed
appreciation that the committee was working on temporary
licensure for military spouses, which the governor recommended
in previous years and the division has worked on for several
years with Alaska's military community. She offered her
understanding that SB 86 would move all professional licensures
forward as quickly and efficiently as possible to allow
individuals to get to work while they finish their permanent
license application in the state.
MS. CHAMBERS said the original bill and the CS provide
safeguards such that applicants would need to hold an
unencumbered license in another state, meaning they have been
vetted and they meet health and safety standards. The CS
requires the division to issue a temporary license to applicants
that meet those requirements. She shared that the number one
complaint the division receives is about the wait time to
receive a license and get to work. SB 86 would help by allowing
the individual to work after providing proof of the basic
education and safety measures and allow time for the rest of the
documents to arrive. In particular, the needs of active duty
military spouses are a priority for the division and SB 86 helps
in that regard, she said.
2:07:45 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO asked if the January 1, 2022 effective date is to
allow time for the boards to write regulations or if an
immediate effective date would be more helpful.
MS. CHAMBERS said she was satisfied with the January 1, 2022
effective date to allow time for the boards to write regulations
and complete forms and application processes.
CHAIR COSTELLO offered her understanding that if the legislature
passed a measure that allowed the governor to address some
pandemic concerns without a disaster declaration, SB 86 would
become effective after that to allow time for the boards to
draft regulations.
MS. CHAMBERS said she agrees.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked Ms. Goodman to share her story and tell the
committee whether she believes that SB 86 would address her
concerns.
2:09:59 PM
MARYBETH GOODMAN, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, stated
support for SB 86 and offered the following personal account:
I am a licensed professional counselor in the great
state of Alaska. I also hold licenses in North Dakota,
Nebraska, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, New Mexico, and
Virginia. I also hold a national certification in
counseling. I have been practicing for over 22 years
and I hold special certification in trauma, post-
traumatic stress disorder, family systems, eating
disorders, critical incident stress management, and
autism and sensory processing disorders. My resume
boasts experience with inner city psychiatric
emergency rooms, residential treatment centers,
nationally acclaimed eating disorder clinics, and
veteran rehabilitation nonprofit organizations. I have
a 25-year job history that would impress even the most
selective employers. I have been diligent in gathering
continuing education units for all my 22 years and
have amassed well over 750 hours.
2:11:09 PM
I am a veteran spouse now for 5 months and prior to
that an active duty spouse for 25 years. Before
retiring here to Alaska, we had 12 formal duty
stations in 10 different states. I am a self-
proclaimed expert in transferring my license.
I began the process for licensure here in Alaska as an
active duty spouse in October 2019. My license was
granted June 1, 2020, nine long months later. My
process always takes a little longer because my degree
was granted in 1998, long before digital records
existed. Anyone on the committee remember microfiche?
I was also required to present all verification of all
of my licenses held in other states. This means not
only did I have to wait for them to certify and send
them, I had to pay 9 additional states anywhere from
$25 to $100 for these official verifications. Packing
on transfer fees and application fees, my application
cost well over $2000.
Requests for this information is a needless delay as
the process is that most states verify through their
website and are monitored by their board. Now I need
you to understand, and please hear this; I was treated
with the utmost kindness and wonderful curtesy from
the counseling board, often conversing with them every
day for months.
However, throughout this entire process, I felt like
my experience and my other state licenses were
invalid, that my 22 years of clinical experience
simply did not count. I eventually had to quote the
Military Spouse Portability Act or House Resolution
5683 and asked if I needed to get legal assistance to
navigate this process.
I can only speak from my personal experience in the
area of mental health counseling. I can tell you that
in my 22 years of clinical practice in multiple
states, my techniques have only changed based on
clinical empirical evidence, not based on where the
client lives.
2:13:13 PM
Temporary licenses issued immediately upon application
completion is misleading. My application was completed
in March and my license was issued in June. That's a
respectable amount of time. However, getting my
application complete took a significant amount of time
simply because of the mandates places on me by the
licensure board. It's unnecessary and delays the
process of getting spouses to work. My application
took nine long months. Nine months that I could have
been helping the residents of Alaska, nine months that
I could have been paying income tax. Nine months
matters. Helping military spouses establish license
and employment benefits, benefits our communities
financially and by filling critically needed
positions.
I am an asset to your state. I am here to fill
vacancies that are unfilled. I am here to solve the
deficit of mental health providers. I volunteer 20
hours per month to assist in suicide prevention and
suicide education in our community. I am present in
the veteran and military mental health communities,
helping individuals who are at high risk. I will
supervise, educate, and mentor licensure candidates
who are graduating from local institutions. I am an
active voter, I am your constituent, I am not unique.
There are many major military institutions in this
state that boast the highest caliber of military
spouse. Please do not ignore this resource.
In closing, I would like to thank you for allowing me
to practice mental health counseling here. Thank you
for giving me the opportunity to leave this state a
little bit better than where I found it. I'm sure you
can relate to that statement because that is what you
too have been called to do as legislators.
2:12:28 PM
SENATOR STEVENS joined the committee.
CHAIR COSTELLO thanked her for the powerful testimony and
relayed the committee's interest in helping and welcoming
military spouses.
SENATOR HOLLAND described her qualifications as unique and asked
if she agreed that the temporary license should be valid for 12
months rather than 6 months.
MS. GOODMAN said she agrees.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked Ms. Perreault to comment on whether Ms.
Goodman's experience is common for military spouses and if she
knows of a state that handles military spouse licensure more
expeditiously.
2:17:11 PM
TAMMIE L. PERREAULT, Northwest Regional Liaison, Defense-State
Liaison Office, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense, Joint Base Lewis McCord, Washington, thanked the
committee for the opportunity to speak in support of SB 86. She
advised that 16 other states provide an exception for military
spouses to receive a temporary license based on licensure in
another state. She said Ms. Goodman's story is not unique, which
is why the Department of Defense views it as a priority to help
improve military spouse licensure. She highlighted that DoD sent
a letter to the governor last year specifically asking the State
of Alaska to move forward on this issue. She said SB 86 reflects
much of what her office and Director Chamber's office have
worked toward on this issue. She agreed with Senator Holland
that one year would be an appropriate time for a temporary
license that is issued based on a license in good standing in
another state.
CHAIR COSTELLO stated that the committee was open to suggestions
from both the Department of Defense and the Division of
Corporations, Business, and Professional Licenses to improve the
bill.
SENATOR HOLLAND reminded those listening that SB 86 captures
military spouses, but it is an effort to streamline the
licensing process for all individuals who come to Alaska to
enter the workforce.
CHAIR COSTELLO said she appreciated his comments. She said the
difference between this measure and the temporary licensure in
the Governor's Disaster Declaration is that this legislation
says the division shall issue the spouse of a military member a
license within 10 [business] days of the complete application.
She noted that other professions would also have a temporary,
one-year license. She asked Ms. Chambers if the division could
achieve the 10-day statutory deadline should the bill pass.
2:21:13 PM
MS. CHAMBERS replied, it would be difficult to meet the 10-day
deadline or any mandated time because the division does not have
the staff to take on additional work. However, the division
would follow the policy set by the legislature and ensure that
happens by requesting additional resources. She offered her
understanding that one of the best practices DoD employs is to
have a single point of contact within the licensing agency to
assist military spouses navigate the labyrinth of government
requirements. With additional resources, the division would be
more likely to be able to achieve the mandated window and the
increased work of temporary licensure for all programs and
follow best practices.
CHAIR COSTELLO noted Senator Stevens' presence and that
Representative David Nelson was in the audience.
2:23:16 PM
SENATOR STEVENS asked what the division has to accomplish in the
10-day window following receipt of the military spouse's
complete application for the temporary license.
MS. CHAMBERS replied, SB 86 requires the division to ensure that
the applicant's license in the other jurisdiction is in good
standing. Technological advances and the ability to do more
online has made it easier to check licensure in other
jurisdictions. However, the problem with meeting any deadline is
that the division has 43 different licensing programs; no one
person is an expert in all programs; and the division does not
have staff redundancy to cover when someone is not at work. She
emphasized that the division wants to meet the requirement for
military spouses and improve the turnaround for everyone seeking
a temporary license.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked Ms. Chambers and Ms. Perreault if they
agree on the benefits of having a point person in Alaska to help
military spouses.
MS. CHAMBERS agreed that having such concierge service would
help the division meet the needs of military spouses and reduce
their frustration. She highlighted that DoD has made it clear
that basing decisions will in part be dependent on a state's
military family friendliness. She posited that meeting some of
DoD's best practices would not only improve quality standards
for spouses but also provide economic benefit to the state.
2:27:59 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO thanked the invited testifiers and stated she
would hold SB 86 in committee for further consideration.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SLAC GOV Appointee Rachel Hanks Board Application Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE PA RACHEL HANKS |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Rachel Hanks Resume Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE PA RACHEL HANKS |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Steven Jordan Board Application Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE PA STEVEN JORDAN |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Steven Jordan Resume Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE PA STEVEN JORDAN |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Edward Leonetti Board Application Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE AELS EDWARD LEONETTI |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Edward Leonetti Resume Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE AELS EDWARD LEONETTI |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Jake Maxwell Resume Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE AELS JAKE MAXWELL |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Timothy Kanady Board Application Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE CE TIMOTHY KANADY |
| SLAC Gov Appointee Timothy Kanady Personal Statement.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE CE TIMOTHY KANADY |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Brian Larson Board Application Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE CE BRIAN LARSON |
| CSSB 86 Version B.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SB 86 |
| CSSB 86 Sectional Analysis Version B.pdf |
SL&C 3/26/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SB 86 |