04/05/2002 03:25 PM House L&C

SB 243-CHIROPRACTORS: SUNSET/LICENSING                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be  CS  FOR SENATE  BILL  NO.  243(FIN),  "An Act  extending  the                                                               
termination  date of  the Board  of  Chiropractic Examiners;  and                                                               
relating to chiropractors."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 0084                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HEATHER  BRAKES,   Staff  to   Senator  Gene   Therriault,  Joint                                                               
Committee   on  Legislative   Budget   &   Audit,  Alaska   State                                                               
Legislature, testified on behalf of  the sponsor of SB 243, Joint                                                               
Committee on  Legislative Budget &  Audit.  Ms.  Brakes explained                                                               
that SB 243 was drafted based  on an audit report released by the                                                               
Joint  Committee on  Legislative Budget  & Audit  on December  5,                                                               
2001.   Section 1 extends  the termination  date of the  Board of                                                               
Chiropractic  Examiners from  June 30,  2002, to  June 30,  2006,                                                               
which is  the standard four-year  extension.  Section  2 restores                                                               
the  board's authority  to license  by credentials.   Ms.  Brakes                                                               
pointed out  that the committee  packet should include  the audit                                                               
report.  She directed the committee's  attention to page 5 of the                                                               
audit report,  which is entitled  "Report Conclusions".   In that                                                             
section the auditor, in part, stated:                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     In our opinion, the  Board of Chiropractic Examiners is                                                                    
     operating  in an  efficient  and  effective manner  and                                                                    
     should continue to  regulate and license chiropractors.                                                                    
     We believe the board is  serving the public interest by                                                                    
     promoting  competence  and   integrity  of  individuals                                                                    
     holding themselves out to  the public as chiropractors.                                                                    
     The  Board of  Chiropractic Examiners  serves a  public                                                                    
     purpose by  promoting the  competent and  safe practice                                                                    
     of chiropractic  therapy.  The board  does this through                                                                    
     establishing standards  for licensed  professionals and                                                                    
     monitoring  the manner  in which  they  practice.   The                                                                    
     board   has   carried    out   these   responsibilities                                                                    
     satisfactorily.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BRAKES  explained that  based  on  the above,  the  auditors                                                               
recommended the board  be extended for four  years.  Furthermore,                                                               
the  auditors recommended,  on page  7  of the  audit report,  to                                                               
restore the board's statutory  authority to license professionals                                                               
by credentials  [and thus] expanding opportunities  for licensure                                                               
by experienced professionals from out of state.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI turned to Recommendation  No. 2 of the audit that                                                               
suggests  that the  governor expedite  the appointment  of vacant                                                               
and expired board  member positions.  Currently,  it appears that                                                               
there are  five board members [a  full slate] and thus  she asked                                                               
if  the suggestion  mentioned in  Recommendation No.  2 had  been                                                               
addressed recently.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 0310                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
PAT  DAVIDSON, Legislative  Auditor, Legislative  Audit Division,                                                               
Alaska State Legislature, answered that  as of June 30, 2001, the                                                               
Board  of  Chiropractic  Examiners  does have  a  full  slate  of                                                               
members.    However,  the  lag  time  between  when  members  had                                                               
resigned and the time of appointment was of concern.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI asked if these  latest appointments addressed the                                                               
audit's concern  regarding the need for  more representation from                                                               
small rural areas, which was mentioned in Recommendation No. 2.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS.  DAVIDSON  said  that  is  still  of  concern  and  thus  the                                                               
recommendation would stand.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 0390                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CATHERINE REARDON, Director,  Division of Occupational Licensing,                                                               
Department of Community &  Economic Development (DCED), testified                                                               
in  support  of  [CSSB  243(FIN)].    Ms.  Reardon  informed  the                                                               
committee  that the  current board  consists of  one member  from                                                               
each  of  the  following   communities:    Ketchikan,  Fairbanks,                                                               
Juneau,  Anchorage,   and  Eagle  River.     Although  the  board                                                               
currently  has  good  geographic distribution,  she  acknowledged                                                               
that such geographic distribution hasn't always been the case.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI  turned to the  issue of licensure  by credential                                                               
and asked  if the  changes in the  legislation would  address the                                                               
licensure issues that were of concern.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS.  REARDON replied  yes, and  explained that  there was  a fair                                                               
amount of work on that issue  in the Senate.  The current version                                                               
of the bill is supported  by the Board of Chiropractic Examiners.                                                               
It also  appears that the  chiropractic community  supports [CSSB
(FIN)] as well.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 0469                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KOTT  moved  to  report [CSSB  243(FIN)]  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There being  no objection,  [CSSB 243(FIN)]  was                                                               
reported from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.