Legislature(2007 - 2008)SENATE FINANCE 532
03/15/2007 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB18 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 18 | TELECONFERENCED | |
MINUTES
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
March 15, 2007
9:33 a.m.
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Bert Stedman convened the meeting at approximately
9:33:52 AM.
PRESENT
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair
Senator Charlie Huggins, Vice Chair
Senator Kim Elton
Senator Donny Olson
Senator Joe Thomas
Senator Fred Dyson
Also Attending: REPRESENTATIVE KEVIN MYERS; MICHAEL PAWLOWSKI,
Staff to Representative Kevin Meyer
Attending via Teleconference: There were no teleconference
participants
SUMMARY INFORMATION
HB 18-POSTSECONDARY MEDICAL & OTHER EDUC. PROG.
The Committee heard from the bill's sponsor. One amendment was
adopted and the bill reported from Committee.
9:34:18 AM
Co-Chair Stedman communicated that an anticipated presentation
about a Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Cost Share
proposal has been delayed as the information is still being
reviewed. Further scheduling information would be forthcoming.
9:34:47 AM
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 18(SED)
"An Act amending the functions and powers of the Alaska
Commission on Postsecondary Education; and relating to the
repayment provisions for medical education and
postsecondary degree program participants."
This was the third hearing for this bill in the Senate Finance
Committee.
Co-Chair Stedman communicated that the intent today would be to
report this Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho
postsecondary medical education program (WWAMI) legislation from
Committee.
9:35:10 AM
Co-Chair Stedman communicated that his and Co-Chair Hoffman's
offices have discussed with Representative Kevin Meyer, the
bill's sponsor, concerns about the physician shortage in Alaska,
particularly in Rural Alaska. As a result of these discussions,
an amendment was developed which would further incentivize
graduates of the WWAMI program to practice in the State.
Amendment #1: This amendment inserts a new section into the bill
following line 17 page 2 as follows:
*Sec. 3. AS 14.43.510(b) is amended to read:
(b) If a program participant under (a) of this section
has graduated from the medical education program for which
the financial support was received and is employed in the
state in the field for which the person received the
financial support, including employment in the state in a
medical residency program, the repayment obligation shall
be forgiven and considered a grant in an amount equal to
the following percentages plus accrued interest:
(1) for employment in rural areas of the state,
(A) one year employment, 33 1/3 percent;
(B) two years employment, an additional 33
1/3 percent;
(C) three years employment, an additional 33
1/3 percent;
(2) for employment in areas of the state that are
not rural,
(A) [(1)] one year employment, 20 percent;
(B) [(2)] two years employment, an
additional 20 percent;
(C) [(3)] three years employment, an
additional 20 percent;
(D) [(4)] four years employment, an
additional 20 percent;
(E) [(5)] five years employment, an
additional 20 percent.
This amendment adds another new bill section following line 28
on page 2 as follows.
*Sec. 5. AS 14.43.510 is amended by adding a new subsection
to read:
(i) In this section, "rural" means a community with a
population of 7,500 or less that is not connected by road
or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks or with a population of
3,500 or less that is connected by road or rail to
Anchorage or Fairbanks.
New text underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
Senator Olson moved Amendment #1.
9:35:44 AM
Co-Chair Stedman objected for purposes of discussion.
REPRESENTATIVE KEVIN MEYER, the bill's sponsor, thanked the
Committee for considering this legislation. It has garnered
widespread support from members of the Senate and the House of
Representatives.
Representative Meyer voiced his approval of the amendment.
9:36:48 AM
MICHAEL PAWLOWSKI, Staff to Representative Kevin Meyer,
explained that the amendment would change the program's loan
obligation provisions in that the loan obligation of a WWAMI
student who, after completing their residency program, returns
to the State and practices for three years in a Rural area or
five years in a non-Rural area would be forgiven.
Mr. Pawlowski also noted that the definition of a rural
community is specified in the amendment. The definition is
similar to that specified for the rural payback provisions of
the Teacher Education Program; the difference being that the
minimum size of a community was increased to 7,500 as that was
deemed the size required to support physician services.
9:38:06 AM
Mr. Pawlowski pointed out that a listing of communities and
their populations [copy on file] had been distributed to
Members. This would allow them to determine whether a community
qualified for rural or non-rural status.
Mr. Pawlowski concluded that the adoption of this amendment
would encourage WWAMI graduates to practice in rural
communities.
9:38:42 AM
Co-Chair Stedman removed his objection to Amendment #1.
Senator Olson asked whether data was available to support the
position that providing additional forgiveness incentives to
WWAMI graduates for practicing in Rural Alaska would be
successful.
9:39:14 AM
Mr. Pawlowski communicated that no such data was available;
however, the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education has
deemed the incentive "workable" since a similar incentive plan
that encourages teachers to work in rural communities has been
successful.
9:39:33 AM
There being no further objection, Amendment #1 was ADOPTED.
9:39:47 AM
Co-Chair Stedman, while voicing support of the program, asserted
that the implementation of the expanded program should be
monitored "going forward". This would assist in averting any
detrimental impact on the State's operating budget and insure
that the need to increase physician service in the State to
offset such things as retiring physicians and increased
population demands was being met.
Co-Chair Stedman stated that the costs of the program were
specified in Department of Education and Early Development (DOE)
fiscal note #1.
9:40:30 AM
Co-Chair Stedman deemed the University of Alaska's FY 2008
budget as "the appropriate place" in which to address the cost
of expanding the WWAMI program. That budget is currently being
developed.
Co-Chair Stedman supported moving the bill from Committee with
the aforementioned DOE fiscal note and the House Finance
Committee's zero fiscal note #2.
9:41:11 AM
Senator Olson emphasized "the importance of this bill". It would
assist in increasing the number of doctors in both urban and
rural areas of the State. It would also help address the
physician shortage projected to result from doctors who will be
retiring in the future and the impact that would be experienced
by an aging State population.
Senator Olson moved to report the bill, as amended, from
Committee with individual recommendations and accompanying
fiscal notes.
There being no objection, SCS CSHB 18(FIN) was REPORTED from
Committee with two previous zero fiscal notes: fiscal note #1
from the Department of Education and Early Development and
fiscal note #2 from the House Finance Committee pertaining to
the University of Alaska.
Co-Chair Stedman noted that the bill would move forward with
recognition of the need to accommodate the impending deadline
for the following year's WWAMI program student enrollment.
9:42:31 AM
ADJOURNMENT
Co-Chair Bert Stedman adjourned the meeting at 9:42:46 AM.
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