00                      CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 335(L&C)                                                                    
01 "An Act relating to veterinarians and veterinarian technicians; establishing an animal                                  
02 disaster emergency plan; relating to the Alaska State Emergency Response Commission;                                    
03 and relating to local emergency planning committees."                                                                   
04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
05    * Section 1. AS 08.98.125 is amended to read:                                                                      
06            Sec. 08.98.125. Exemptions. This chapter does not apply to the following:                                  
07                 (1)  a veterinary medical officer in the military service in the discharge                              
08       of official duties or as an employee in the federal or state government performing                                
09       veterinary medical services within the scope of the person's official duties;                                     
10 (2)  a veterinarian who is licensed in another state or country, or a                                                   
11 person whose expertise a veterinarian licensed in this state believes would benefit an                                  
12 animal, and who provides only consultation to a veterinarian licensed in this state; in                                 
13 this paragraph, "consultation" means advice or assistance provided in person,                                           
14 telephonically, electronically, or by any other method of communication from a                                          

01 veterinarian or other person whose expertise, in the opinion of the veterinarian, would                                 
02       benefit the animal; [AND]                                                                                         
03 (3)  a veterinarian licensed and residing in another state who provides                                                 
04 assistance, as requested by and under the supervision of a veterinarian licensed in this                                
05 state, for the purpose of providing skills not otherwise available in this state in                                     
06 conducting research or other practice of veterinary medicine on captive or free-ranging                                 
07 wildlife; however, that assistance is limited to not more than three events in a calendar                               
08 year for not more than a total of 60 days in the year and may not be on a regular or                                    
09       recurring basis, as defined by the board; and                                                                 
10 (4)  a veterinarian or veterinary technician licensed and residing in                                               
11 another state who provides assistance under the animal disaster emergency plan                                      
12       established under AS 26.23.040(h).                                                                            
13    * Sec. 2. AS 26.23.040 is amended by adding new subsections to read:                                               
14 (h)  As part of the state emergency plan required under (a) of this section, the                                        
15 Alaska division of homeland security and emergency management shall prepare and                                         
16       maintain an animal disaster emergency plan. The plan must                                                         
17 (1)  establish a process for the evacuation, transportation, and                                                        
18       temporary sheltering of animals during a disaster emergency;                                                      
19 (2)  identify evacuation shelters designed to accept and temporarily                                                    
20       house animals during a disaster emergency;                                                                        
21 (3)  establish an identification system to ensure that an owner of an                                                   
22 animal who is separated from the animal during an evacuation is provided with all                                       
23       information necessary to locate and reclaim the animal;                                                           
24 (4)  implement a public information program that informs owners of                                                      
25       animals about disaster emergency resources relating to animals;                                                   
26 (5)  allow the transport of animals on public transportation during a                                                   
27 disaster emergency if the animal is in a cage or carrier that safely and securely                                       
28 confines the animal; if an animal is unable to be transported in accordance with this                                   
29       paragraph, the commission may arrange for transportation for the animal; and                                      
30 (6)  establish procedures for a veterinarian or veterinary technician,                                                  
31 including a veterinarian or veterinary technician licensed and residing in another state,                               

01       to provide assistance with animals during a disaster emergency.                                                   
02            (i)  In (h) of this section,                                                                                 
03                 (1)  "animal" means a pet, service animal, or working animal;                                           
04                 (2)  "working animal" means                                                                             
05                      (A)  a dog primarily owned for participation in a generally                                        
06            accepted mushing or pulling contest or practice; or                                                          
07                      (B)  a horse primarily owned and used for business purposes.                                       
08    * Sec. 3. AS 26.23.071(b) is amended to read:                                                                      
09            (b)  The commission consists of the commissioners of commerce, community,                                    
10 and economic development, environmental conservation, fish and game, health, labor                                      
11 and workforce development, natural resources, public safety, and transportation and                                     
12 public facilities, or the designees of the commissioners, the adjutant general of the                                   
13 Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs or a designee, and eight [SEVEN]                                       
14 members of the public appointed by the governor, two of whom must be members of a                                       
15 local emergency planning committee for an emergency planning district that is                                           
16 predominantly rural in character and two of whom must be members of a local                                             
17 emergency planning committee for an emergency planning district that is                                                 
18 predominantly urban in character. Two of the other four [THREE] members of the                                      
19 public who are appointed to the commission must be members of the governing body                                        
20 of, or the mayor of, a political subdivision that has a local emergency planning                                        
21 committee or a person who, in the opinion of the governor, is otherwise appropriate to                                  
22 represent the political subdivision. One of the other two members of the public who                                 
23 are appointed to the commission must be a member of a statewide association of                                      
24 animal control officers, animal shelter staff, and animal welfare professionals                                     
25 that operates in the state. The United States Department of Defense - Alaska                                        
26 Command, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the United States                                                     
27 Environmental Protection Agency, and the United States Coast Guard may each                                             
28 appoint a representative to serve on the commission in an ex-officio, nonvoting                                         
29 capacity. To the extent practicable, the commission must include members with                                           
30       expertise in the emergency response field.                                                                        
31    * Sec. 4. AS 26.23.073(d) is amended to read:                                                                      

01 (d)  The commission shall appoint the members of a local emergency planning                                             
02 committee for each emergency planning district established under (a) and (b) of this                                    
03 section. In making appointments for a district that contains only one political                                         
04 subdivision, the commission shall follow the recommendations of the political                                           
05 subdivision if those recommendations would constitute a committee that meets the                                        
06 requirements of this subsection. In making appointments for a district that contains                                    
07 more than one political subdivision, the commission shall consider the                                                  
08 recommendations of each political subdivision and follow the recommendations to the                                     
09 extent that the political subdivisions are in agreement and their recommendations                                       
10 would constitute a committee that meets the requirements of this subsection. To the                                     
11 extent required under regulations that may be adopted by the commission, the political                                  
12 subdivisions in a district that includes more than one political subdivision shall follow                               
13 a process under which they develop coordinated recommendations to submit to the                                         
14 commission under this subsection. In making appointments for a district that includes                                   
15 some area that is not contained within a political subdivision, the commission shall                                    
16 consider the recommendations of emergency response organizations in the district. In                                    
17 making appointments for the district formed under (b) of this section, the commission                                   
18 shall attempt to achieve equitable geographical representation on the committee.                                        
19 Except as provided in (e) of this section, each committee must include, at a minimum,                                   
20       representatives of each of the following eight [SEVEN] categories:                                            
21                 (1)  elected local officials;                                                                           
22 (2)  law enforcement, civil defense, fire fighting, first aid, health, local                                            
23       environmental, hospital, and transportation personnel;                                                            
24                 (3)  broadcast or print media;                                                                          
25                 (4)  community groups;                                                                                  
26 (5)  owners and operators of facilities subject to the requirements of 42                                               
27       U.S.C. 11001 - 11005;                                                                                             
28 (6)  representatives of a local or interjurisdictional disaster planning                                                
29       and service area if one has been established that includes part of the district;                                  
30                 (7)  animal care and control personnel; and                                                         
31 (8) [(7)]  members of the public that are not described in (1) - (7) [(1) -                                     

01       (6)] of this subsection.                                                                                          
02    * Sec. 5. AS 26.23.073(e) is amended to read:                                                                      
03 (e)  If advertisement and the commission's own initiative do not result in the                                          
04 acceptance of appointment to a committee by at least one person from a category                                         
05 under (d)(1) - (8) [(d)(1) - (7)] of this section, the requirement of (d) of this section                           
06 that there be representation of that category on that committee is suspended until                                      
07       sufficient willing appointees become available.