04/10/2014 06:00 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 160                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the licensing and regulation of                                                                        
     athletic trainers."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
6:22:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze discussed the  schedule. He stated that the                                                                    
new CS would quicken the transmittal.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Neuman MOVED  to  ADOPT  the proposed  committee                                                                    
substitute  for HB  160,  Work  Draft 28-LS0423\P,  (Martin,                                                                    
4/10/14). There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wilson  MOVED  to   ADOPT  Amendment  1  28-                                                                    
LS04223\O.1, Martin, 4/10/14:                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 25, following "the":                                                                                          
          Insert "direct"                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 30:                                                                                                           
          Delete "direction"                                                                                                    
          Insert "direct supervision"                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wilson discussed  the  amendment. She  hoped                                                                    
that the amendment  spoke to constituent concerns  that if a                                                                    
doctor was  a coach they would  have to also be  a qualified                                                                    
athletic trainer in order to treat an injured athlete.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
6:26:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Thompson   expressed  opposition   to   the                                                                    
amendment. He  stated that "direct supervision",  as defined                                                                    
by  Medicare, meant  that  "the  physician or  non-physician                                                                    
practitioner must  be present on  the same campus  where the                                                                    
services  were   being  furnished."   He  feared   that  the                                                                    
amendment  would  restrict  fitness trainers  in  performing                                                                    
their job.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
6:27:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Neuman   did  not  understand  why   a  licensed                                                                    
athletic  trainer   would  be  necessary  if   there  was  a                                                                    
physician available.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
6:28:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.   CARY  KELLER,   ORTHOPEDIC  SURGEON,   FAIRBANKS  (via                                                                    
teleconference),  detailed  his  credentials.  He  testified                                                                    
that athletic  trainers went through  a long  curriculum and                                                                    
had  many  hours of  practical  experience  in order  to  be                                                                    
nationally  certified. He  said  that they  were capable  of                                                                    
assessing and  properly treating  injuries. He  relayed that                                                                    
doctors could  not be  counted on  to be  at every  game and                                                                    
practice  and  having  a certified  athletic  trainer  there                                                                    
meant that there  was a highly skilled  and qualified person                                                                    
available.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
6:30:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Dr. Keller stated that if  licensure in the state meant that                                                                    
the physician had to be with  the trainer all of the time in                                                                    
order for  the trainer  to conduct their  work, it  would be                                                                    
tremendously restrictive.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
6:33:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Holmes understood  that the  testifier liked                                                                    
the bill but was not in favor of the amendment.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Dr. Keller replied in the affirmative.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
6:33:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wilson   reiterated  her  concern   that  an                                                                    
athletic  coach, who  also happened  to be  a doctor,  would                                                                    
have to be a certified  athletic trainer to treat an injured                                                                    
team member, under the law.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
6:34:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRODIE ANDERSON,  STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON,  said that                                                                    
the physician  would be covered  under the  subsection found                                                                    
on Page2, line 5.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Wilson  expressed   frustration  that   her                                                                    
question  was being  misunderstood.  She asked  what if  the                                                                    
doctor/coach asked  a parent to  care for the  injury, would                                                                    
the parent have to be an athletic trainer.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
6:35:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Anderson said  that the  parent would  be protected  as                                                                    
long as they did not call themselves an athletic trainer.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson WITHDREW Amendment 1.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
6:36:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Thompson  asked where  in the  state athletic                                                                    
trainers were trained.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Dr. Keller replied that Alaska  did not offer the curriculum                                                                    
to  complete  a  major  in  athletic  training.  The  Alaska                                                                    
activities association recommended that  all schools have an                                                                    
athletic  trainer   available.  He  said  that   the  Alaska                                                                    
Activities   Association   was   working  to   establish   a                                                                    
curriculum at the University of Alaska.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Thompson stated  that he  would like  to see                                                                    
the training be available in Alaska.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
6:39:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Thompson  MOVED to REPORT CSHB  160 (FIN) out                                                                    
of  committee   with  individual  recommendations   and  the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  160 (FIN)  was REPORTED  out of  committee with  a "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendation  and  with  one  previously  published                                                                    
fiscal  note  from  Department of  Commerce,  Community  and                                                                    
Economic Development.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
6:41:50 PM