Legislature(2001 - 2002)

01/28/2002 03:20 PM House L&C

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HB 343-EXTEND BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL  [NO. 343], "An Act extending  the termination date                                                               
of the Board of Professional Counselors."                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 0106                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
AMY  ERICKSON, Staff  to  Representative  Lisa Murkowski,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  speaking as the committee  aide, presented HB
343  on  behalf   of  the  House  Labor   and  Commerce  Standing                                                               
Committee.  She  said HB 343 extends the termination  date of the                                                               
Board  of Professional  Counselors (BPC),  as recommended  by the                                                               
Division  of Legislative  Audit, and  suggests a  possible merger                                                               
between the  Board of  Marital and  Family Therapists  (BMFT) and                                                               
the  BPC.   At  this time,  HB  343 does  not  satisfy the  above                                                               
statement, but instead the termination  date has been extended to                                                               
June 30,  2005.  This would  put the cycle of  termination on the                                                               
same  schedule as  the  BMFT,  making it  easier  to discuss  the                                                               
merger at that point.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MURKOWSKI  informed the  committee  that  the Division  of                                                               
Legislative Audit  recommended a  termination date [for  the BPC]                                                               
of 2006, which  would keep up with a "normal  cycle."  House Bill                                                               
343  would  shorten  the  BPC's termination  date  by  one  year,                                                               
matching  the termination  date  of the  BMFT.   Chair  Murkowski                                                               
noted the  proposed merger  of the  two boards  would be  a large                                                               
topic of discussion.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 0279                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CATHERINE REARDON, Director,  Division of Occupational Licensing,                                                               
Department of  Community & Economic Development  (DCED), informed                                                               
the  committee  that  the   Division  of  Occupational  Licensing                                                               
provides the staff support to both the BMFT and the BPC.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 0357                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MURKOWSKI  said  the  audit  reported  that  the  BPC  has                                                               
developed   the  regulations   to   provide   for  licensure   by                                                               
examination;  however, it  has not  yet developed  or offered  an                                                               
exam.  She inquired about the status of this development.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 0409                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ANNE HENRY, Chair, Board of  Professional Counselors; and Special                                                               
Projects   Coordinator,    Division   of   Mental    Health   and                                                               
Developmental  Disabilities, Department  of Community  & Economic                                                               
Development, said the  BPC has not developed  an examination, but                                                               
has come  to an  agreement with the  National Board  of Counselor                                                               
Certification  to  use  the  National  Counselor  Exam  (NCE),  a                                                               
standardized exam  used by  several other states.   She  said the                                                               
BPC  has been  in contact  with the  National Board  of Counselor                                                               
Certification to work out the details  of how people can take the                                                               
examination.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 0486                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI  asked Ms.  Henry if the  statement in  the audit                                                               
referring  to the  BPC's  working toward  developing  an exam  is                                                               
accurate, because the BPC already has the NCE in place.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. HENRY said Chair Murkowski's foregoing statement is correct.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 0511                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI changed  the topic of discussion  to the proposed                                                               
merger between  BMFT and  BPC, and said  the auditors  hope there                                                               
would be a cost savings by merging the two boards.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 0567                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON said  the DCED sets license fees  by regulation, and,                                                               
under statute,  adjusts fees  up or  down with  the goal  of each                                                               
profession paying  its regulatory  costs.  She  said the  goal of                                                               
the  Division  of  Occupational  Licensing  is  to  have  a  zero                                                               
balance.   The Division of  Occupational Licensing aims  to spend                                                               
as  much  regulating  the  licensees  as  it  is  paid  in  fees.                                                               
Deficits and  surpluses roll forward to  be used or paid  back in                                                               
future years.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  REARDON said  currently the  fee  for a  marital and  family                                                               
therapist two-year  license is $775.   When the board  was formed                                                               
in 1993, the initial  fee for a license was $300.   That $300 fee                                                               
remained through FY 96.  Then the fee  grew to $425, and in FY 99                                                               
it climbed to $775.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 0600                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON  reported that  the primary reason  for the  spike to                                                               
$775  was  an  attempt  to  have the  professionals  pay  back  a                                                               
significant   deficit   that  arose   as   a   result  of   legal                                                               
investigative costs.   The legal costs are the  billings from the                                                               
Department of Law.   Billings include time  spent preparing cases                                                               
and representing the board in appeals of license-denial cases.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0781                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  REARDON noted  that the  BMFT had  a deficit  the last  time                                                               
license fees  were set, which  is every  two years.   The deficit                                                               
was $52,000 as of July, 2000.   Ms. Reardon said the BPC has been                                                               
in  existence a  much shorter  period of  time, and  its two-year                                                               
license  fee is  currently $530,  down  from the  initial fee  of                                                               
$675, which brought  in too much money.  Even  though the fee was                                                               
lowered  at  the first  renewal,  there  still is  a  significant                                                               
surplus.   The BPC was  conservative in lowering the  fee because                                                               
it did not have a very long track record of expenses.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON  said, "At the  beginning of this fiscal  year, there                                                               
were  327 licensees."    At  the end  of  fiscal  year 2000,  the                                                               
surplus was $121,000.  Ms.  Reardon summarized by saying the BMFT                                                               
had  a deficit  of $50,000  in  July 2000,  while the  BPC had  a                                                               
surplus of $121,000.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI  asked Ms.  Reardon how  many marital  and family                                                               
therapists currently maintain a license.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 0830                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON said  the BMFT had 100 licensees on  the first day of                                                               
the fiscal year.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. HENRY  said the reason  there are slightly  different numbers                                                               
right now  is because of  differences in  the renewal date.   Ms.                                                               
Henry  said, "Generally,  a  few licensees  are  lost at  renewal                                                               
time, but  hopefully they  come back  the next  year."   She said                                                               
currently the BPC has 274 licensees.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 0873                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI  asked if the BPC  would soon see a  spike in its                                                               
fees similar to  what the BMFT saw, because the  BPC has not been                                                               
in operation as long as the BMFT.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 0928                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON said  she isn't sure the BPC will  see the same spike                                                               
in fees  as the BMFT  experienced, but she agreed  there wouldn't                                                               
be  expensive  disciplinary  proceedings  the  first  year  of  a                                                               
board's  existence,  because  there  aren't  many  licensees  "to                                                               
accuse of  things."  Ms.  Reardon said  that most of  the initial                                                               
costs  for a  new  board  are from  writing  the regulations  and                                                               
having license-denial  appeals.   There being  a large  number of                                                               
applications for  licensure in the  first year or two,  not every                                                               
applicant  is successful.    However, when  a  license is  denied                                                               
because one did  not meet the qualifications, that  person has an                                                               
opportunity to  appeal his  or her denial  to a  hearing officer.                                                               
The BPC  has been in operation  for a long enough  period of time                                                               
that an  expensive disciplinary  case could  happen at  any time.                                                               
She  said  if  the  BPC  keeps some  disciplinary  costs  in  the                                                               
projection of expenses, it may soften  the spike of fees when, or                                                               
if, an expensive disciplinary case occurs.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 1007                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON  reported that  the range  of annual  expenses, money                                                               
that  the Division  of Occupational  Licensing attributes  to the                                                               
professions, varies  from year to year.   In FY 99  the amount of                                                               
annual expenses for  the BPC was $20,000.  In  2000, its expenses                                                               
were $25,000.   In 2001, the amount of expenses  was $57,000, and                                                               
in  the first  six  months  of 2002,  the  amount  is already  at                                                               
$34,000.   The increase in expenses  from 2000 to 2001  came from                                                               
legal and personnel  services.  Most of the  expense in personnel                                                               
services came from hearing officer activity.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 1115                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  REARDON indicated  that for  the BMFT,  the costs  have gone                                                               
from  $30,000 in  1996 and  1997 to  $145,000 in  1998.   Of that                                                               
$145,000, about $70,000  came from legal expenses.   In 1999, the                                                               
expenses were $60,000, and in  2000 the costs dropped to $26,000.                                                               
In FY  01, the expenses are  already up to $47,000.   Ms. Reardon                                                               
said the average annual cost is about $60,000.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 1177                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI asked if there  are any dual license [marital and                                                               
family  therapist  and  professional counselor]  holders  in  the                                                               
state.   She inquired  if the  cost increase  for a  BMFT license                                                               
might  discourage dual  license  holders  from renewing,  because                                                               
holding a BPC license is less expensive.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 1208                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
DIXIE  HOOD,  Member,  Board  of   Marital  and  Family  Therapy,                                                               
responded by  saying that  when the BMFT  fees increased,  one of                                                               
the  first things  noticed  was  that a  number  of dual  license                                                               
holders dropped their BMFT licenses.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI  verified what  Ms. Hood said,  that some  of the                                                               
dual  license holders  made  a  choice to  not  renew their  BMFT                                                               
license because of the jump in fees.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. HOOD  said originally many  of the license holders  wanted to                                                               
hold a BMFT license for  the purpose of advertising themselves as                                                               
licensed  marital and  family therapists.   She  said in  Alaska,                                                               
professionals can  call themselves marital and  family therapists                                                               
without  a  license,  so  many  chose to  not  renew  their  BMFT                                                               
license.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. HENRY said  the initial  fee for  the BPC  license was  $675,                                                               
which at  that time was higher  than the BMFT license.   She also                                                               
said the  BPC had some psychological  associates, social workers,                                                               
and psychologists  "grandparented" into this license,  creating a                                                               
diverse pool of licensed professional counselors.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 1350                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI asked  if the state ever  considered an "omnibus"                                                               
board for several mental health divisions.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 1437                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  REARDON   said  at  the   beginning  of   Governor  Hickel's                                                               
administration, the Office of Boards  and Commissions proposed to                                                               
have  several omnibus  bills for  the health  professions.   This                                                               
idea received hostile reactions  from the professional community.                                                               
One  reason was  the proposal  had  not been  carefully "sold  or                                                               
packaged."   The BMFT,  in its discussion  of the  current audit,                                                               
discussed  the  possibility of  a  psychologist  and marital  and                                                               
family therapist professional counselor.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 1461                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. HOOD  said for  some time the  BMFT had  overlapping meetings                                                               
with  the social  workers and  psychologists.   Ms. Hood  thought                                                               
these  meetings  were  useful  to compare  what  each  group  was                                                               
working on, and  what similarities they shared.   The extra costs                                                               
associated with  holding three meetings  at once, and  the burden                                                               
of doing minutes  for three boards, was a problem.   As the three                                                               
groups worked  through some  issues, it seemed  there was  not an                                                               
urgency to do so  on a regular basis.  Ms.  Hood reflected on her                                                               
experience of being  a licensed marriage and  family counselor in                                                               
California,  where  there  is  a   board  of  behavioral  science                                                               
examiners  that  includes  social  workers,  marital  and  family                                                               
therapists, and psychologists.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. HOOD said  there has been talk of developing  a similar board                                                               
in   Alaska,   but   there  have   been   objections   from   the                                                               
psychologists.    The  social  workers   showed  an  interest  in                                                               
developing  a behavioral  science board.   She  said as  of 2001,                                                               
there  are  approximately  13 states,  out  of  approximately  46                                                               
membership states,  that have combined  boards.  Then  the social                                                               
workers began  developing several different levels  of licensure,                                                               
and therefore  stepped back from  developing a combined  board to                                                               
focus on the new levels of licensure.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. HOOD  said in the 2001  October and March meetings,  the BMFT                                                               
discussed the possibility  of combining the BMFT and  BPC.  There                                                               
was reservation by  the professionals on the board  to adopt this                                                               
idea.    One problem  was  that  licensed  MFTs have  strived  to                                                               
distinguish their  profession, and  combining with the  BPC might                                                               
"blur" their  professional distinction.  Ms.  Hood suggested that                                                               
with  the social  workers and  psychologists unwilling  to merge,                                                               
the  BPC  felt they  were  on  a  "higher  level" and  thus  were                                                               
unwilling to merge also.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. HOOD  said that after speaking  with the former chair  of the                                                               
BMFT, she was  reminded of a task force that  existed a few years                                                               
ago.    This  group  included representation  from  each  of  the                                                               
professions, and  a representative from each  of the professional                                                               
associations.  Ms.  Hood suggested there could be  a similar task                                                               
force  developed  in  Alaska  before  the  next  sunset  deadline                                                               
including the  social workers, psychologists, marital  and family                                                               
therapists, and professional counselors.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI said the mission of  the auditors is to make sure                                                               
the professions  are operating  efficiently and  effectively, and                                                               
that the  public interest is  being safeguarded.   She emphasized                                                               
the  need to  address the  issue  of consumer  protection and  to                                                               
determine  how the  public is  best protected.   Chair  Murkowski                                                               
said she  feels it does  no good to  set up separate  boards just                                                               
because of  some "turf" issues  in professional identities.   She                                                               
said she  would like  to find  out if  the individual  boards are                                                               
operating efficiently  and effectively  and are  safeguarding the                                                               
public interest, or  if combining the boards  would satisfy these                                                               
requirements better.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON said  she would be in favor  of having representative                                                               
members   from  each   profession   in   a  "roundtable-type   of                                                               
discussion."  She  said in a larger state there  are thousands of                                                               
licensees in each  field, which would require  a more complicated                                                               
structure,  such as  subcommittees.   Ms. Reardon  argued that  a                                                               
roundtable board would  be feasible with the  number of licensees                                                               
in Alaska,  while this probably  would not  work in a  state with                                                               
thousands of licensees.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 1936                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HALCRO said  it  seems from  the  audit that  the                                                               
psychologists are the only group  strongly opposed to the merger.                                                               
He asked why  the psychologists have a say in  the merging of the                                                               
BPC and BMFT, when they already have their own board.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON said  the Division of Legislative  Audit surveyed all                                                               
three boards  to find their opinions  on the idea of  merging two                                                               
or three of  them.  Ms. Reardon explained that  the audit was not                                                               
meant to ask the psychologists,  "Should the BMFT and BPC merge?"                                                               
The audit  was intended to  ask the psychologists how  they would                                                               
feel about merging with the other professions.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  REARDON   said  there  are  differences   in  the  licensing                                                               
processes between  the psychologists and  the BMFT and BPC.   She                                                               
said the  BMFT and  BPC are  governed by  title-restriction laws,                                                               
while psychologists have a mandatory  licensing law.  In order to                                                               
practice  psychology, the  professional  must  have a  psychology                                                               
license.   In order for  professional counselors and  marital and                                                               
family therapists to  call themselves licensed, they  must have a                                                               
BMFT or BPC license.  Without  a license, they can still practice                                                               
and   call  themselves   marital   and   family  therapists   and                                                               
professional  counselors.    Ms.   Reardon  mentioned  that  this                                                               
relates to drops in the number of licensees.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON  said that in the  scopes of practice, there  is some                                                               
overlap  in  the  description of  the  practices  of  psychology,                                                               
professional  counseling, and  marital and  family therapy.   She                                                               
commented  that some  of the  psychologists' reluctance  to merge                                                               
could be  because they are  finding it increasingly  difficult to                                                               
distinguish  their profession,  which  requires  a license,  from                                                               
that   of  marital   and  family   therapists  and   professional                                                               
counselors, who aren't required to maintain a license.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 2055                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HALCRO pointed  out that in the audit,  one of the                                                               
psychologists said  that "fees in  Alaska are eight  times higher                                                               
than any other state."  Representative  Halcro said that it was a                                                               
little  confusing because  one  of the  suggested  benefits of  a                                                               
combined board would be a  reduction in administrative costs.  He                                                               
asked if these fees are exclusive to psychologists.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 2100                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
PAT  DAVIDSON, Legislative  Auditor, Legislative  Audit Division,                                                               
Alaska  State  Legislature, said  not  all  states have  statutes                                                               
similar to  Alaska's, which  require the  professions to  pay 100                                                               
percent  of  all their  costs.    Public protection  issues  like                                                               
denial of  license applications  and investigations  compose many                                                               
of the  legal fees  and escalate  costs.   In some  other states,                                                               
these legal fees do  not have to be paid for by  the boards.  Ms.                                                               
Davidson  said  the audit  included  questions  relating to  fees                                                               
specifically to get people to respond to the survey.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 2155                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MURKOWSKI asked  Ms. Davidson  why there  were only  three                                                               
boards [psychologists, BPC, BMFT]  considered for the merger, and                                                               
if there was discussion to include any other boards.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. DAVIDSON said the boards  that the Legislative Audit Division                                                               
considered  internally   were  those   for  social   workers  and                                                               
psychologists, as well  as the BMFT and the BPC.   [The division]                                                               
decided later to exclude the social  workers from the audit.  She                                                               
said  the Legislative  Audit Division  was looking  for the  best                                                               
commonality  between the  professions,  and wanted  to develop  a                                                               
survey  to  get  an  idea   of  what  the  licensees  thought  an                                                               
appropriate combination of boards would  be.  The survey results,                                                               
and the  level of  response from the  boards, indicated  that the                                                               
psychologists are "overwhelmingly opposed."                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 2207                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI noted  that it was the  psychologists who thought                                                               
the best  combination for a  merger was  between the BPC  and the                                                               
BMFT.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD  asked if  there was another  approach to                                                               
make  it  less expensive  for  the  boards to  conduct  business,                                                               
rather  than trying  to combine  them and  spread the  cost.   He                                                               
suggested creating a  grievance committee to work on  some of the                                                               
problems before they begin accumulating expensive legal costs.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 2248                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. HOOD  indicated she  was interested in  finding out  if there                                                               
was   another  approach.     For   example,   some  states   have                                                               
subcommittees  that deal  only with  disciplinary action.   These                                                               
subcommittee  members are  not members  of  the licensing  board.                                                               
There  is  initial  contact  with  the  licensing  board  when  a                                                               
complaint is  received, and one  of the members of  the licensing                                                               
board  would  be privy  to  this  complaint.   If  these  initial                                                               
complaints were able  to be worked out at an  early stage between                                                               
the member of  the licensing board and the  professional that had                                                               
the complaint  brought against him or  her, there would not  be a                                                               
need  for an  in-depth investigation.   She  said there  would be                                                               
some helpful  suggestions made by  the licensing board  member to                                                               
the  investigators about  aspects  of the  situation  that are  a                                                               
problem.    Ms.  Hood  said  she  found  that  the  investigators                                                               
preferred to  go out and gather  the evidence and do  the initial                                                               
investigation themselves, fearing that  people would be shredding                                                               
reports  and   files  and  therefore   making  it   difficult  to                                                               
prosecute.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HOOD   commented  that   she'd  requested   a  copy   of  an                                                               
investigation from  the "Anchorage  office."   She said  that she                                                               
thought  the  nearly  400-page  report  seemed  excessive.    She                                                               
thought that much of the  information, gathered at an early stage                                                               
in  the investigation,  could have  been acted  on earlier.   She                                                               
said there were comments by  some members of the regulatory board                                                               
who thought  the investigation was  a zealous process.   Ms. Hood                                                               
noted  that  others,  not just  herself,  had  expressed  concern                                                               
regarding the investigative process.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. HOOD  said the BMFT  made a proposal  to try to  find another                                                               
approach to  help offset some of  the legal fees.   This proposal                                                               
included a  list of  licensed marital  and family  therapists who                                                               
would be  willing to  be consultants.   The licensing  board also                                                               
was  willing  to  designate  one   of  the  board  members  as  a                                                               
consultant.   The division was  opposed to this  proposal because                                                               
the consultants would have to  recuse themselves from any further                                                               
action, and the licensing board has a limited number of people.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Number 2420                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD  commented that  there is no  impetus for                                                               
the division  to keep costs down.   Speaking about his  union, he                                                               
said that  by sitting  an employee down  with a  committee before                                                               
taking the  complaint to  the next  step, the  union was  able to                                                               
reduce  the  number  of  cases   that  went  beyond  the  initial                                                               
committee because  they worked  out any  grievances earlier.   He                                                               
noted  that  there  may be  a  way  to  "weed  out" some  of  the                                                               
expensive cases before legal costs begin.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 2462                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  REARDON agreed  with Representative  Crawford  and said  one                                                               
problem is  that some of  the expensive legal cases  involve more                                                               
serious problems.   She said  several of the  investigations that                                                               
have led to high costs  involve allegations of "quite significant                                                               
sexual improprieties, or improper  treatment of children."  [Ends                                                               
mid-speech because of tape change.]                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 02-6, SIDE B                                                                                                               
Number 2503                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON emphasized the importance  of investigating the facts                                                               
regarding a claim  before the negotiation begins.   She said when                                                               
a claim against a professional  is received, and it suggests that                                                               
a "moderate level infraction" has  occurred, there may be more to                                                               
that  claim  than  the  investigator   initially  realized.    By                                                               
investigating the claim  further, the board member  may find that                                                               
the claim  is much  more serious than  previously believed.   She                                                               
said  that if  the claim  is not  fully investigated,  then there                                                               
will be  "two unequal people  negotiating."  There is  one person                                                               
who knows  what he or  she did wrong,  and the other  person only                                                               
has  the facts  that are  listed  in the  claim.   She said  this                                                               
results  in "negotiating  without knowledge,  without facts,  and                                                               
just believing  whatever the  person is telling  you."   She said                                                               
the goal is to find harmony between the two parties.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON gave an example of  a worker and a supervisor who are                                                               
clashing on  a particular  subject.   What they  both want  is to                                                               
find a way  to work together and  get over the issue.   She noted                                                               
that  "it doesn't  matter so  much what  an investigation  of the                                                               
facts might bring up; it matters  what those two people think the                                                               
facts are, and  can discuss right there."  Ms.  Reardon said in a                                                               
situation in  which an accused  licensee is meeting with  a board                                                               
member, the goal  is not for the two people  to find an agreement                                                               
and  get along,  but rather  to protect  the public.   The  board                                                               
needs to know  what that licensee did wrong before  the board can                                                               
decide what is an appropriate solution.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 2375                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. HENRY  said the investigations  that the BPC  has experienced                                                               
are  "at  a considerably  lower  degree."    She said  there  are                                                               
varying  degrees  of cases:  some  of  the larger  cases  involve                                                               
things  such as  sexual misconduct  or unethical  behavior, while                                                               
the smaller  cases could just be  a license denial.   She pointed                                                               
out that  some costs could  be avoided by addressing  the smaller                                                               
cases before the legal costs begin to get too large.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON said there is  an impartial hearing officer who hears                                                               
most appeals or disciplinary hearings  and then gives the board a                                                               
proposed  decision.   Sometimes  the  proposed  decision is  very                                                               
lengthy.  She said that a 60-page  report is not unheard of;  the                                                               
reasoning behind  such a thorough report  is that if the  case is                                                               
appealed  to the  superior court,  the  whole story  is laid  out                                                               
already.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 2282                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI asked if the  hearing officer would deliver a 30-                                                               
page  proposal to  the  board  if the  case  is a  license-denial                                                               
appeal,  where  the  professional  does not  meet  the  requisite                                                               
number of hours and the decision seems obvious.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON  said the  board informs the  individual that  his or                                                               
her application  for a license  was denied because  the requisite                                                               
number of hours  has not been satisfied.  The  individual has the                                                               
option to  appeal that  decision.   Ms. Reardon  said, "I  do not                                                               
control the investigation,  but the part I am  responsible for is                                                               
how  much money  is spent,  how much  paper is  generated in  the                                                               
investigation,  and  the  events  that lead  up  to  the  hearing                                                               
officer."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 2220                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HOOD said  the  fears  Ms. Reardon  has  on  this topic  are                                                               
legitimate, and  that it  is worth looking  at other  states that                                                               
already have a process similar to  the one she has proposed.  She                                                               
said  if there  is a  licensee  who is  under investigation,  and                                                               
there is  enough information to  have his or her  license revoked                                                               
immediately, that person can still  remain in practice in Alaska.                                                               
The professionals who have their  licenses revoked can still call                                                               
themselves marital  and family therapists,  only they  can't call                                                               
themselves licensed marital and family therapists.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 2169                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI  asked what  the BMFT  and the  BPC have  done to                                                               
explore the idea of merging.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HENRY  said in  the  letter  the  BPC  sent to  the  auditor                                                               
[11/12/01]  it  asked for  the  "recommendation  to be  changed."                                                               
This would  allow the BPC to  take the time to  make a thoughtful                                                               
decision as  to whether  or not  to combine  boards, and  also to                                                               
design statutory language that both boards would agree upon.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MURKOWSKI  asked   if  steps  have  been   taken  in  that                                                               
direction.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. HENRY said  the BPC has not done this  yet; members wanted to                                                               
wait and see  what happened at this committee meeting,  to see if                                                               
HB 343 would come forward on its own or not.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON  suggested that the only  time the details of  a bill                                                               
should  be discussed  is  after  both boards  have  come up  with                                                               
something they can support.  She said:                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     If we're  only talking  about merging these  two boards                                                                    
     [BPC  and  BMFT]  -  if we're  not  talking  about  the                                                                    
     psychologists,  that there  isn't a  way you  can write                                                                    
     the bill  that both boards  could support -  I'm afraid                                                                    
     that  we'll get  into a  task, which  is write  a bill.                                                                    
     But there's  not a  bill that can  be written  that can                                                                    
     get support  if the psychologists aren't  in there, and                                                                    
     then it would just be a waste of time.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 2030                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MEYER asked Ms. Reardon  what she would suggest to                                                               
solve the merger  problem.  Representative Meyer  said he thought                                                               
Ms. Reardon was supportive of the merger.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON said she is trying to maintain a neutral position.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MURKOWSKI reminded  the  committee that  Ms. Reardon  said                                                               
earlier that  the merger could  be feasible because  the "numbers                                                               
are workable."                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON  responded by saying that  if the two boards  were to                                                               
merge,  it would  be  important  to not  make  the structure  too                                                               
complicated.   She  said  she  is advocating  for  a more  simple                                                               
structure, but if the two professions  do not want to merge, then                                                               
they should not be forced to.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MEYER observed  that  in 1998  when  the BPC  was                                                               
first started, there  was a lot of discussion  about merging, but                                                               
the  high startup  costs and  the decision  to wait  a few  years                                                               
prevented the merger.  He  asked about possible risks involved in                                                               
this merger.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  REARDON  responded  that  one  risk is  that  those  in  the                                                               
professions would be  unhappy with the group  that would regulate                                                               
them.   She said a  loss of  a distinct professional  identity is                                                               
another  risk.   She commented  that the  financial savings  of a                                                               
merger would not  be very significant.  Much of  the higher costs                                                               
for the  boards comes from  investigative legal action,  and that                                                               
would  not be  significantly affected  by  a merged  board.   The                                                               
savings would  come from smaller  travel costs, depending  on how                                                               
many members  are on the  board.   She summarized by  saying that                                                               
the financial savings  will be relatively modest,  but that there                                                               
could be  intangible gains, such  as the sharing  of professional                                                               
ideas.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 1825                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI  asked if the  problem facing the merger  is that                                                               
the boards did  not start out merged, and after  having their own                                                               
entities  for  several years,  they  find  it difficult  to  join                                                               
together.   She  compared the  proposed  merger to  the Board  of                                                               
Architects,  Engineers, and  Land Surveyors,  and said  that they                                                               
are distinct professions that have  successfully merged to form a                                                               
larger board.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON agreed with Chair  Murkowski and said once the boards                                                               
have existed as an entity, they  develop a unique identity.  They                                                               
are  concerned  that  a  merger  would  blur  their  professional                                                               
identities.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HOOD said  that the  BMFT thought  that if  all four  groups                                                               
merged to  form one  board, rather  than just  two of  them, that                                                               
there  might  be   a  "mutuality  of  purpose   and  exchange  of                                                               
information."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. HENRY  stated that the  BPC was  not opposed to  merging, but                                                               
wanted to  get further ahead  on its  current project.   She said                                                               
the BPC is working on some  issues with the statutes they have in                                                               
place.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 1680                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MEYER commented  that if the BPC  and BMFT merged,                                                               
it  seems  that  it  would  be   in  the  best  interest  of  the                                                               
psychologists to merge also.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON  said when the  BPC was  created, one of  the primary                                                               
reasons  the two  boards  did not  merge was  the  issue of  each                                                               
board's seeking to maintain its professional identity.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 1612                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI said the proposal  that the two boards would form                                                               
a task force to  look at the feasibility of merging  is not a bad                                                               
idea, provided they are committed to making it work.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HOOD  commented  that  the  social  workers,  psychologists,                                                               
professional counselors, and marital  and family therapists could                                                               
legitimately  merge to  form one  group.   She said  the idea  of                                                               
forcing two  of the groups to  join together, with hope  that the                                                               
remaining two groups would eventually  join on their own will, is                                                               
misleading.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 1492                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. REARDON  said that  she believed if  the legislature  were to                                                               
draft a  bill that would merge  just the BMFT and  the BPC, "both                                                               
boards  will not  be  able  to support  it."    She continued  by                                                               
saying, "At  this point,  I don't  think there's  any way  that I                                                               
could  draft a  bill to  merge just  these two  boards that  both                                                               
boards would support."   Ms. Reardon said the BMFT  would be more                                                               
supportive  if there  were an  effort to  draft a  bill to  merge                                                               
three or more of the professional groups.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 1396                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. DAVIDSON reported that the goal  of the "sunset audits" is to                                                               
look at  public protection issues  such as physical  or financial                                                               
protection.   She said, "When  you constitute a board  in Alaska,                                                               
except  for Architects,  Engineers, and  Land Surveyors,  and the                                                               
Board  of Barbers  and Hairdressers,  you'll  typically have,  in                                                               
composition  of   the  board,  more  professionals   than  public                                                               
members."   She also said that  in some other states,  the policy                                                               
of the  board is  to involve  more public  members to  reduce the                                                               
amount of authority given to the profession.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  DAVIDSON  said if  the  legislature  wants to  move  towards                                                               
having  several of  the boards  merge,  the impetus  to make  the                                                               
changes starts with the "sunset  legislation."  Checking with her                                                               
records,  Ms.  Davidson  informed  the board  that  "marital  and                                                               
family  therapists are  up for  sunset in  2005, as  well as  the                                                               
psychologists  and   associates,  and   social  workers."     She                                                               
suggested that  moving the  sunset date  up to  2005 for  the BPC                                                               
would be an  appropriate change if all the boards  were to merge.                                                               
Ms. Davidson said a letter of  intent stating which boards are to                                                               
merge, and  by what date,  would be needed  to get the  boards to                                                               
start negotiating  towards a merger.   She said that if  a merger                                                               
were  to occur  in  2005,  it would  allow  two full  legislative                                                               
sessions to consider the bills.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Number 1122                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI asked if there  would be any reason to accelerate                                                               
the  process  and get  the  boards  to  merge into  a  behavioral                                                               
science or omnibus board.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS. HENRY said  she opposes moving the sunset date  forward.  She                                                               
said merging all the boards together  is a fine idea, but the BPC                                                               
is relatively  young and lacks  some of the regulations  that the                                                               
other three boards  have had time to develop.   She said that the                                                               
BPC needs its semiannual meetings  to try to license more people.                                                               
She said  the BPC would  be lagging behind the  other professions                                                               
if it were forced to merge early.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MEYER asked  if  it is  possible  to approve  the                                                               
extension to year 2005 and then  make it known that the intent is                                                               
for all the boards to merge at that time.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 1020                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MURKOWSKI said  the  committee could  attach  a letter  of                                                               
legislative intent expressing those ideas.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HALCRO  said  his  concern with  this  letter  of                                                               
intent  is that  the committee  would be  making a  suggestion or                                                               
decision three  years prior  to the date  coming due,  and things                                                               
could change dramatically before 2005.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 0954                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. DAVIDSON said having all the  boards up for a sunset audit at                                                               
the same time would make things  run more efficiently.  She said,                                                               
"If there is  information that you would like to  have as part of                                                               
your deliberation, we can always include that in the audit."                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 0900                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD  said he would  like some form  of intent                                                               
to move the  division towards efficiency and to  limit the number                                                               
of cases, like license-denial appeals,  that require an expensive                                                               
investigation.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  REARDON  said  that  the  division  is  not  generating  the                                                               
extensive reports on cases like  license-denial appeals,  nor can                                                               
it stop them.   There would have to be a letter  of intent to the                                                               
hearing  officer  stating  that  "it   is  our  intent  that  you                                                               
constrain the length of your proposed decisions."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD said  he is not concerned with  who is in                                                               
control of  generating the extensive  reports, but rather  how it                                                               
could be  stopped.  He  said he is  interested in finding  a more                                                               
efficient  system to  limit the  number of  expensive proceedings                                                               
when they are not needed.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 0777                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MURKOWSKI suggested  that Representative  Ogan might  have                                                               
some insight  into the problems with  the administrative hearings                                                               
process.   She  said  a  few years  ago  Representative Ogan  was                                                               
researching   the  administrative   hearings   process.     Chair                                                               
Murkowski  stated her  belief that  the  committee would  support                                                               
attaching a letter of intent to the bill.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MEYER said  he would like to see  a "strong letter                                                               
of intent"  to have the boards merged by the year 2005.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 0630                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI said she was  certain that the committee would be                                                               
willing to draft  a letter of intent; she asked  if the witnesses                                                               
would like to look at the  proposed language of intent before the                                                               
bill moves out of committee.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  REARDON  said  the  issue of  training  requirements  for  a                                                               
professional counselor  license had not received  much attention,                                                               
and reminded the committee that this issue was still present.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Number 0555                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MURKOWSKI informed  the  committee that  the  BPC will  be                                                               
meeting later in the week  to discuss the licensing requirements.                                                               
She suggested  holding the bill  in committee, drafting  a strong                                                               
letter of intent, and addressing the issue of possible changes                                                                  
after the BPC has met.  [HB 343 was held over.]                                                                                 

Document Name Date/Time Subjects