Legislature(2017 - 2018)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/12/2017 01:30 PM Senate FINANCE
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB51 | |
| SB83 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 83 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 51 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
April 12, 2017
1:36 p.m.
1:36:08 PM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair MacKinnon called the Senate Finance Committee
meeting to order at 1:36 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Lyman Hoffman, Co-Chair
Senator Anna MacKinnon, Co-Chair
Senator Click Bishop, Vice-Chair
Senator Shelley Hughes
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Donny Olson
Senator Natasha von Imhof
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
Lacey Sanders, Analyst, Legislative Finance Division; Sara
Chambers, Deputy Director, Corporations, Business, and
Professional Licensing, Division of Department of
Commerce, Community and Economic Development; Jeff Jessee,
Legislative Liaison, Alaska Mental Health Trust; Teresa
Holt, Ombudsman, State Long Term Care.
SUMMARY
SB 51 EXTEND BOARD OF VETERINARY EXAMINERS
CSSB 51 (FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with
a "do pass" recommendation and with a previously
published fiscal note: FN 1(CED). There being NO
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
SB 83 PROTECT: VULNERABLE ADULTS/LONG TERM CARE
SB 83 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SENATE BILL NO. 51
"An Act extending the termination date of the Board of
Veterinary Examiners; and providing for an effective date."
1:37:10 PM
Co-Chair MacKinnon announced that a CS had already been
adopted.
1:37:39 PM
AT EASE
1:37:52 PM
RECONVENED
1:37:57 PM
LACEY SANDERS, ANALYST, LEGISLATIVE FINANCE DIVISION, (LFD)
clarified some previous information provided by LFD. She
announced that the fiscal note for extending the Board of
Veterinarian Examiners reflected approximately $3600. The
information presented previously contained additional
information. The fiscal note only reflected board services
and travel, but there were additional costs above those
costs for the board of approximately $138,000. Those costs
would be continued, even without the continuation of the
board. She furthered that LFD provided a projection for the
board continuation at the same level of spending and
revenues. She stated that the projection showed the board
in a deficit. She stressed that the LFD projection
encouraged the division to provide additional information
on their anticipated revenues would be for 2017, that
deficit projection might contain an adjustment.
Co-Chair MacKinnon wondered whether the actual cost was
available. She recalled an increase from $300 to $500 for
the licensees. She asked what the department had quantified
for expenses, or was there a calendar and timing
difference. She remarked that there had been an assertion
that the state was using a fiscal year, and the department
was using a calendar year because of the licensure
requirements. Ms. Sanders deferred to the department. She
shared that she was provided with information within the
Professional Licensing Report to the Legislature, which was
on a calendar year basis. She stated that the majority of
the revenue would be collected during the current fiscal
year. She could not speak to the department's expenditure
projections for 2017. She remarked that the department was
closely monitoring each board.
Senator Olson queried a comparison to other board of
comparable size and comparable licensee for the services,
travel, and fixed costs. Ms. Sanders replied that she could
not respond with a comparison, because she looked at the
individual boards on a case by case basis. She stated that
each board had its own set of licensees and their own sets
of requirements.
1:42:39 PM
SARA CHAMBERS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CORPORATIONS, BUSINESS, AND
PROFESSIONAL LICENSING, DIVISION OF DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE,
COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, introduced herself.
Co-Chair MacKinnon queried the projected expenses to better
understand the licensure and licensee deficits, and the
strategy for reversing the deficits. Ms. Chambers replied
that the licensing fee had increased for FY 17 for
veterinarians from $300 to $500. She remarked that there
were no anomalies with that increase. That board was fairly
conservative, and comparable to other similar boards. She
agreed to provide further information.
Senator von Imhof wondered whether boards set their own
fees based on their own determined expenses. Ms. Chambers
responded that statute required each licensing program to
pay 100 percent of its own expenses. She stated that there
were 44 licensing programs in the division, with 21 of the
boards rolled into the professional licensing fund source.
She remarked that there was a partnership between each
board and the division in allocating expenses.
1:45:20 PM
Senator von Imhof wondered how the board would pay expenses
during a time of board deficit reaction. Ms. Chambers
replied that licensing programs ran on a biennial licensure
cycle. She stated that almost every program would be in an
annual deficit, because the funds would not be fulfilled in
the given year. She furthered that the boards were able to
roll forward any surplus. She announced that the goal was
to identify a "sweet spot" of surplus that would carry over
through the year without being exorbitant.
Vice-Chair Bishop looked at the one previous fiscal note.
Vice-Chair Bishop MOVED to REPORT CSSB 51 (FIN) out of
committee with individual recommendations and attached
fiscal note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
CSSB 51 (FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with a "do
pass" recommendation and with a previously published fiscal
note: FN 1(CED). There being NO OBJECTION, it was so
ordered.
1:49:13 PM
AT EASE
1:51:22 PM
RECONVENED
SENATE BILL NO. 83
"An Act relating to the protection of vulnerable
adults and residents of long term care facilities."
1:52:01 PM
JEFF JESSEE, LEGISLATIVE LIAISON, ALASKA MENTAL HEALTH
TRUST, introduced himself.
TERESA HOLT, OMBUDSMAN, STATE LONG TERM CARE, introduced
herself.
Mr. Jessee announced that he accepted a new position with
the University of Alaska.
Vice-Chair Bishop thanked Mr. Jessee for his service.
Senator von Imhof thanked Mr. Jessee for his service.
Co-Chair MacKinnon thanked Mr. Jessee for his service in
the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (AMHTA).
Senator Hughes expressed her gratitude and shared a story
of Mr. Jessee.
Senator Micciche thanked Mr. Jessee for his service.
Mr. Jessee stated that the Office of the Long-term Care
Ombudsman was under the AMHTA jurisdiction. He stated that
the previous location of the office also ran some of the
long-term care facilities that the office was supposed to
oversee and handle complaints. He shared that the bill was
prompted by some required changes at the federal level. He
felt that the changes were good policy, regardless of the
federal requirement.
2:00:30 PM
Ms. Holt announced that the bill would amend the provisions
of AS 47.62 for the Office of the Long-term Care Ombudsman;
and AS 47.24 for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults. The
legislation would insure the alignment with the Older
Americans Act and its implementing regulations. She
announced that in 2016, the Older Americans Act was
reauthorized, and new regulations for the Office of the
Long-term Care Ombudsman were created. As a result, the
Administration for Community Living reviewed all states to
ensure compliance with the changes.
Vice-Chair Bishop asked that Ms. Holt identify herself.
Ms. Holt introduced herself.
Ms. Holt stated that the review identified two Alaska
statutes that were identified as out of alignment with the
Older Americans Act and the new regulations. She believed
that, regardless of the federal oversight, the legislation
provided good changes for the program. The bill would align
state statutes with federal statutes and regulations to
ensure the Office of the Long-term Care Ombudsman only
shares resident information with informed consent; to
ensure the Office of the Long-term Care Ombudsman could
obtain records to investigate and make referrals when a
resident was unable to provide informed consent; and
provided new terms for resident and resident
representative. She explained that, due to a conflict of
interest, the legislation removed the option for mandatory
reporters to meet reporting requirements by submitting the
report to the Office of the Long-term Care Ombudsman. The
legislation clarified a separation in the role of the Long-
term Care Ombudsman from the Department of Health and
Social Services. The legislation clarified that the Office
of the Long-term Care Ombudsman may serve individuals in
long-term care who were under the age of sixty.
Co-Chair MacKinnon wondered whether the committee wanted a
walk-though of the Sectional Analysis.
Senator von Imhof felt that the bill was straightforward.
Co-Chair MacKinnon wondered whether the bill had gone
through the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ms. Holt replied
that it did not.
Co-Chair MacKinnon CLOSED public testimony.
Co-Chair MacKinnon announced that there department
representatives available for questions.
Vice-Chair Bishop discussed the two zero fiscal notes: FN
2(REV) and FN 1(DHS).
Co-Chair MacKinnon announced that amendments were due the
following day by noon.
SB 83 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
2:05:29 PM
The meeting was adjourned at 2:05 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 83 ACoA ltr of support.pdf |
SFIN 4/12/2017 1:30:00 PM |
SB 83 |
| SB 83 Transmittal Letter.pdf |
SFIN 4/12/2017 1:30:00 PM |
SB 83 |
| SB 83 support.pdf |
SFIN 4/12/2017 1:30:00 PM |
SB 83 |