03/21/1995 01:36 PM House FIN

  HOUSE BILL NO. 124                                                           
                                                                               
       "An Act extending the termination date of the  Board of                 
       Nursing  Home  Administrators;  and  providing  for  an                 
       effective date."                                                        
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE CYNTHIA TOOHEY  spoke in  support of HB  124.                 
  She stated that  the legislation will  abolish the Board  of                 
  Nursing Home Administrators  and transfer its licensing  and                 
  regulatory  functions   to  the  Division   of  Occupational                 
  Licensing  in  the  Department  of  Commerce   and  Economic                 
  Development.   She  noted that  federal regulations  require                 
  that nursing home administrators be licensed by the state to                 
  receive medicaid  funds from  the federal  government.   The                 
  current amount of  medicaid monies  coming from the  federal                 
  government  is  approximately  $157  million dollars.    She                 
  observed that the  federal licensing requirement can  be met                 
  by  a  board  or  by  an   executive  branch  agency.    The                 
  legislation  is  supported  by the  Department  of  Health &                 
  Social Services and the Hospital & Nursing Home Association.                 
  She  observed that  Representative Parnell  will propose  an                 
  amendment to give the Division the ability to deny a license                 
  if  an  application  has been  falsified,  Amendment  1, #9-                 
  LS0491\C.1 (Attachment 1).                                                   
                                                                               
  CATHERINE  REARDON,  DIRECTOR,   DIVISION  OF   OCCUPATIONAL                 
  LICENSING, DEPARTMENT  OF COMMERCE AND  ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT                 
  testified  in  support  of  HB  124.   She  asked  that  the                 
  Committee adopt Amendment 1  to enable the Division  to deny                 
  licenses of nursing home administrators  for the same reason                 
  that a license would be revoked.                                             
                                                                               
  Representative MOVED to  adopt Amendment 1.   There being NO                 
  OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                
                                                                               
  HARLAN KNUDSEN,  ALASKA  STATE  HOSPITAL  AND  NURSING  HOME                 
  ASSOCIATION spoke in support of HB 124.                                      
                                                                               
  Representative Parnell MOVED to report CSHB 124 (FIN) out of                 
  Committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  with  the                 
  accompanying fiscal note.   There being NO OBJECTION, it was                 
  so ordered.                                                                  
                                                                               
  CSHB 124  (FIN) was  reported out  of Committee  with a  "do                 
  pass" recommendation  and with a  fiscal impact note  by the                 
  Department  of  Commerce  and  Economic  Development,  dated                 
  3/6/95.                                                                      
                                                                               
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