Legislature(2001 - 2002)
05/01/2002 03:55 PM House L&C
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SB 270-DISPENSING OPTICIANS:EXTEND BD/REGULATION Number 0078 CHAIR MURKOWSKI announced that the first order of business would be CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 270(L&C), "An Act extending the termination date of the Board of Dispensing Opticians; relating to the regulation of dispensing opticians; and providing for an effective date." Number 0110 REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG move to adopt HCS CSSB 270, labeled 22- LS1382\S, Lauterbach, 5/1/02, as the working document. There being no objection, it was so ordered. Number 0153 HEATHER BRAKES, Staff to Senator Gene Therriault, Joint Committee on Legislative Budget and Audit, Alaska State Legislature, testified on behalf of the sponsor of SB 270. She noted that she had just obtained a copy of the proposed HCS, which repeals the board and makes licensure an optional system. An applicant who wishes to be licensed as a dispensing optician would fulfill the requirements under Section 3 of the bill. The department could require a home-study course, she mentioned. She reminded the committee that SB 270 was drafted based on the audit report which made a case for eventually going to a voluntary registration system for dispensing opticians. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG directed attention to Section 11, AS 09.55.560, which deletes "a dispensing optician licensed under AS 08.71" from the definition of health care provider. Does this affect whether they could still be reimbursed as a health care provider, he asked. Number 0397 CATHERINE REARDON, Director, Division of Occupational Licensing, Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED), reviewed the references in Sections 11 and 12 and stated that they do not affect health insurance reimbursements. Section 11 relates to arbitration agreements, and Section 12 relates to medical records and the peer review process. CHAIR MURKOWSKI asked how the transitional provisions of Section 14 would play out if this bill were adopted. MS. REARDON explained that people with existing licenses could renew their licenses, although it's not necessary to require them to apply on time, as stated in this bill. Licensing requirements are getting easier in this bill, so there's no need to make it more restrictive. She suggested working on the language of line 21. There's no need to eliminate any people from the renewal option, she remarked. Number 0609 CHAIR MURKOWSKI inquired as to the impact this legislation would have on fees and the registration processes. MS. REARDON said there would be a savings of $3,000-$5,000 a year in travel because the board wouldn't exist and division staff costs would go down. However, license renewals by fewer people could become more expensive because there would be fewer members. She clarified that the division is not expressing support for the bill. CHAIR MURKOWSKI asked if the division has received any feedback from board members about the repeal of the board. MS. REARDON related that the one board member she has spoken with is opposed to closing the board. CHAIR MURKOWSKI announced that the public testimony on Version S would be postponed because committee members just received a copy of the HCS, which is quite different from the Senate's version. She invited the public who couldn't return for the hearing on Friday to fax comments to the committee. Number 0871 REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked Ms. Reardon to clarify whether the board would discontinue or sunset this year or next. MS. REARDON, in response to Representative Rokeberg, explained that if the legislature doesn't act, next year would be the wind down year and the board would disappear a year from now. [CSSB 270(L&C) was held over.]
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