03/09/2018 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

                    HB 147-PUBLIC ACCOUNTING                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:31:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  147, "An  Act relating  to the  Board of  Public                                                               
Accountancy;  relating to  the licensure  of public  accountants;                                                               
and relating to the practice of public accounting."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:31:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LYNETTE  BERGH,  Staff,  Representative  Steve  Thompson,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  presented HB 147 on  behalf of Representative                                                               
Thompson,  prime  sponsor.   She  gave  a  brief summary  of  the                                                               
proposed bill.   She said  HB 147 would amend board of accounting                                                               
statutes  by  updating  the  statutes  to  reflect  the  national                                                               
standards  of  the  Uniform  Accountancy  Act  and  the  American                                                               
Institute of  Certified Public  Accountancy Code  of professional                                                               
conduct.   She  said that  by incorporating  the changes,  Alaska                                                               
would be more  in line with national standards  which ensure that                                                               
only qualified persons are practicing.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:32:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BIRCH said  he appreciates  that the  state would                                                               
"not  be killing  as many  trees" by  having the  regulations and                                                               
forms available online.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:33:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   JOSEPHSON  asked   about   changes  to   license                                                               
reciprocity.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. BERGH deferred to the board.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:34:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KAREN TARVER,  Member, Alaska State Board  of Public Accountancy,                                                               
answered questions in  the hearing on HB 147.   She explained the                                                               
change would  reduce the number  of years of  experience required                                                               
from  four  years  to  two  years so  that  the  two  methods  of                                                               
licensure are consistent.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:35:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO  announced that public  testimony on HB 147  was still                                                               
open from a  previous hearing.  Upon ascertaining  that there was                                                               
no one available to testify, he closed public testimony.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:35:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL moved to report  HB 147 out of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being no objection, it was so ordered.