Legislature(2017 - 2018)GRUENBERG 120
02/01/2018 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| HB165 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
February 1, 2018
1:05 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Chris Tuck, Chair
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Vice Chair
Representative Justin Parish
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
Representative George Rauscher
Representative Lora Reinbold
Representative Dan Saddler
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW: OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING FOR MILITARY EDUCATION~
TRAINING & SERVICE CREDIT FOR MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS AND
TEMPORARY OCCUPATIONAL LICENSES FOR MILITARY SPOUSES.
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
KENDRA KLOSTER, Staff
Representative Chris Tuck
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Reviewed past legislative involvement in
military licensure and spousal licensure during the overview on
occupational licensing for military education, training &
service credit for military service members and temporary
occupational licenses for military spouses.
MARCUS J. BEAUREGARD, Director
Defense State Liaison Office (DSLO)
Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military
Community and Family Policy
U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
Washington, D.C.
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided testimony during the overview on
occupational licensing for military education, training &
service credit for military service members and temporary
occupational licenses for military spouses.
MARA JENNINGS
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During the overview on occupational
licensing for military education, training & service credit for
military service members and temporary occupational licenses for
military spouses, she shared her experience transitioning from
military to civilian work.
LISA LUTZ, President
Solutions for Information Design, LLC (SOLID)
Burke, Virginia
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided testimony during the overview on
occupational licensing for military education, training &
service credit for military service members and temporary
occupational licenses for military spouses.
VERDIE BOWEN, Director
Veterans Affairs
Office of Veteran Affairs
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided testimony during the overview on
occupational licensing for military education, training &
service credit for military service members and temporary
occupational licenses for military spouses.
ALLISON BIASTOCK, Executive Director
Alaska Workforce Investment Board (AWIB)
Office of the Commissioner
Department of Labor & Workforce Development (DLWD)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided testimony during the overview on
occupational licensing for military education, training &
service credit for military service members and temporary
occupational licenses for military spouses.
SAICHI OBA, Associate Vice President
Student and Enrollment Strategy
University of Alaska (UA)
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided testimony during the overview on
occupational licensing for military education, training &
service credit for military service members and temporary
occupational licenses for military spouses.
SARA CHAMBERS, Operations Manager
Juneau Office
Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
(DCCED)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided testimony during the overview on
occupational licensing for military education, training &
service credit for military service members and temporary
occupational licenses for military spouses.
ABIGAIL ST. CLAIR
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered testimony regarding the joint
transcript during the overview on occupational licensing for
military education, training & service credit for military
service members and temporary occupational licenses for military
spouses.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:05:12 PM
CHAIR CHRIS TUCK called the House Special Committee on Military
and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 1:05 p.m.
Representatives Saddler, Parish, Spohnholz, and Tuck were
present at the call to order. Representatives Reinbold,
Rauscher, and LeDoux arrived as the meeting was in progress.
^OVERVIEW: Occupational licensing for military education,
training & service credit for military service members and
temporary occupational licenses for military spouses.
OVERVIEW: Occupational licensing for military education,
training & service credit for military service members,
and temporary occupational licenses for military spouses
[Contains brief discussion of HB 165.]
1:05:57 PM
CHAIR TUCK announced that the only order of business would be an
overview on occupational licensing for military education,
training & service credit for military service members and
temporary occupational licenses for military spouses.
CHAIR TUCK said the committee would hear from representatives of
the Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA), the
Department of Labor & Workforce Development (DLWD), the
Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development
(DCCED), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
1:06:27 PM
KENDRA KLOSTER, Staff, Representative Chris Tuck, Alaska State
Legislature, reviewed that DoD has worked with legislators over
the years to facilitate the creation of policies that help
service members and their spouses to work in Alaska. The idea
is to ensure that all the training military personnel receives
while in service can be applied to an occupational license
following service. She said past legislation has ensured that
military personnel are able to apply [their military training]
to a degree program.
MS. KLOSTER said two bills were passed by the Alaska State
Legislature. First was House Bill 28, in 2011, which provided
for a military courtesy license - a temporary license for
spouses of the armed services. This allows spouses who move to
Alaska with an occupational license or certificate from another
state to continue practicing with a courtesy license. That
procedure was expedited under House Bill 28. She said another
bill that was passed in 2013 was for military service and
training credit, which allows service members leaving service to
apply their training to an occupational license. She indicated
that boards were asked to adopt regulations to facilitate this.
She said another section of the bill passed in 2013 directed the
university to adopt a policy for "a procedure to accept academic
credit for a degree or technical program for those individuals
in the armed forces, with all their military education,
training, and service."
MS. KLOSTER stated that this is a nationwide effort. She
credited Representatives Saddler and Tuck, as well as a number
of Senators, for their work on this issue. She shared that it
has been a great honor to have worked with DoD and DMVA. She
mentioned the names of upcoming speakers.
1:11:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD expressed appreciation for the historic
perspective given by Ms. Kloster and for the support being given
this issue.
1:12:24 PM
MARCUS BEAUREGARD, Director, Defense State Liaison Office
(DSLO), Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Military Community and Family Policy, U.S. Department of Defense
(DoD), stated that the DSLO worked from 2011 to 2016 to obtain
readily available endorsements for military spouses to be able
to transfer their temporary licensing in order for them to
immediately get to work while taking care of state requirements.
He said some states began providing expedited applications,
which is something the DSLO asked other states to do. He said
Alaska's House Bill 28 was primarily associated with temporary
licensure and expedited application processes. Legislation was
enacted in 46 states, with 2 states already having acceptable
practices.
MR. BEAUREGARD said the DSLO asked the University of Minnesota
to report on how boards in states were doing, in terms of
implementing legislation. The report was made in November 2017
and showed an overview by state. He noted that in the committee
packet members could find the ["Military Spouse Licensure
Portability Examination State Report"] pertaining to Alaska.
The University of Minnesota study found that about half of the
states had implemented their requirements, and the DSLO
contacted states to ensure they followed through with those
requirements. He said the report for Alaska shows a mixed
review. He offered his understanding that there is legislation
being proposed that would require boards to provide feedback to
the legislature on how things are operating.
1:17:09 PM
MR. BEAUREGARD said that in many states, boards evaluate
equivalency of occupational licenses from other states by
looking at transcripts, course descriptions, previous licenses,
professional experience, and practicum hours, which is not much
different from the steps involved in getting a first license.
Boards may have the individual retest if the test score is not
approved or if the individual took the wrong test. He pointed
out that there is not a lot of continuity between states,
because each state determines how to evaluate competency. That
process is expensive, time-consuming, and anxiety-producing, and
the DSLO is working to help each occupation develop an
interstate solution by developing occupational interstate
compacts, which already exist for nurses, physical therapists,
psychologists, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and
doctors. Interstate compacts are made by building consensus on
standards for competency and interstate movement of licenses.
He said nurses and physical therapists are allowed to hold a
license in one state and have the privilege to practice in other
states that are members of the compact, without having to get a
new license. He said that would be the gold standard for
military spouses and the DSLO's goal for military spouses.
1:21:41 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if the military has been "improving
their out-processing" regarding resumes.
MR. BEAUREGARD said he does not know, but deferred to Lisa Lutz,
whom he said is working to bring together the military and the
boards.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER remarked that interstate compacts are
"almost a prelude to national licensing." He noted that the
professions Mr. Beauregard listed have clear national standards,
and he asked if interstate compacts would work for "less
rigorous occupational licensees," such as massage therapists and
hairdressers.
MR. BEAUREGARD answered yes, "from the standpoint that they are
interested and excited to do so." He named the following who
have expressed interest: the head of the Association of State
Boards for Cosmetology, massage therapists, speech pathologists
and audiologists, and the mental health counseling community.
He indicated that those looking to create interstate compacts
are "looking to have the department also participate to create
special provisions within the interstate compacts specifically
for military spouses." He related that physical therapists are
part of an interstate compact in great part because the head of
their federation of state boards is a military spouse. He
added, "And so, we're just piggybacking on her good work."
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER talked about a military spouse who was a
highly qualified, board certified behavioral analyst, who could
not work in Alaska. He said he appreciates the efforts of the
House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs to
reduce those barriers.
MR. BEAUREGARD opined that a primary benefit of an interstate
compact is its impact on all individuals in the profession.
1:25:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked if legislation is required or if
boards can take care of the issue on their own.
MR. BEAUREGARD answered that boards define compacts, and
compacts, as entities, must be legislated into law. In response
to a follow-up question, he confirmed that there are no compacts
pending the approval of the Alaska State Legislature. He
brought up the topic of telemedicine and surmised that could be
an important issue for Alaska. He explained that means that
when a military family with an established relationship with a
therapist in the state of Washington moves to Alaska, the family
is allowed to maintain that relationship with the therapist
while in Alaska.
1:28:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD shared that being an expat living with a
military husband overseas "wreaks havoc on a spouse's career."
She said it was a huge adjustment for her coming back to the
U.S., and she had little to no support. She expressed support
for [interstate compacts]. She asked if all state compacts
align with the U.S. Constitution. She predicted a health care
shortage crisis in the near future in Alaska, and she said there
is a golden opportunity [to facilitate] military spouses.
MR. BEAUREGARD affirmed that the state compacts align with the
Constitution. He noted that most of the compacts include
telemedicine, which is another benefit in states with remote
populations. He said while at a conference of psychologists, he
heard an insurance specialist tell the attendees that if they
tried to practice telemedicine without a compact agreement,
"their malpractice insurance goes out the window."
1:31:09 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ asked Mr. Beauregard to clarify whether
compacts for nurses, physician assistants (PAs), physical
therapists, psychologists, and doctors are covered under current
compacts, because she said that information is not included in
the aforementioned report.
MR. BEAUREGARD said the compacts have been developed and
"accepted by their community," and they are in the process of
getting approved through legislation. In response to follow-up
questions, he confirmed that the Alaska State Legislature could
adopt existing compacts, with the support of the various
licensing boards in the state. He said, "You look at our list,
and we don't have, perhaps, the most prominent occupations that
we looked at. We looked at the ones that did not have an
occupational licensure compact pending. Or, in the case of
teachers, we didn't do anything to really impact teachers as we
went through our process, and so, we didn't include them in
terms of the study."
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ asked if there had been any specific
outreach to boards regarding interstate compacts.
MR. BEAUREGARD offered his understanding that there has been.
He said the representatives from the national associations are
generally the people who assist legislatures to approve
compacts, and the first step in doing so is to get the various
boards in the state to support the idea.
1:33:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER offered his understanding that the State
of Alaska is party to about three dozen interstate compacts. He
posited that states must be careful when entering compacts and
should have the support of the boards, because in addition to
being of benefit to "the more mobile and transient," they can
result in "a whole bunch of people in one profession migrating
to our state or other states that might threaten the ability of
the current residents to practice their profession." He
commented that competition can be a double-edged sword.
MR. BEAUREGARD imparted that some interesting litigation took
place in North Carolina holding boards accountable for a trade
restriction. The board sided with the plaintiff.
1:34:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ said she thinks there is some merit to
the concern that an interstate compact could trump "a local
state's board's desire to have a very high level, for example,
of training." For example, in Alaska, nurse practitioners have
gone from earning a master's degree to a doctorate. She noted
that Alaska has a shortage of physical therapists, nurses, and
doctors; therefore, she said she is not concerned about
competition in those areas, while she is concerned about Alaska
having high standards for care. She said she does not want to
see the lowest denominator become the standard across the nation
"just because we want to try to support military families." She
said she does not presume that is the case, but cautioned that
is a factor that the state should consider.
MR. BEAUREGARD concurred that that is an important topic for
conversation. He said he is watching it unfold for the speech
pathologists and audiologists as they work through their
compact. He said he had asked that group to show him their
requirements, and when he saw them on a matrix, he noticed that
there are few outliers. He said he was impressed that in coming
up with a compact this group was questioning the benefit of
minimum requirements in each state, and he said he does not
think the lowest denominator would be the outcome, but rather
"what makes sense for them as a community to provide that level
of desired competency that they can trust."
1:36:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked, "Do you join the compact and then
try to figure out what the requirements are going to be, or do
you see what the requirements are going to be and then join the
compact?"
MR. BEAUREGARD answered that is definitely the latter: [most]
boards develop the requirements [of the compact], and then it is
incumbent upon the states to decide if they are going to join
the compact. To a follow-up question, he said one option when a
state does not agree with the compact is not to join it.
1:37:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if there were any other
"initiatives coming down the pike" that may benefit Alaska's
military members or spouses.
MR. BEAUREGARD said one compact coming in 2019 would allow
military families to preregister their children in a school
district before they move there. He said this is a win-win for
both the school district and the family, because it gives the
family some reassurance that the school district knows it is
coming, and it gives the school the ability to assess the
numbers it will have in the coming school year.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER suggested that might be added to the
interstate compact on military children's education.
1:39:19 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked why early registration to schools
would not be offered to anyone moving up from another state, not
just those in the military.
MARCUS BEAUREGARD responded that that may be a good idea to
include everyone; however, the DSLO addresses only military
families.
1:40:38 PM
MARA JENNINGS shared that she is a U.S. Navy veteran and
hospital corpsman, who experienced a failed process of
transitioning from military to civilian work. She acknowledged
that her experience may not be relevant currently, because she
got out of service in 2006, and there may have been changes of
which she is unaware.
MS. JENNINGS described that when she exited the military, 49
states recognized her training as sufficient to be able to
challenge the licensed practical nurse (LPN) exam in order get a
license; however, Alaska was not one of those states. She said
she sought help from the Office of the Governor and the
appropriate board, as well as various representatives in the
legislature, but could not get the rule changed. She was told
she could challenge the medical assistant position, which is
below that of a hospital corpsman. She did so, but was asked
for a signature from her instructor from corps school, but he
had been deployed from Afghanistan. She sent the form to
Afghanistan, but it was returned as undeliverable. She said she
had paid a $500 fee to apply; however, the application "timed
out" because she was not able to get the signature. She said
after that she "walked away." She stated that as a result, the
state of Alaska is missing a skilled, medical professional,
although she does volunteer as an EMT II at Capital City Fire &
Rescue.
1:45:38 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Ms. Jennings to what degree the
applicability to civilian qualifications were considered when
she went through corpsman school.
MS. JENNINGS answered that it is an accelerated learning
program, twelve weeks in length, in which she was taught field
medicine and basic hospital care. The training goes beyond that
of a medical assistant and EMT and teaches the care of patients.
In response to a follow-up request for clarification, she said
she was told to which states her training would transfer. She
said, "When I looked at the current requirements for an LPN, I
could check all the boxes easily, but ... the board didn't
recognize that I could check all the boxes." She explained that
the training was complete, but the board [in Alaska] was not
willing to recognize the training.
1:46:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked Ms. Jennings to speak more about her
length of service as a hospital corpsman.
MS. JENNINGS related that although she was field hospital
certified and second alternate to go to Iraq, she was not called
to go; therefore, she worked strictly in a hospital setting for
just over five years in labor and delivery, dermatology,
pediatrics, and family medicine. She said she was capable of
performing procedures that nurses cannot perform in the civilian
world and gained many other skills that were transferable. In
response to Representative Parish, she spoke about medical
boards and her experience with child birth.
1:50:15 PM
MR. BEAUREGARD, at the request of Chair Tuck, informed the
committee that the next person to speak, Ms. Lutz, has been an
advisor to his office and a primary contractor for "the office
of primary record for credentialing," within DoD. He said her
work has been instrumental in "bridging the distance between
understanding the requirements" so that "a servicemember
transitioning out of the military has a better opportunity of
gaining a license."
1:51:14 PM
LISA LUTZ, President, Solutions for Information Design, LLC
(SOLID), highlighted the work of her company. She said most
relevant to the overview today is the work that SOLID does in
translating military training and experience to civilian jobs
and credentials. She said SOLID has done work in this area for
a variety of federal agencies, including DoD, each of the
military services, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs. She said for the military
services, SOLID supports the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S.
Marine Corps for credentialing opportunities online, called
"COOL" programs. These are programs that map military
occupations to civilian credentials and identify resources to
help service members obtain those credentials. Ms. Lutz said
SOLID has worked extensively on initiatives intended to
facilitate academic credit and state licensure of military
service members and veterans. She said this includes the
National Governors' Association, the Multi-State Collaborative
on Military Credit, and a pilot project with the State of
Indiana to test state and military participation in a nationwide
initiative called the "Credential Engine." Ms. Lutz clarified
that she is not speaking on behalf of any of the organizations
with which SOLID works.
1:53:30 PM
MS. LUTZ directed attention to a handout in the committee packet
entitled "Best Practices for Facilitating Service Member and
Veteran Credentialing." She said the document focuses on steps
that national certification agencies and state licensing bodies
can take to help service members get maximum credit for their
extensive military training and experience. She said the extent
to which training aligns to civilian credential requirement
varies by occupational area. In some instances there is
complete alignment, such as in healthcare and information
technology. More often there is only partial alignment, and
this is because the military trains to a mission. Important is
that the service member gets credit for his/her equivalent
training and experience, and there are a variety of ways for
academic institutions and state institutions to make sure that
happens.
MS. LUTZ highlighted how academic institutions and state
agencies can maximize the credit that they give military
training and experience by accepting third-party reviews of
military and experience in order to assess its equivalency. She
stated, "There are a number of different organizations with
significant subject matter expertise that have gone to extensive
lengths to evaluate military training and determine the extent
to which it equates to credentials, including licenses and
degrees. For example, the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast
Guard all contract with the American Council on Education to
evaluate military training and experience and recommend college
credits." She said the staff of the American Council of
Education (ACE), along with members of academia, perform
vigorous reviews to make credit recommendations, and the results
are published online in ACE's military guide, which can be used
to assess the amount of credit that might be awarded.
MS. LUTZ advised that another third-party review, of which
states can take advantage, is done by academic program
accreditors. She said some people do not realize that military
training programs, particularly in the healthcare arena, have
been accredited by nationally recognized program accreditors -
the same accreditors that review programs offered by colleges
and universities. For example the Navy surgical technologists,
cardiovascular technologists, and cytotechnologists programs
have all been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of
Allied Health Professionals. She said if a state licensing
agency recognizes the third-party program accreditation, it will
not have to undertake its own reviews of military training to
assess equivalency.
MS. LUTZ related that another type of third-party review of
military training has been done by national consortia of state
licensing agencies. For example, the National Council of State
Boards of Nursing has reviewed military training against
national standards for practical nurses and has provided an
assessment of how the two align. The National Association of
State Emergency Medical Service Officers has reviewed military
medic training for alignment with EMS credentials. She said
these assessments are being used by many state licensing
agencies and academic institutions nationwide.
1:57:57 PM
MS. LUTZ said the second best practice that could be emulated in
Alaska is the use of available service documentation to assess
individual service member's and veteran's unique qualifications.
To [Representative Saddler's previous mention of a resume], she
said she is not aware of any current efforts to develop a
service member resume; however, each of the military services
offer formal documentation of military service members' training
and experience, which can be used by state licensing agencies
and academic institutions much like an academic transcript is
used. Ms. Lutz informed that the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and
Coast Guard all have training documented in a "joint services
transcript," which includes the college credit recommendations
made by the American Council on Education. For those in the Air
Force, she said, the regionally accredited Community College of
the Air Force offers its own transcript for awarded credit.
MS. LUTZ highlighted a third best practice, which is the
development and/or recognition of bridge training programs for
military trained applicants. She said, "In situations where
military training provides partial credit toward licensing or
degree requirements, credential agencies and academic
institutions should recognize this and not require service
members or veterans to receive the entire training that they
have received. Rather, they should provide credit for the
military training and either create bridge programs targeted ...
just to the training gap or recognize bridge programs created by
others." She said there are a number of institutions nationwide
that have gone to considerable effort to develop bridge programs
in the military.
MS. LUTZ noted that the aforementioned Multi-State Collaborative
on Military Credit is a consortium of approximately 12
Midwestern states, many of which have developed model bridge
programs that she said could serve as examples for academic
institutions in Alaska.
MS. LUTZ brought attention to another best practice, which she
said entails state participation in Credential Engine, which is
a non-profit organization created to increase transparency about
the wide variety of credentials offered throughout the U.S. She
said this includes licenses, certifications, degrees,
certificate programs, and badges. She said the organization was
formed based on guidance from advisory groups made up of a
variety of stakeholders, including industry and academia, and it
has been funded by grants from organizations, including the
Lumina Foundation, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Microsoft. Ms. Lutz
related that a key component of Credential Engine's work is the
creation of a national credential registry, in which credential
agencies can enter their information "to shed light on the scope
of the credentials and the competency that they measure." She
said the military has participated in Credential Engine as both
the consumer and provider of information. She stated, "This can
serve as a critical means of linking military and civilian
credentials." She concluded by suggesting that Alaska might
consider participating in the initiative by entering its
credentials into the registry and "demonstrate, to the extent
appropriate," how it recognizes military training and
experience.
2:01:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Ms. Lutz which of the strategies
might be more successful for Alaska.
MS. LUTZ answered that she thinks it will take more than one,
which is why she highlighted four out of the twenty or so that
are listed in the handout. She cited complexities of the
credentialing system and military occupational classification
and training as reasons for a multi-faceted approach. She
recommended that the licensing and academic entities assess the
options, first choose the best practice with "low-hanging
fruit," and subsequently choose other best practice options.
2:03:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER, regarding bridge training, mentioned a
bill he had sponsored to relieve certain vehicles from having to
undergo the motor vehicle road test. He said much of the
military equipment uses automatic transmission, while "over-the-
road" tractors and trailers use manual transmission, which could
be an opportunity for bridge training. He asked which military
skill set would be the most challenging to translate into
occupational licensing.
MS. LUTZ answered that most challenging are those jobs that are
the most military-centric, for example, the combat arms, the
field artillery, the infantry. They are the most difficult to
transfer, because they do not have a civilian equivalent. She
said there have been a number of initiatives underway to
consider the underlying skill sets that service members in those
occupations obtain and help connect them with civilian
occupations. In response to a follow-up question, she commended
Alaska for the steps it has already taken, as previously
outlined by Ms. Kloster, and she said she thinks there are many
ways to build on those steps. She acknowledged Mr. Beauregard
had said many states are making efforts to recognize
substantially equivalent military training and experience. She
said, "Some states have asked for ... the military training
materials and programs of instruction, but from what we've
observed, that is not a sustainable approach. It works to some
degree, but most states' academic institutions and state
licensing agencies don't have the resources to continually
review and assess those - and they change quite frequently - so,
that's when I go back to ... the recommendation to rely on the
third-party assessments that have already been done."
2:07:25 PM
VERDIE BOWEN, Director, Veterans Affairs, Office of Veteran
Affairs, Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA),
stated that he finds it interesting that when an individual is
on active duty, he/she can go from installation to installation
and his/her skillsets are documented; however, when that person
transfers to the civilian side, that same documentation is not
permissible as the basis of training. He mentioned [Ms.
Jennings'] predicament of having to attempt to obtain a
signature from the trainer in Afghanistan. He said, "We don't
force doctors or nurses that transfer from one state to another
to go to their original training instructor to sign a document
to accept their training; I think that that's ... really sort of
reaching it." He said he thinks that a doctor with a
certificate received while in the military has "a transferable
skill that translates easily to the civilian world in most
cases." He surmised that someone who loads armament onto
military aircraft may have difficulty [transferring that
skillset to obtain a job] with Alaska Airlines; however, he said
he believes that person has basic skill sets that are
transferrable. Regarding the joint services transcripts
mentioned by [Ms. Lutz], he said, "We see those transcripts come
in, and a lot of times those are not readily looked at and
provided 100 percent of their skill sets that they've already
attained." He emphasized that the standard in military schools
is high and failure is even higher; the onus is on the military
service person to train hard and be ready for a mission. For
each skill set, the military has worked hard with other
organizations. He said when he ran a subsidiary for a
corporation, he used O*NET OnLine, which is an online converter
for skill sets. He said each service branch has the same kind
of software application that transfers military skillsets to the
civilian market "one-for-one."
2:11:52 PM
MR. BOWEN said he thinks the issue is that "we have passed some
solid legislation for our boards to review" but the boards will
have to spend more time working on each military skill set. He
said someone going from an LPN to EMT III is not much of a
change in skillset - "it could have been worse." He said he has
seen people go from being thoroughly trained in an area to
having "to start all over again." He added, "I think that
that's what we're trying to prevent here."
2:12:41 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Mr. Bowen what would be "the
easiest way to do the most good" for military spouses in Alaska.
MR. BOWEN answered that boards need to review the training that
each one of the skill sets brings. He offered an example.
2:14:23 PM
CHAIR TUCK said there is a "helmets to hardhats" program, which
facilitates those leaving the military to get into
apprenticeship programs. He said it is difficult to tell from
looking at a "DD Form 214" whether all the hours put in by a
military person are in a trade; some of those hours may have
been spent marching or doing drills, for example. He expressed
hope that with compacts, those military personnel could skip the
apprenticeship program and go directly into full licensure as,
for example, electricians.
2:15:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked what, if any, support is needed from
the legislature to "help solve the licensure problem for medical
professionals."
MR. BOWEN stated each board has the ability to review "education
pieces." He explained that a military member's specialized
training record is not reflected in his/her condition of service
- the DD Form 214 - but is reflected in another document.
2:18:04 PM
ALLISON BIASTOCK, Executive Director, Alaska Workforce
Investment Board (AWIB), Office of the Commissioner, Department
of Labor & Workforce Development (DLWD), stated that AWIB is a
governor-appointed board whose membership represents business,
industry, education, organized labor, state government, and -
following passage of House Bill 46 in 2015 - a seat held by a
veteran. She said the board has a policy oversight role for job
and vocational education programs and provides recommendations
to the state to further train and prepare Alaskans for the
workforce.
MS. BIASTOCK continued as follows:
House Bill 84 directed the Alaska Workforce Investment
Board to implement a statewide policy under the
Technical and Vocation Education Program, or (TVEP),
to ensure that TVEP fund recipients had a policy in
place to accept credit or instructional hours from
program participants that provided satisfactory
evidence of completion of military training and
education.
MS. BIASTOCK said TVEP was established by the legislature in
2000 for the purpose of enhancing the quality and accessibility
of job training across the state and aligning training with
regional workforce demands. She said TVEP funds are distributed
to technical and vocational education entities across the state,
as designated by the legislature in statute. She stated that to
comply with the provisions of House Bill 84, AWIB developed and
adopted Policy [100-2014], and a copy of the policy has been
provided to committee members. She said the policy requires
TVEP fund recipients "to have a policy and procedure in place to
accept and transcribe credit hours for the degree or training
program for any applicant who can provide satisfactory evidence
of the successful completion of relevant military education,
training, or service as a member of the armed forces, the United
States Reserve, the National Guard of any state, the military
reserve of any state, or the militia of any state." She
imparted that the policy references the American Council on
Education (ACE); ACE's military evaluation programs are used by
a majority of U.S. colleges, universities, and vocational
institutions.
MS. BIASTOCK stated that AWIB policy requires TVEP recipients to
have a policy for military personnel and veterans to apply or
petition for credit at a level that is consistent with ACE
guidelines. She noted that the policy was updated in 2016;
language regarding eligibility was revised to ensure that all
currently serving members of the military and honorably
discharged veterans are eligible to receive military credit
under the policy. She said the Division of Employment and
Training Services, within DLWD, administers TVEP funds to
recipients named in statute. She noted that the department has
administered funds to all but three TVEP recipients. She said
Galena Interior Learning Academy is a secondary program funded
through the Department of Education & Early Development (DEED)
and the University of Alaska, and Alaska Vocational Technical
Center (AVTEC) gets its funding directly. She stated that TVEP
recipients are asked if they have a policy in place that
complies with AWIB Policy 100-2014, and all the institutions for
which the department administers funds do have that policy in
place.
2:22:31 PM
SAICHI OBA, Associate Vice President, Student and Enrollment
Strategy, University of Alaska (UA), stated that UA is aware of
and is able to meet its responsibility relating to House Bill
84. He said UA follows national standards "articulated in the
joint statement on the transfer and awarding of credits
developed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars
and Admission Officers." Further, he said UA follows the
military guide provided by the American Council on Education,
which he said is one of the best practices mentioned previously
by Ms. Lutz. Mr. Oba said UA also complies with the Council on
Higher Education Accreditation Standards for accepting military
credit.
2:23:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Mr. Oba what percent of students at
the UA campuses are veterans, active duty, or guard reserve.
MR. OBA replied that he did not have that data with him but
could find out and provide an answer later.
2:24:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Ms. Biastock what the value is of
having a veteran sit on AWIB.
MS. BIASTOCK answered that a veteran can bring the perspective
of someone who has undergone the transition from active duty to
civilian employment.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if there is any quantitative proof
of that.
MS. BIASTOCK responded that veterans are a priority group under
some of the programs administered under the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act. She said there is an annual job fair for
veterans; the most recent one held in Anchorage featured 121
vendors and drew 740 job seekers.
2:26:36 PM
SARA CHAMBERS, Operations Manager, Juneau Office, Division of
Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing, Department
of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED),
imparted that she oversees 43 of Alaska's licensing programs, 21
of which have boards. She noted that Deputy Commissioner Fred
Parady and Assistant Attorney General Robert Auth were available
for questions. She said the division is dedicated to
recognizing the needs expressed previously by other testifiers
today. She said she would cover a handout provided to the
committee and speak to some of the challenges of the boards and
division.
MS. CHAMBERS directed attention to the handout entitled "How
Alaska is Meeting the Department of Defense's Three Best
Practice Guidelines for Military Spouse Licensure." She said
Alaska is meeting all three of the best practices. She said the
first is licensure by endorsement or credentials, which lets a
military spouse be eligible for licensure by endorsement if
he/she currently possesses a license from a previous
jurisdiction with requirements similar to the board's
requirements in the current jurisdiction. Ms. Chambers said,
"Almost all of our licensing programs do this and have done it
for years prior to any military licensing laws." She
paraphrased the information following "Alaska's Action," on the
first page of the handout, which read as follows [original
punctuation provided, with some formatting changes]:
Except as noted below, all 100+ licenses issued by
this division offer a version of licensure by
endorsement, credentials, or reciprocity. These terms
all recognize the existing licensure of an individual
in another jurisdiction in lieu of requiring a
national examination to complete licensure. They are
each slightly different and include minimal
requirements for receiving an Alaska license,
including:
verification of substantially similar or equal
requirements in the other jurisdiction
successful passage of any statutorily-required
Alaska-specific exam requirements or criminal history
background check
completion of an application for licensure
proof of bonding if required, and
payment of fees
MS. CHAMBERS said all, except a handful, of the division's
programs offer this best practice. Some do not need it, because
the licensure requirements are not very rigorous, and some "are
determined to require Alaska-specific knowledge." One example
she gave was for marine pilots. She stated, "You want the guy
or gal driving the cruise ship through Wrangell Narrows to have
done it before."
2:29:58 PM
MS. CHAMBERS said the second best practice is temporary
licensure. She said legislation was adopted in 2011 and 2013,
for spouses and members of the military to qualify for
additional temporary licensure consideration in addition to
temporary licenses that may already exist. She said the
division has been "doing this faithfully" since the legislation
was adopted and believes it is a great service.
MS. CHAMBERS said the third best practice is expediting
applications, which prioritizes applications from military
spouses. She said this benefit is given in consideration of the
tight turnaround time that results when military spouses move
from one location to another. She informed the committee that
the military licensure online links to every page on the
division's web site. She said there are specialized forms that
help staff readily identify military spouses and personnel.
2:32:37 PM
MS. CHAMBERS posed the question: Is there a problem in Alaska?
She said she thinks that is a question that the legislature is
considering and one of the questions that agencies need to
address together. She reported that within the division's 43
licensing programs, fewer than 70 of its 13,396 new licensee
applications in 2017 were related to the military. She
emphasized that that is a small percentage.
MS. CHAMBERS directed attention to the bottom of page 2 of the
handout, which shows "2017 Professional Licensing of Military
Applicants By the Numbers." She said there were no programs
that reported a preponderance of these applications.
Professional counseling had the most, with approximately 10
applications. Every other category, including massage therapy,
pharmacy, psychology, social work, and barbers and hairdressers,
had five or less applications.
2:35:05 PM
MS. CHAMBERS addressed "Challenges Facing Military Licensure in
Alaska," as shown on the third and final page of the handout.
She talked about there being a lack of a military "crosswalk."
She said she personally met with boards, "educated them on the
need," and showed them strategies that could be used to adopt
regulations. At that time, the boards told her that this task
requires tools from DoD and some level of expertise in reading
the documents. She acknowledged that when looking at her
husband's DD Form 214, it was not apparent all the course work
that he took. She said new tools have been developed since
then, but there is no way to prepare for every possible outcome
through regulation. Ms. Chambers continued:
So, what our boards did - and I think wisely, given
our need to conserve resources and use their time and
resources wisely - is to adopt a "take this on a case-
by-case basis," which is much more easily handled
through the tools that were mentioned, the COOL
resource, the Credential Engine resource. When you
have an actual application in front of you, then those
... resources make sense.
MS. CHAMBERS said today she refreshed her memory on how the ACE
resource works, and it cannot be used without a specific
application, "because it requires that level of information to
perform the translation, as it were." She said she thinks "the
boards, at that point, are treating this seriously and wisely."
She said several boards have adopted regulations in response to
applicants, having gained increased knowledge through the
process of "going through a particular military spouse
application." She said she thinks that after the legislation of
2014, [the boards and the division] realized that a "to-do" list
was not possible, given the available resources.
MS. CHAMBERS said the other challenge is the emergence of the
licensure compacts. Various boards, most particularly the Board
of Nursing and the Medical Board, are considering compacts and
analyzing how they make sense for the state, the costs
associated, and whether they want to participate in them. She
observed not every state is entering compacts, so the boards are
doing their due diligence to learn more about them. She said
compacts are growing; as of last year, those in charge of the
medical licensure compact were not able to inform [Alaska's
Medical Board] how much it would cost to participate.
MS. CHAMBERS said the division has heard "through the rumor
mill" that there might be an effort "to grant military spouses a
separate pathway to licensure - one-for-one reciprocity." She
specified that "endorsement credential" and "reciprocity" are
sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not interchangeable
processes. She stated concern that if a completely separate
standard for military spouses was to be created, it might
violate equal protection rights for other Alaskans. She said
that is the issue to which the assistant attorney general is
available to speak. She stated that from the perspective of the
division, based on information provided by the public and
stakeholders, there does not seem to be a crisis; however, the
division wants to be prepared to serve the additional military
moving to Alaska.
MS. CHAMBERS expressed regret that Ms. Jennings had to leave
previously. She stated that Ms. Jennings' experience of 12
years ago is "not relevant to today." She explained, "We would
never ask someone to send a form to Afghanistan to ... get a
signature." She said she wants to reassure the committee that
"those types of experiences paint a great picture that are a
cautionary tale for us." She mentioned that in terms of the
national conversation, in which the division is engaged, there
may be information provided that will require more due
diligence. She said the aforementioned University of Minnesota
study was "quite factually incorrect about Alaska." She said
she became aware of the study last week and plans to contact the
lead researcher to see if corrections can be made.
2:42:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH said he is glad to hear Ms. Chamber's
remarks concerning Ms. Jennings' issue. He asked Ms. Chambers
to describe the new methodology that would prevent the same
thing from happening to other people leaving service and how the
division came about it.
MS. CHAMBERS explained that the division's boards are taking the
documentation provided by the service member and "running it
through the paces," such as the COOL Engine and the ACE
resource, to make certain the review is being given due
diligence. She emphasized that it is important that the boards
have information that they understand, and she surmised that
since 2006 there are additional joint service transcripts
available "to help demystify military terminology for nurses
that may be sitting on a board." The last application to the
Board of Nursing was two years ago, and she said the board and
division staff "bent over backwards to get that information."
She added, "But if we aren't provided an explanation of what the
training is, they don't have anything to review."
2:44:21 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH said he knows that ACE credits are
excellent for what they cover, but he also knows that boarding
officers go through the federal law enforcement academy yet that
is not reflected in the ACE credits. He asked if any efforts
are underway to ameliorate that. He asked, "In the case that
something doesn't fit into one of the boxes, if one of the
engines can't account for it, how much effort is being made to
... approximate in the absence of a formal tool?"
MS. CHAMBERS answered by emphasizing the importance of giving
boards a clear path to tracking down pertinent information. She
said the last time DoD has worked with the division was in 2014,
and if there are new resources, the division would like to work
with DoD and review the resources. That said, she reiterated
that the applicants are "few and far between"; therefore, it is
difficult to say that the division has developed an approach.
In response to a follow-up question as to whether more service
members may wish to submit applications, she said she thinks it
is incumbent upon those responsible for helping military service
members in re-entering [civilian life] to give those members the
appropriate tools to do so. Further, she said it is important
for the division, DoD, and DMVA to work together to ensure they
are all aware of each other's resources. She stated, "We can't
expect laypeople to know what every division in the State of
Alaska does and where to go, and so we work to point each other
to each other ... when that comes up, but we can improve in that
area."
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked whether military veterans and
military spouses are afforded a similar degree of support, in
terms of temporary provisional licensing and expedited
applications.
MS. CHAMBERS answered yes.
2:48:15 PM
CHAIR TUCK, in response to Ms. Chambers having said the division
has not been in contact with DoD since 2014, encouraged her to
keep in contact with DoD, because there are personnel changes
that occur. He then drew attention to the aforementioned report
from the University of Minnesota, and said there is a mistake in
the first paragraph, which he said should read "360 days," not
"180 days." [The sentence in which this occurs read as
follows]:
Passed in 2011, House Bill 28 states that boards may
issue military spouses temporary licenses that are
valid for 180 days and the temporary licenses may be
extended for one additional 180-day period.
CHAIR TUCK asked Ms. Chambers to point out any other places in
the document that need to be amended.
MS. CHAMBERS replied that she plans to write a report in
communication with the university. She pointed to a box in the
top-right of the first page, and she said licensure by
endorsement is available through almost all of the division's
programs; therefore, she said that category should be checked
but is not. She then drew attention to the bullet points under
"General Findings" and said all but the first one is incorrect -
that is four out of five incorrect. On the second page, she
indicated the corrections should reflect that licensure by
endorsement is offered for the Dental Hygiene Board and Real
Estate Commission, and the Occupational Therapy Board offers the
same temporary licensure opportunities "as any other military
spouse applicant." She said there are contradictions between
the general findings and board-specific findings. She said she
does not mean to be overly critical but stressed it is important
for the committee to be aware that the University of Minnesota
does not realize that the division works as an umbrella agency;
therefore, the resources are not offered "board-by-board" but
are offered "to all 43 of our programs."
CHAIR TUCK requested a copy of Ms. Chambers' corrections.
2:50:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH noted that he is sponsoring HB 165, which
pertains to positions without licensure requirement,
particularly in state service. He said it has been the
experience of some that they have not been given the ability to
recognize relevant military experience in order to apply it to
civilian job requirements. He asked Ms. Chambers if she has
observed such cases.
MS. CHAMBERS said she is not familiar with HB 165 but would read
it and get back to Representative Parish with a response.
2:52:45 PM
CHAIR TUCK suggested that the definition of "endorsement" may be
different depending on who is asked, and he asked Ms. Chambers
for [the state's] definition.
MS. CHAMBERS directed attention to the first page of the
aforementioned handout that addresses three best practices, and
she said the first paragraph to the right of "Licensure by
Endorsement or Credentials" is DoD's definition of licensure by
endorsement, and it is also the definition used by the division.
It read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Licensure by endorsement refers to occupational boards
not requiring an examination for military spouses to
transfer their licenses. Spouses are eligible for
licensure by endorsement if they currently possess a
license from a previous jurisdiction with similar
requirements as the board's requirements in the
current jurisdiction.
2:54:09 PM
ABIGAIL ST. CLAIR stated that although she was a staff member
for Representative Rauscher, she was testifying on behalf of
herself as a military veteran. She stated that in the U.S.
Army, she was a preventive medicine specialist, which was a
fancy term for a public health expert, and her job included
entomology, epidemiology, industrial hygiene, and environmental
health. The ACE program was able to convert much of that
knowledge, skill, and training into the joint transcript. She
stated, "On the enlisted side of the house, it is stressed that
you improve on your civilian education, and so by using this
transcript, we encourage the military members to ... take ...
their training from early on in their career and continue to
update it throughout their career. And it's not just their
initial training for their [military occupational specialty]
(MOS)." Ms. St. Clair listed some of the additional training
she received and positions she held while in the Army, and she
said that additional training and certification, while not
always reflected in a DD Form 214, is reflected in the
transcript. She estimated that at least 75 percent of veterans
have an "I love me book," which she explained is where all
certifications are consolidated. She said, "You can take that
to ... any branch education program, and they'll verify and
accept those certifications to be added to your transcript."
She emphasized that [the joint transcript] works well,
especially for those who plan on "continuing on the civilian
sector what they did in the military." Ms. St. Clair said she
was fortunate to have finished her bachelor's in science and
master's in public health while still in service, but if she
hadn't, the joint transcript would have helped in her transition
as a veteran.
2:57:23 PM
MS. ST. CLAIR, in response to a question from Representative
Parish, said she currently has no recommendations for the
committee but would bring them forward at a later time if an
idea comes to her.
CHAIR TUCK expressed his appreciation to the invited testifiers.
2:59:25 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 2:59 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| AWIB Policy for military training and experience.pdf |
HMLV 2/1/2018 1:00:00 PM |
Military Licensure Update |
| Best Practices in Facilitating Credentialing of Service Members.pdf |
HMLV 2/1/2018 1:00:00 PM |
Military Licensure Update |
| Military Spouse Licensure State Report - Alaska.pdf |
HMLV 2/1/2018 1:00:00 PM |
Military Licensure Update |
| Military Spouse Licensure Summary Report.pdf |
HMLV 2/1/2018 1:00:00 PM |
Military Licensure Update |
| Military Licensure Update CBPL 2-1-18.pdf |
HMLV 2/1/2018 1:00:00 PM |
Military Licensure Update |
| HB 28 (2011).PDF |
HMLV 2/1/2018 1:00:00 PM |
|
| HB 84 (2013).pdf |
HMLV 2/1/2018 1:00:00 PM |