03/10/2023 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

           HB 85-PROFESSIONAL LICENSING; TEMP PERMITS                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:15:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 85, "An  Act relating to  professional licensing;                                                               
relating  to   temporary  licenses  for  some   professions;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:16:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SYLVAN ROBB,  Director, Division  of Corporations,  Business, and                                                               
Professional  Licensing, Department  of Commerce,  Community, and                                                               
Economic  Development (DCCED),  on behalf  of the  sponsor, House                                                               
Rules by  request of  the governor,  gave the  sectional analysis                                                               
for HB 85.   She stated that Section 1  would repeal AS 08.01.062                                                               
and allow an  applicant for an occupational license  to receive a                                                               
temporary  license   if  certain  requirements  are   met.    The                                                               
temporary  license   would  be  good   for  180  days   with  the                                                               
possibility of a  180-day extension, at DCCED's  discretion.  She                                                               
stated  that Sections  3 through  27 are  changes in  language to                                                               
conform with the new legislation.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:19:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. ROBB continued  to Section 28 and stated that  it would allow                                                               
DCCED  to adopt  any regulations  necessary to  implement changes                                                               
made by the proposed bill.   Section 29 would provide for current                                                               
processes,  such as  investigations, licenses,  and contracts  to                                                               
continue, as are, before the proposed  bill would pass.  She said                                                               
that Section  30 would  provide an  immediate effective  date for                                                               
Sections 28  and 29,  and Section 31  would provide  an effective                                                               
date of July 1, 2024, for Sections 1 through 27.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:20:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER questioned  whether the problem could  change from a                                                               
backlog in licensure to a backlog in temporary licensure.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ROBB  answered that  the  volume  of applications  would  be                                                               
reduced because  it would no  longer be necessary  for applicants                                                               
to  complete  two  separate applications,  one  for  a  temporary                                                               
license  and one  for  a permanent  license.   In  response to  a                                                               
follow-up question,  she said  that certain  license applications                                                               
take longer  to process, with  nursing licenses  currently having                                                               
the greatest backlog.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:23:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  asked   whether  duplicate  applications                                                               
could be screened out.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. ROBB  answered that  part of  the reason  for the  backlog is                                                               
staff vacancies  [and the resulting lack  of] technical knowledge                                                               
needed  to  process  certain  applications.   In  response  to  a                                                               
follow-up   question,  she   stated   that  universal   temporary                                                               
licensure (UTL)  would be  "another tool" to  help people  get to                                                               
work faster.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER asked  how  the legislature  can be  sure                                                               
that applications  for temporary licenses would  receive the same                                                               
amount of scrutiny as permanent licenses.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS. ROBB answered that obtaining  a temporary license requires an                                                               
individual  to  possess   a  license  from  out   of  state  with                                                               
substantially similar  requirements to  those in Alaska,  with no                                                               
disciplinary action against them.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:26:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK asked  why certain  professions would  be                                                               
required  to  work  under another  licensee  before  obtaining  a                                                               
license.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ROBB  answered  that  the   requirements  are  made  by  the                                                               
respective boards of these professions.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:29:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE asked how  the temporary license portion                                                               
would be expedited.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ROBB answered  that many  applicants apply  for a  temporary                                                               
license  and make  the  permanent application  at  a later  time;                                                               
therefore, the  occupational license examiner would  have to look                                                               
at  each applicant  twice.   With the  proposed legislation,  the                                                               
applicant  could indicate  whether a  permanent license  would be                                                               
sought in the  future, preventing the examiner  from reviewing an                                                               
applicant  twice.   In  response  to  a follow-up  question,  she                                                               
stated that  applications would  still be  reviewed in  the order                                                               
they are received.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:32:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  asked whether  the proposed bill  has the                                                               
support of the different licensing boards.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ROBB  answered that  DCCED  has  not received  questions  or                                                               
concerns from  any of  the 21 existing  professional boards.   In                                                               
response  to   a  follow-up  question,  she   stated  that  DCCED                                                               
generally  supports the  idea of  licensure compacts,  but HB  85                                                               
would  not   be  considered  a  "stepping   stone"  to  licensure                                                               
compacts.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:34:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. ROBB, in response to  a question from Representative Carrick,                                                               
answered  that  there  are  18  states  with  some  form  of  UTL                                                               
licensure, and she listed several of these states.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced that HB 85 was held over.