03/06/2020 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

            HB  93-MILITARY SPOUSE COURTESY LICENSE                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:19:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 93,  "An Act  relating to  temporary courtesy                                                               
licenses for  certain nonresident professionals; and  relating to                                                               
the   Department    of   Commerce,   Community,    and   Economic                                                               
Development."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:19:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CHRIS TUCK,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor, reintroduced  HB 93  and provided a  brief recap  of the                                                               
bill.  He  explained that the bill ensures  that military spouses                                                               
have  the  ability  to  get their  occupational  licenses  in  an                                                               
expedient way in  order for them to continue  practicing in their                                                               
profession.   He said  it helps military  families when  they are                                                               
deployed to  Alaska in the  transitional phase, as well  as gives                                                               
them  the ability  to  practice a  profession  that provides  for                                                               
their family.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ added  that  this bill  is  based on  underlying                                                               
legislation that  was passed in 2011.   She explained that  HB 93                                                               
seeks to  implement a report  on the subject matter  because this                                                               
kind of special licensure hasn't progressed as expected.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK  confirmed that, adding  that the goal  is to                                                               
get a progress report back  to the legislature on the fulfillment                                                               
of the original bill's requirement.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:21:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ opened public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:22:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARY BETH GOODMAN expressed her support  for HB 93.  She informed                                                               
the committee that she is  a licensed professional counselor in 7                                                               
states and possesses a national  certification.  She said she has                                                               
been  practicing  counseling  for  20  years  and  holds  special                                                               
certifications in trauma,  post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),                                                               
family  systems,  eating   disorders,  critical  incident  stress                                                               
management,  autism  and  sensory   processing  disorders.    She                                                               
further  noted that  she  is a  military spouse  who  is a  self-                                                               
proclaimed  expert  in  transferring  her  professional  license;                                                               
however,  she has  been  told that  she does  not  qualify to  be                                                               
licensed  in  Alaska.   Furthermore,  the  board does  not  issue                                                               
military spouse reciprocity.  She  explained that she has made up                                                               
for  those  deficits  by continuing  her  professional  education                                                               
through continuing education  units.  She urged  the committee to                                                               
consider  several factors  as they  deliberate HB  93: education,                                                               
experience, finances, and expediency.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:27:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HANNAN  attempted  to clarify  whether  there  is                                                               
temporary  licensure  available   for  Ms.  Goodman's  particular                                                               
license.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. GOODMAN  confirmed that temporary licensure  is not available                                                               
for mental health.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN  noted that  the Division  of Corporations,                                                               
Business and  Professional Licensing issued 3  types of temporary                                                               
occupational  licenses for  psychology  and one  for marital  and                                                               
family  therapy.   She questioned  whether Ms.  Goodman's license                                                               
would fit into either type.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  GOODMAN said  no,  because she  is  a licensed  professional                                                               
counselor.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HANNAN  said she's  not  sure  which board  would                                                               
govern  that  profession.     She  asked  if  it   would  be  the                                                               
"psychology board."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS. GOODMAN answered yes.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:28:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ deferred to Ms. Chambers.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:28:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SARA CHAMBERS,  Director, Division of Corporations,  Business and                                                               
Professional  Licensing,  Department  of  Commerce,  Community  &                                                               
Economic  Development, explained  that the  division does  have a                                                               
Board of  Professional Counselors  that regulates  the counseling                                                               
profession.   She said  if there  was a  temporary license  for a                                                               
professional counselor it would be listed under that board.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:28:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked if marital  and family therapists are                                                               
licensed under the Board of Professional Counselors.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. CHAMBERS replied that they have their own board.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:29:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HANNAN   asked  how  many  types   of  counseling                                                               
licenses and governing boards exist  in Alaska for therapists and                                                               
counselors.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CHAMBERS  said there  are  several  boards that  are  mental                                                               
health  focused: The  Board of  Marital and  Family Therapy,  the                                                               
Board  of  Professional  Counselors,  the Board  of  Social  Work                                                               
Examiners,  and  the  Board  of  Psychologist  and  Psychological                                                               
Associate  Examiners.   Those  encompass  all  the strict  mental                                                               
health professions  with the exception of  behavioral therapists,                                                               
which are licensed but don't have a board.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   HANNAN   pointed   out   that   three   of   the                                                               
aforementioned   boards   have  issued   temporary   professional                                                               
licenses, which  leaves the Board  of Professional  Counselors as                                                               
the only board that doesn't.  She asked if that is correct.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. CHAMBERS said that should be accurate.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ  acknowledged  that   the  memorandum  from  the                                                               
division [included in the committee packet] confirms that.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:30:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ  asked  what  is  preventing  Ms.  Goodman  from                                                               
meeting the Alaska licensure standard.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. GOODMAN explained  that present day licensure  requires a 60-                                                               
hour  master's degree;  however, when  she received  her master's                                                               
degree 20  years ago, 48  hours was all  that was required.   She                                                               
further  noted that  the  board application  states  that if  the                                                               
license  was received  prior to  July 2000,  that standard  is no                                                               
longer a requirement.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ  said she appreciates  Ms. Goodman  bringing this                                                               
to  the  committee's  attention,  adding  that  the  issue  might                                                               
require further administrative clarification.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:31:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TAMMIE   PERREAULT,  Regional   Liaison,  Defense-State   Liaison                                                               
Office, U.S. Department of Defense, reported that the Defense-                                                                  
State Liaison  Office and  the U.S.  Department of  Defense fully                                                               
support HB 93 as it  provides the opportunity to further identify                                                               
ways  in which  to  better support  military  spouses in  Alaska.                                                               
Occupational  licensure is  one  of the  key  priorities for  the                                                               
secretary  of  defense and  the  U.S.  Department of  Defense  in                                                               
improving the  quality of life  for military families,  she said.                                                               
She noted that 68 percent  of married service members report that                                                               
their  spouses'  ability  to  maintain  a  career  impacts  their                                                               
decision to remain  in the military.  Furthermore,  77 percent of                                                               
military spouses' report  that they want or need to  work, and up                                                               
to 34  percent of  military spouses are  required to  maintain an                                                               
occupational license for employment.   She stated that Alaska has                                                               
the second highest  number of military spouses out  of any state.                                                               
The report that  HB 93 seeks would bring to  light the challenges                                                               
that Alaska might be facing  in improving occupational licensure,                                                               
she said.   She thanked the  committee for their support  and for                                                               
the consideration of this bill.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:34:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ closed public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:34:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY  asked when the  report would be done  if HB
 passes.   She offered her  belief that the timeline  should be                                                               
as quick  as possible  to find  out how to  be more  effective in                                                               
this area.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ directed  attention to page 2, lines  3-4, of the                                                               
bill, and read the following:                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     The department  shall submit the report  prepared under                                                                    
     (e)  of  this  section  to  the  Joint  Armed  Services                                                                    
     Committee  on or  before the  first day  of March  each                                                                    
     year.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:35:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN  expressed her expectation that  the report                                                               
addresses not only  the questions being asked  directly, but also                                                               
the underlying  problems.  Furthermore,  she said that  she wants                                                               
to know how many people are  applying for a license and not being                                                               
issued one.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ asked  if Representative  Hannan  would like  to                                                               
amend the bill.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN  answered no.   She said that  giving those                                                               
remarks while the division director is  in the room will help Ms.                                                               
Chambers understand her intent.   She added that she doesn't want                                                               
to slow down the bill with an amendment.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ said she doesn't  want to unnecessarily stall the                                                               
process; however, she wants to  ensure that the bill requests the                                                               
kind of  report that  they want.   She  encouraged Representative                                                               
Hannan to propose an amendment.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN  suggested offering a  conceptual amendment                                                               
that would read as follows:                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, Line 7                                                                                                             
          Insert: "applied for and"                                                                                             
          Immediately following the word                                                                                        
          "licenses" on line 7                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:39:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY  noted that  as it's currently  written, the                                                               
conceptual amendment might result in  the number of licenses that                                                               
were applied  for an  received instead of  how many  were applied                                                               
for and not issued.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN suggested inserting "applied for or"                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:40:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TUCK  suggested  adding  a  paragraph  (5)  under                                                               
subsection (e), that reads, "the  number and type of the licenses                                                               
that have been  applied for."  He reiterated that  the goal of HB
  is to  "see where  we're  at."   He offered  his belief  that                                                               
adding the number of applicants strengthens the bill.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HANNAN   asked  if  Chair   Spohnholz  recommends                                                               
holding the bill until Monday.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ answered yes.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN "withdrew" her conceptual amendment.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:44:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ announced that HB 93 was held over.