04/13/2011 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 78                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act  establishing  a loan  repayment  program  and                                                                    
     employment  incentive program  for certain  health care                                                                    
     professionals employed in the  state; and providing for                                                                    
     an effective date."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:56:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BOB HERRON, SPONSOR,  discussed that the bill                                                                    
provided  a solution  to the  health care  provider shortage                                                                    
and  would  help both  rural  and  urban Alaska.  He  looked                                                                    
forward  to working  on the  legislation with  the committee                                                                    
during  the upcoming  interim. He  expressed  hope that  the                                                                    
bill would report out of committee the following year.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Thomas  reported  that   the  workdraft  had  been                                                                    
adopted by  the House Finance  Committee on March  31, 2011.                                                                    
He  discussed  that   the  bill  would  be   referred  to  a                                                                    
subcommittee   that    consisted   of    Co-Chair   Stoltze,                                                                    
Representative      Costello,     Representative      Joule,                                                                    
Representative  Guttenberg  and, Representative  Bob  Herron                                                                    
[he  noted   later  in   the  meeting   that  Representative                                                                    
Guttenberg   had   requested   to  be   removed   from   the                                                                    
subcommittee and  that Co-Chair  Stoltze would  consider the                                                                    
request].                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Herron  hoped  that the  subcommittee  would                                                                    
have a minimum  of two meetings, including one  in rural and                                                                    
one in urban Alaska.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HB  78 was  HEARD and  HELD and  referred to  a subcommittee                                                                    
that   consisted   of   Co-Chair   Stoltze,   Representative                                                                    
Costello,  Representative Joule,  Representative Guttenberg,                                                                    
Representative, and Bob Herron for further consideration.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:57:58 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:58:59 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED