Legislature(2011 - 2012)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/14/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
Audio | Topic |
---|---|
Start | |
HB276 | |
HCR23 | |
HB56 | |
HB146 | |
HB279 | |
HB304 | |
HB337 | |
HB365 | |
HB261 | |
Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ | HB 56 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | HB 146 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | HB 279 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | HB 304 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | HB 337 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | HB 365 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+= | HB 261 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | HB 196 | TELECONFERENCED | |
= | HB 276 | ||
= | HCR 23 | ||
+ | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE BILL NO. 337 "An Act relating to the Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors and to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development." LYNETTE BERG, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE STEVE THOMSON, introduced HB 337 and stated that it would revise the Alaska Statutes to designate a full-time investigator, rather than part-time, to serve the Alaska State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors (AELS). She explained that the full-time position would insure that the AELS Board could meet the growing demands of oversight in the industries within its responsibility. She related that currently, the AELS Board shared one part- time investigator with five other boards. The investigator's oversight included a total of around 20,000 licensees; furthermore, out of the 20,000 licensees, 28 percent were AELS registrants, which represented over 5,600 licensees for the AELS Board alone. She stated that a new regulation had recently taken effect, which added ten additional engineering professions to the AELS Board's oversight. She furthered that some of new professions under the AELS Board's regulation included the structural, environmental, nuclear, and industrial engineering branches and that the number of licensees under the AELS Board would increase drastically. She offered that adding the new branches of engineering was necessary for the safety of Alaskans; however, the additional branches would add to an already heavy workload for the part-time investigator. She furthered that the lack of a full-time investigator for the board could reduce its effectiveness in carrying out charges that were required by the statutes and the regulations. She concluded that an unintended consequence of overloading the investigator might be a failure to fully fulfill state and regulatory charges and stated that HB 337 would help the AELS Board properly oversee licensees, while still remaining in compliance with all state regulations and statutes. She spoke to the fiscal note and pointed out that the AELS Board intended to begin forward funding the full-time investigator position by December of 2013, at which time the next scheduled fee increase would take place. Currently, licensees must pay $125 for biennial licensure. The fee increase was expected to be a minimal increase of $20 or less per licensee per year. She concluded that all the testimony on the bill had been in favor of the fee increase. 10:16:37 AM Co-Chair Stedman discussed a fiscal impact note from the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development in the amount of $114,900. Senator McGuire queried what specific boards, other than the AELS Board, the investigator was currently assigned to and pondered if the five remaining boards would each request its own investigator, should the legislation pass. Ms. Berg replied that the other boards represented the construction contractors, home inspectors, electrical administrators, mechanical administrators, and storage tank workers. Senator McGuire inquired if there had been any testimony as to whether or not the remaining boards would also require their own individual investigator. Ms. Berg replied that she had not heard any testimony to that effect. HARLEY HIGHTOWER, CHAIR, ALASKA STATE BOARD OF REGISTRATION FOR ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, AND LAND SURVEYORS, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in support of HB 337. He related that he was an architect who had been practicing statewide since 1964 and that he was presently serving as chair of the AELS Board. He related that HB 337 represented a priority issue for AELS and that it would allow the board to more effectively perform its charge of the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the public. He stated the current AELS investigator also served five other boards and was forced to pick and choose which cases to pursue. He warned that the investigator's overloaded schedule was not only a health and safety issue, but that it also exposed the state and the board to liability. He furthered that the cost increases created by the legislation would be minimal and would be covered by a slight increase in fees. He offered that AELS's fees were reasonable and fell in the lower range in comparison to the other 54 jurisdictions. He concluded that the professions that were regulated by the AELS Board all supported the legislation. BOYD BROWNFIELD, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), expressed his support of the legislation. He shared that he had been a registered civil engineer in Alaska since August, 1975 and had served on the AELS for 8 years. He stated that during his tenure on AELS Board, he served as the chairman for two years and vice-chair for four years and expressed support of the board having its own full-time investigator. He pointed out that AELS was the third largest professional board out of 20 boards, but that AELS was first in the category of complexity because it had four separate and distinct professions to serve. He related that the engineering profession alone had six separate and distinct braches, each representing its own technical challenges and that the number of branches would soon increase 15. He stated that the AELS investigator was assigned to several different boards and was only serving AELS 17 percent of the time. He shared that the current investigator was performing his duties in a "superb" manner and encouraged the committee to pass the legislation. Co-Chair Stedman discussed a fiscal impact note from the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development in the amount of $114,900. 10:23:54 AM HB 337 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration.