02/02/2022 09:00 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 111                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act relating  to the  practice of  dental hygiene;                                                                    
     relating  to  advanced   practice  permits  for  dental                                                                    
     hygienists; relating to  dental assistants; prohibiting                                                                    
     unfair  discrimination  under  group  health  insurance                                                                    
     against  a  dental  hygienist  who  holds  an  advanced                                                                    
     practice  permit; relating  to  medical assistance  for                                                                    
     dental   hygiene  services;   and   providing  for   an                                                                    
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:38:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster indicated the committee  heard the bill last                                                                    
on May 15, 2021, and there was one amendment.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE IVY  SPOHNHOLZ, SPONSOR, thanked  members for                                                                    
hearing the  bill. She  explained that  the bill  created an                                                                    
advanced practice  permit for experienced  dental hygienists                                                                    
who had  4,000 hours  of clinical  experience and  passed an                                                                    
exam issued  by the  Alaska Board  of Dental  Examiners. She                                                                    
furthered  that the  bill would  allow experienced  licensed                                                                    
hygienists  to  provide  preventative oral  health  care  to                                                                    
underserved  populations  at  senior  centers,  health  care                                                                    
facilities, day  care centers,  schools, those  eligible for                                                                    
public assistance, and rural underserved communities.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:40:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Spohnholz  continued that  importantly,  the                                                                    
bill had been crafted with  the support of the Alaska Dental                                                                    
Hygienists  Association,  Alaska  Dental  Society,  and  the                                                                    
Board  of   Dental  Examiners  and  the   process  was  very                                                                    
collaborative.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Spohnholz   stated   that   the   amendment                                                                    
corrected a technical issue.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wool MOVED  to  ADOPT Amendment  1 (copy  on                                                                    
file):                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 6, Line 23:                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     *Sec. 9. Except as provided in sec. 8 of this Act,                                                                         
     this Act takes effect January 1, 2023. [Replaced 2022                                                                      
     with 2023].                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wool reviewed  the  amendment. He  explained                                                                    
that  the bill  was introduced  in  the prior  year and  the                                                                    
effective date was  2022. The amendment updated  the date to                                                                    
January 1, 2023.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Foster  asked   if  the   sponsor  approved   the                                                                    
amendment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative Spohnholz responded.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster WITHDREW his OBJECTION.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:43:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster OPENED public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:44:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster requested a review of the fiscal notes.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SARA CHAMBERS, DIRECTOR,  DIVISION OF CORPORATIONS, BUSINESS                                                                    
AND   PROFESSIONAL   LICENSING,  DEPARTMENT   OF   COMMERCE,                                                                    
COMMUNITY  AND  ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT  (via  teleconference),                                                                    
explained   the  Department   of  Commerce,   Community  and                                                                    
Economic Development (DCCED)  published fiscal impact fiscal                                                                    
note  allocated to  Corporations, Business  and Professional                                                                    
Licensing  (FN3 (CED).  She indicated  that the  fiscal note                                                                    
for  $1,700  covered legal  costs  for  the board  to  amend                                                                    
regulations,  printing, and  postage  in first  year of  the                                                                    
program.  She  added  that  most   of  the  costs  would  be                                                                    
recuperated through licensing fees.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
RENEE  GAYHART, DIRECTOR,  HEALTH CARE  SERVICES, DEPARTMENT                                                                    
OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL  SERVICES (via teleconference), relayed                                                                    
that  the  published  fiscal  impact  fiscal  note  for  the                                                                    
Department of  Health (DOH)  allocated to  Medicaid Services                                                                    
(FN4 (HSS)  was needed  to cover  the costs  associated with                                                                    
the  Medicaid  Management  Information  System  (MMIS).  The                                                                    
funding  would reconfigure  a new  provider type,  allow for                                                                    
provider enrollment, and allow  for claims processing in the                                                                    
MMIS  system.  She  added  that  the  fiscal  noted  totaled                                                                    
$275,000.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz  MOVED  to report  CSHB  111(FIN)  out  of                                                                    
Committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  111(FIN) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass" recommendation  and with a  new fiscal impact  note by                                                                    
the   Department  of   Commerce,   Community  and   Economic                                                                    
Development and a  new fiscal impact note  by the Department                                                                    
of Health and Social Services.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster  reviewed  the  agenda  for  the  afternoon                                                                    
meeting.