Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
04/09/2025 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB50 | |
| HB171 | |
| HB70 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 50 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 171 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 70 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 70-EMERGENCY MED SVCS; OPERATIONAL CANINES
4:02:40 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 70, "An Act relating to emergency medical
services for operational canines; relating to the powers,
duties, and liability of emergency medical technicians and
mobile intensive care paramedics; relating to the practice of
veterinary medicine; and providing for an effective date."
[Before the committee was CSHB 70(HSS).]
CO-CHAIR FIELDS entertained amendments.
4:03:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER moved to adopt Amendment [1] to CSHB
70(HSS), labeled 34-LS0245\I.5, Gunther, 4/5/25, which read as
follows:
Page 1, line 7, through page 2, line 25:
Delete all material and insert:
"(a) A person may not practice veterinary
medicine, surgery, or dentistry unless the person is
licensed as a veterinarian under this chapter or has a
temporary permit issued under AS 08.98.186, except
that a person may perform [FUNCTIONS AUTHORIZED BY]
(1) functions authorized by regulation of
the board if the person is licensed as a veterinary
technician; [OR]
(2) functions authorized by a permit issued
under AS 08.02.050 if the person is employed by an
agency that has a permit issued under AS 08.02.050; or
(3) emergency medical services on an
operational canine under AS 18.08.082(a)(6) if the
person is certified as an emergency medical technician
or licensed as a mobile intensive care paramedic."
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
Page 3, lines 25 - 27:
Delete "to operational canines the emergency
medical services enumerated on a written document
filed with the department by the medical director and
approved by the department in regulation"
Insert "emergency medical services to an
operational canine"
Page 5, line 29, following "danger;":
Insert "and"
Page 5, line 31, through page 6, line 11:
Delete "; and
(3) meets at least one of the following
requirements:
(A) the emergency medical technician or
mobile intensive care paramedic has obtained informed
consent from the owner of the operational canine or a
person authorized to make medical decisions about the
operational canine;
(B) the emergency medical technician or
mobile intensive care paramedic is employed by the
governmental agency that owns or has authority to make
medical decisions about the operational canine; or
(C) the emergency medical technician or
mobile intensive care paramedic provides the emergency
medical service in accordance with a written protocol
developed and approved by a veterinarian"
Page 6, lines 6 - 28:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
CO-CHAIR HALL objected.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER shared his concern that the proposed
legislation would give emergency medical technicians (EMTs) too
much authority. He explained that Amendment [1] would, in
Section 1, "add language to say emergency medical services to
clarify ... that EMTs can only perform emergency medical
services in operational canines and not perform any other kind
of veterinary medicine." He referenced public testimony, citing
concerns about EMTs providing intensive medical care for
canines. He stated that it would remove Section 2, offering his
belief that Section 2 would give EMTs too much authority. He
further stated that Section 2 allowed EMTs to enter a home, or
have a car moved or destroyed for the purpose of gaining access
to an injured or potentially injured operational canine. He
explained that Section 3 states that "EMTs can provide
operational canines only the services that are listed on a
document filed with the medical director and approved by the
Department of Health." He explained this his amendment would
remove this limitation, asserting that it was redundant. He
stated that Amendment [1] would additionally remove conditions
that must be met for EMTs to provide services to operational
canines, listed in Section 7. He offered his belief that the
requirements listed in Section 7 are onerous. He concluded by
stating that Amendment [1] would remove Section 8, as he did not
believe Section 8 to be a likely scenario. He explained that
Section 8 refers to a scenario in which an operational canine is
receiving emergency services from a practitioner via telehealth
between the owner and an EMT.
4:06:14 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS requested Representative Shrage, prime sponsor
of CSHB 70(HSS), to share his thoughts on Amendment [1].
4:06:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CALVIN SCHRAGE, Alaska State Legislature, as
prime sponsor, deferred to his staff member for a response.
4:06:44 PM
JEREMY HOUSTON, Staff, Representative Calvin Schrage, Alaska
State Legislature, answered questions on behalf of
Representative Shrage, prime sponsor of CSHB 70(HSS). He stated
that their office was opposed to changes made to Sections 2 and
3. He further stated that they found changes made to Sections 1
and 8 amenable.
4:07:29 PM
BRIAN WEBB, at the invitation of Co-Chair Fields, noted that he
had been working with Representative Schrage on HB 70. He
explained that there are already statutes regarding domicile
entry by EMS, due to local authorities not always readily being
available in the event of emergencies in all communities.
MR. WEBB referred to Section 3, explaining that it was added
because Alaska Statute (AS) is clear that dogs in Alaska are
considered private property. He noted that, because dogs are
considered private property, permission has to be granted for
treatment. He noted that it is the same for humans, explaining
that EMS have to obtain permission for treatment. He noted that
13 other states that have enacted similar legislation "wrestled
with the same issues." He further stated that DOH licenses all
EMS clinicians and further defined the scope of practice. He
explained that the EMS medical director further determines what
EMTs are allowed to do within their scope of practice. He
provided a personal anecdote to illustrate his answer, noting
that he was an EMT 3. He stated that there are clear
definitions between the scope of practice given by the state
versus what is allowed by the EMS medical director.
CO-CHAIR HALL maintained her objection.
4:11:54 PM
A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Saddler and Nelson
voted in favor of the motion to adopt Amendment [1] to CSHB
70(HSS). Representatives Burke, Carrick, Coulombe, Hall, and
Fields voted against it. Therefore, Amendment [1] failed to be
adopted by a vote of 2-5.
4:12:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER moved to adopt Amendment [2] to CSHB
70(HSS), labeled 34-LS0245\I.7, Gunther, 4/7/25, which read as
follows:
Page 1, line 7, through page 2, line 1:
Delete all material and insert:
"(a) A person may not practice veterinary
medicine, surgery, or dentistry unless the person is
licensed as a veterinarian under this chapter or has a
temporary permit issued under AS 08.98.186, except
that a person may perform [FUNCTIONS AUTHORIZED BY]
(1) functions authorized by regulation of
the board if the person is licensed as a veterinary
technician; [OR]
(2) functions authorized by a permit issued
under AS 08.02.050 if the person is employed by an
agency that has a permit issued under AS 08.02.050; or
(3) emergency medical services on an
operational canine under AS 18.08.093 if the person is
certified as an emergency medical technician or
licensed as a mobile intensive care paramedic."
Page 6, lines 16 - 28:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
CO-CHAIR HALL objected for the purpose of discussion.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER spoke to Amendment [2], explaining that
it would make changes to Section 1 and Section 8 of the proposed
legislation as he had previously described in Amendment [1].
4:13:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SHRAGE stated that he was supportive of the
amendment.
CO-CHAIR HALL removed her objection. There being no further
objection, Amendment [2] to CSHB 70(HSS) was adopted.
4:13:53 PM
CO-CHAIR HALL moved to report CSHB 70(HSS), as amended, out of
committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying
fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 70(L&C) was
reported out of the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 70 Amendment 1 (I.5).pdf |
HL&C 4/9/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 70 |
| HB 70 Amendment 2 (I.7).pdf |
HL&C 4/9/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 70 |
| CCAlaska HB171 Oppose4925.pdf |
HL&C 4/9/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 171 |
| HB 171 GuardYourCard_Alaska_Toolkit_4.8.25.pdf |
HL&C 4/9/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 171 |
| HB 171 Opposition - 2025-04 AK deck v1.pptx |
HL&C 4/9/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 171 |
| 2025-04-07 AK HB171 EPC written testimony.pdf |
HL&C 4/9/2025 3:15:00 PM |
HB 171 |