01/28/2010 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

           HB 110-PSYCHOLOGISTS' LICENSING & PRACTICE                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:50:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KELLER announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO.  110 "An  Act relating  to  the practice  and                                                               
licensing of  psychologists."  [Before the  committee, adopted as                                                               
a  working document  earlier  in  the meeting  prior  to a  power                                                               
outage which interrupted the recording  of the committee meeting,                                                               
was the  proposed committee substitute  (CS) for HB  110, Version                                                               
26-LS0474\R, Bullard, 11/3/09.]                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
LIZ  CLEMENT, Staff  to Representative  Bob Herron,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  stated on  behalf of  Representative Herron,  prime                                                               
sponsor  of HB  110, that  as the  qualifying exam  by the  State                                                               
Board of  Psychologist and Psychological Associate  Examiners was                                                               
now offered  quarterly, allowing  for a more  efficient licensure                                                               
system, the  Board no longer  saw a  need to have  the applicants                                                               
wait the  full six months to  re-take the exam.   She pointed out                                                               
that the  bill also clarified  the licensure exemptions,  and she                                                               
shared that HB  110 would not impact  either school psychologists                                                               
working  within school  districts  or  U.S. government  employees                                                               
practicing psychology  "while in the discharge  of their official                                                               
duties."   She  identified that  HB 110  would only  affect those                                                               
people  who   represented  themselves  as  psychologists.     She                                                               
announced that  there was no  significant cost to the  state, and                                                               
that  it  was  supported  by  State  Board  of  Psychologist  and                                                               
Psychological Associate  Examiners, and the  Alaska Psychological                                                               
Association.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:52:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE T.  WILSON asked  who requested for  HB 110  to be                                                               
introduced.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:52:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CLEMENT responded  that Dr.  Lorin Bradbury,  a psychologist                                                               
from Bethel, had requested the bill.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:53:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE T.  WILSON asked if  a large number of  people had                                                               
not  passed the  exam, and  been forced  to wait  for six  months                                                               
under the current statute.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. CLEMENT referred the question to Dr. Bradbury.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:53:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KELLER opened public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:53:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR  LORIN  BRADBURY,  Chair, State  Board  of  Psychologists  and                                                               
Psychological  Associate  Examiners,  shared that  HB  110  would                                                               
expedite the opportunity  to re-take the exam.   He affirmed that                                                               
the bill clarified  who needed to be licensed,  and addressed the                                                               
concerns of the State Board.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:55:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KELLER closed public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:55:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON offered  his  appreciation  for the  legal                                                               
opinion to his question of impact.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:56:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOLMES  said that she  no longer had  concerns for                                                               
the bill.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:57:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE T.  WILSON moved to  report CSHB 110,  Version 26-                                                               
LS0474\R,  Bullard,  11/3/09  out of  committee  with  individual                                                               
recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:58:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There being  no objection, CSHB  110 (HSS) was reported  from the                                                               
House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.