HB 376-EXTEND BD OF PSYCHOLOGIST & PSYCH. ASSOC.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:26:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON announced  that the first order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 376,  "An Act extending  the termination  date of                                                               
the Board of Psychologist  and Psychological Associate Examiners;                                                               
and providing for an effective date."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:27:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LIZ  CLEMENS,  Staff,  Representative Bob  Herron,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,   stated  that   HB  376   would  extend   board  of                                                               
psychologist  and psychological  associate examiners  and provide                                                               
for an  effective date.  She  explained the board will  sunset in                                                               
June.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:29:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON  asked for the reason  that the auditors                                                               
did not sample more files during the audit.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. CLEMENS said she did not know.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:30:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAT  DAVIDSON,  Legislative   Auditor,  Division  of  Legislative                                                               
Audit, Alaska  State Legislature,  explained to members  that the                                                               
auditors obtain sufficient  information when three out  of ten or                                                               
eleven  files  have  issues.     Thus,  once  the  auditors  have                                                               
identified a problem exists that it  is not necessary for them to                                                               
audit more files.  The  auditors found the licensing examiner was                                                               
not  following  up on  the  applicants'  files and  this  problem                                                               
needed  to be  dealt  with but  the issue  did  not constitute  a                                                               
licensing issue or other issues with the board.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON  asked whether the board  should only be                                                               
extended four years.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS.  DAVIDSON answered  that the  problems the  auditors outlined                                                               
related to a lack of board  support, not a problem with the board                                                               
itself.   The auditors  identified two  board support  issues and                                                               
one issue  was the Office of  the Governor was not  making timely                                                               
appointments to the board.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:32:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LISA  TURNER, Licensed  Psychological  Associate; Interim  Chair,                                                               
Board  of  Psychologist  and  Psychological  Associate  Examiners                                                               
(BPPAE),   Department   of   Commerce,  Community,   &   Economic                                                               
Development  (DCCED),   stated  she   was  available   to  answer                                                               
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:33:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  OLSON,  after first  determining  no  one else  wished  to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on HB 376.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:33:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON moved to  report HB 376 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  HB 376 was reported  from the                                                               
House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:34:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 3:34 p.m. to 3:36 p.m.