Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
05/01/2025 10:15 AM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB158 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 158 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 158-PROFESSIONAL LICENSING; TEMP PERMITS
10:18:29 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 158, "An Act relating to professional
licensing; relating to temporary licenses for certain
professions; and providing for an effective date."
10:19:32 AM
ANNA LATHAM, Deputy Commissioner, Depart of Commerce Community
and Economic Development, on behalf of House Rules by Request of
the Governor, prime sponsor, presented HB 158 to the committee.
She read from a prepared statement [not included in the
committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
Good morning, Chair Eischeid and members of the House
Military & Veterans' Affairs Committee. For the
record, my name is Anna Latham, Deputy Commissioner
for the Department of Commerce, Community, and
Economic Development. First and foremost, I recognize
that many of you on this committee have served in the
military and want to thank you for your service to our
country. I'm here this morning with Director Robb to
discuss Governor Dunleavy's House Bill 158:
Professional Licensing; Temp Permits. This legislation
establishes a single, temporary license, administered
by the department of commerce, which replaces the
various temporary privileges found across Alaska's
professional licensing laws.
o Allows professional who are licensed in other
states, and in good standing, to work in Alaska while
their permanent licenses is being processed.
o We've seen major changes in our workforce since
the pandemic, when the portability of licenses for
health care professionals became incredibly important.
o The US has moved towards standardization across
many professions, and the legislature in the past few
years has also passed many bills which allowed for
compacts, most recently for speech pathologists and
physical therapists.
o This improves the existing system, which requires
applicants to navigate a web of differing department
and board-issued temporary license types to identify
the appropriate process to obtain a temporary license.
o What this is about is attracting qualified
professionals to the state and allowing them to get to
work faster.
This bill also brings Alaska into compliance with
federal license portability under the Servicemembers
Civil Relief Act (SCRA). It requires commerce to issue
a professional license to a military servicemember or
spouse who holds an out-of-state license and relocates
to Alaska under military orders. At this point, I'd
like to hand off the presentation to Director Robb. I
want to thank you all again for your time this morning
to discuss this important legislation and invite you
to reach out to our office anytime if you have any
questions.
10:21:32 AM
SYLVAN ROBB, Director, Division of Corporations Business and
Professional Licensing, on behalf of House Rules by Request of
the Governor, prime sponsor, gave a PowerPoint presentation on
HB 158. She began on slide 2, which gave a broad overview of the
professional licensing work that is done by the Division of
Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing (DCBP) of the
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
(DCCED).
10:26:57 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID asked what the vacancy rate within the DCBP is
and asked why the process of transmitting professional licensure
in Alaska is so rigorous.
DIRECTOR ROBB answered that 19 of the 130 positions within the
DCBP are vacant and said that statutory requirements are reason
for rigorous licensure processes.
10:29:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD asked if the proposed legislation included
civilians, veterans, and nurses and midwives.
DIRECTOR ROBB explained that HB 158 would include civilians,
veterans and said that nurses and midwives were not included in
the proposed legislation because they would be covered by a
universal professional license.
10:33:01 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked why there has been a significant
increase in professional licensure in Alaska.
DIRECTOR ROBB replied that the increase in professional
licensure in Alaska could be attributed to the Alaska State
Legislature increasing the amount of professions that require
licensure.
10:33:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD asked if the Servicemember Civil Relief
Act would still remain in effect if the proposed legislation
were to fail in passage.
DIRECTOR ROBB confirmed that the Servicemember Civil Relief Act
would still remain in effect if the proposed legislation were to
fail to become law and said that the purpose of the proposed
legislation was to align Alaska Statutes with the previously
mentioned federal law.
10:35:26 AM
DIRECTOR ROBB resumed the presentation on slide 3, which listed
the 21 programs in Alaska that are regulated by boards and moved
to slide 4, which listed the 24 programs that are regulated
directly by the DCBP. She continued to slide 5, which detailed
the two main policy goals of HB 158 and moved to slide 6, which
described universal temporary licensure (UTL). She continued to
slide 7, which explained how a person might qualify for UTL.
10:40:37 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how the DCBP would determine a
person's standing of their professional licensure in another
state. He asked if there was a standardized process across all
states to probe the good standing of someone's professional
licensure.
DIRECTOR ROBB said that easier verification was one of the
reasons for business compacts becoming more popular in Alaska
and explained how a person's standing with the DCBP was
reflected in their licensure application.
10:43:02 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID shared his understanding that the DCBP would not
issue a professional license in Alaska before their good
standing in other states was assured.
DIRECTOR ROBB answered that some professions were harder to
perform background checks than others, in some cases due to the
professionals literally wearing their fingerprints off.
10:44:50 AM
DIRECTOR ROBB resumed the presentation on slide 7 and moved to
slide 8, which outlined how UTL would work if HB 158 were to
become law.
10:47:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HALL asked what the reasoning behind the 180 day
timeline listed on slide 8 was.
DIRECTOR ROBB answered that some professions require an
exorbitant amount of time to review an applicant's associated
paperwork.
10:48:58 AM
GLENN SAVIERS, Deputy Director, Division of Corporations
Business and Professional Licensing, answered committee
questions on HB 158. She said that the 180-day model matches the
system that is currently in place by many boards and said that
the idea is to expand an idea that works to other sectors.
10:50:31 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if the revocation of someone's UTL
is the only sanction that the DCBP might be able to use against
someone who obtained their license through deceit or fraud.
DIRECTOR ROBB answered that the revocation of someone's UTL is
generally the only thing that the DCBP could to a fraudulent
applicant.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR SAVIERS added that punishment for a disingenuous
applicant is administered on a case-by-case basis.
10:52:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY commented that his license to work as a
physician's assistant was tangled in bureaucracy and waiting.
10:53:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD shared her experience in having her top-
secret clearance taking a long time to obtain.
10:54:51 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HALL suggested to the governor that the proposed
legislation be split into two bills in order to move it through
the government faster.
DIRECTOR ROBB explained that it was the DCBP's intent to put the
legislative goals of its agency into one piece of legislation
due to the oftentimes lengthy and difficult legislative process.
10:57:23 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID asked if a UTL applicant could "game the system"
to abuse the benefits of UTL.
DIRECTOR ROBB explained that someone could not be in UTL status
indefinitely.
10:59:07 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD asked if courtesy licenses could still be
an option in lieu of UTL.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR SAVIORS replied that courtesy licensure would
still be an option in lieu of UTL.
11:00:01 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how the proposed legislation would
affect courtesy licenses and temporary licenses.
DIRECTOR ROBB answered that HB 158 would affect the regulatory
oversight of both courtesy and temporary business licensure.
11:01:35 AM
DIRECTOR ROBB resumed the presentation on slide 9, which
emphasized the necessity of UTL in Alaska and continued to slide
10, which explained the governor's belief in the success of UTL.
She moved to slide 11, which compared the difference between UTL
and an interstate licensure compact (ILC).
11:09:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY shared his understanding of the necessity of
UTL even when an ILC might be more amicable.
DIRECTOR ROBB said that Representative Gray's understanding was
correct.
11:09:56 AM
DIRECTOR ROBB resumed the presentation on slide 12, which gave a
broad overview of professional licensure portability laws under
the Servicemember Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and moved to slide 13,
which listed the amount of license that the SCRA is currently
issuing under the SCRA. She moved to slide 14, which explained
the necessity of HB 158 even if the SCRA is in federal law and
concluded the presentation on slide 15.
11:17:37 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if someone applying for UTL is
obligated to obtain a permanent license and asked how UTL would
streamline the professional licensing process.
DIRECTOR ROBB answered that someone looking to obtain UTL is not
required to obtain a permanent license and said that "there are
efficiencies to be had" with regard to making the professional
licensure process more straightforward.
11:19:37 AM
DIRECTOR ROBB read the sectional analysis for HB 158 [included
in the committee packet], which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
Section 1 Adds a new section AS 08.01.061 temporary
license to allow the department to issue a temporary
license to practice an occupation in AS 08.01.010
(Centralized Licensing: applicability of chapter) if the
applicant:
• Either
o Is licensed/credentialed to practice in another
U.S. jurisdiction that has substantially
equivalent license requirements to Alaska's and
authorizes a scope of practice substantially
equivalent to Alaska's; or
o Does not hold licensure in a U.S. jurisdiction,
but meets the qualifications and requirements
through military education, training, and service
under AS 08.01.064 (Centralized Licensing:
military education, training, and service credit;
temporary license); and
•Is not the subject of disciplinary action in another
jurisdiction; and
•Has not committed an act in another jurisdiction that
would constitute grounds for denial or revocation of a
license in Alaska; and
• Pays the required fees.
If Alaska law requires a background check for the permanent
license, the background check will also be required for the
temporary license, but the department may opt to grant a
temporary license before obtaining the resulting report.
If a temporary license is obtained through deceit, fraud,
or intentional misrepresentation, the department may take
disciplinary action, including revocation.
A temporary license is valid for up to 180 days, with an
option to apply for a one-time 180-day extension to be
approved at the department's discretion.
A person can work at the full scope of practice for the
occupation for which they hold the temporary license.
Temporary licenses are not available for occupations
regulated under AS 08.54 (Big Game Guides and Related
Occupations) or AS 08.62 (Marine Pilots); as those
professions require Alaska-specific training.
Section 2 Amends AS 08.01.062 courtesy licenses to
remove the department's authority to create courtesy
licenses, since those are no longer required with the
creation of temporary licenses in Section 1. Professional
licensing boards are still allowed to create courtesy
licenses, but they are designed to be available for a
limited purpose as established by the board in regulation.
Section 3 Repeals and reenacts AS 08.01.063 portability
of professional licenses for servicemembers and their
spouses to ensure Alaska's military licensing provisions
comply with the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
(SCRA) licensure portability provisions, which took effect
in January 2023 and were amended in March 2025.
In compliance with the SCRA laws, this section requires the
department to issue a professional license to a
servicemember or servicemember's spouse if the applicant:
• Applies to the department; and
Has military orders to a duty station in Alaska; and
• Holds a license/certificate in another U.S.
jurisdiction; and
• Is in good standing in all U.S. jurisdictions where
they've ever been licensed; and
• Submits a notarized affidavit affirming that: and
o The applicant is the person described and
identified in the application; and
o All statements made in the application are true
and correct; and
o The applicant has read and understands the
requirements to receive the license and the scope
of practice for the relevant license type; and
o The applicant will comply with the requirements
to practice under the license, including
requirements related to discipline and
fulfillment of continuing education; and
o The applicant is in good standing with all U.S.
jurisdictions where they've been licensed;
and
•If the applicant is a military spouse, a copy of
their marriage license; and
•Payment of any applicable fees.
In compliance with the SCRA laws, if an applicant meets the
requirements above, the department shall issue the license
within 30 days unless additional time is required to
complete a criminal background check, in which case the
department must issue a temporary license within the 30
days while awaiting the background check.
This section only applies to licenses set out under AS
08.01.010 (Centralized Licensing: applicability of
chapter), and in compliance with the SCRA laws, does not
apply to a profession that's subject to an interstate
licensing compact that has been entered into by the state.
The terms "license," "licensing authority," "military
orders," "military service," "scope of practice," and
"servicemember" are defined as they are listed in the SCRA
in 50 U.S.C. 3911.
Sections 4-22 Make conforming changes to replace existing
references to temporary licenses, temporary permits, etc.
with references to temporary permits under AS 08.01.061
(create by Section 1). These conforming changes are made in
the following statutes:
•AS 08.13.070 Barbers and Hairdressers: license
required
•AS 08.13.120(b) under Barbers and Hairdressers:
shop license
•AS 08.13.130(a) under Barbers and Hairdressers:
display of license or permit
•AS 08.13.150 Barbers and Hairdressers: disciplinary
sanctions and grounds for refusal of a license or
permit
•AS 08.13.175 Barbers and Hairdressers: temporary
license
•AS 08.13.185(a) under Barbers and Hairdressers:
fees
•AS 08.13.190 Barbers and Hairdressers: failure to
possess a license or permit
•AS 08.20.180(a) under Chiropractors: fees
•AS 08.36.100 Dentistry: license required
•AS 08.64.279 Medicine: interview for permit or
temporary license
•AS 08.64.315 Medicine: fees
Section 23 Makes conforming changes by repealing all
existing statutes on temporary licenses/permits for
professions identified in AS 08.01.010 except those under
AS 08.54 and AS 08.62.
Section 24 Makes conforming changes by annulling all
regulations specific to temporary military courtesy
licenses.
Section 25 Adds a new Transition: Regulations section to
uncodified law to allow the department to adopt regulations
necessary to implement this Act.
Section 26 Adds a new Transition: Savings Clause section to
the uncodified law to clarify that pending litigation,
hearings, investigations, appeals, and other proceedings
continue in effect not withstanding a transfer, amendment,
or repeal provided in this Act; that existing licenses,
certificates, orders, regulations, and permits issued under
a law amended or repealed by this Act will remain in effect
for the term issued; and that contracts, rights,
liabilities, and obligations created under a law amended or
repealed by this act that are in effect as of the effective
date will remain in effect.
Section 27 Provides an immediate effective date for Section
3, 25, and 26.
Section 28 Provides a July 1, 2026, effective date for
Sections 1-2 and Sections 4-24.
11:26:45 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how the DCBP does work regarding
the determination of someone's qualifications for the
professional license they are applying for. He asked what a
"limited purpose" license is and asked why the proposed
legislation doesn't provide specific definition of the
professions covered by a "limited purpose" license.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR SAVIORS explained that the DCBP analyzes an
applicant's examination, education, and experience as a part of
its process in determining someone's qualifications for a
business license in Alaska. She used the example of a
veterinarian providing services to dog teams running the
Iditarod as a moment where a "limited purpose" license might
come into effect.
11:31:19 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID asked why the fiscal note for HB 158 has been
changing over its time in the Alaska State Legislature.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR SAVIORS explained that the UTL legislation that
passed the 33rd Alaska State Legislature concerned most of the
licensure processes that would cost the state the most money.
11:32:41 AM
DIRECTOR ROBB thanked the committee for their discussion and
time.
11:33:39 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID announced that HB 158 would be held over.
11:34:05 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military & Veteran's Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 11:34 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 158 Fiscal Note DCCED-CBPL 3.24.25.pdf |
HMLV 5/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |
HB 158 |
| HB 158 Sectional Analysis version A 3.27.25.pdf |
HMLV 5/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |
HB 158 |
| HB 158 Transmittal Letter 3.24.25.pdf |
HMLV 5/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |
HB 158 |
| HB 158 version A 3.26.25.pdf |
HMLV 5/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |
HB 158 |
| HB 158 State Medical Board Letter of Support 4.21.25.pdf |
HMLV 5/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |
HB 158 SB 145 |
| HB 158 Board of Phys. Therapy Letter of Support 4.18.25.pdf |
HMLV 5/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |
HB 158 SB 145 |
| HB 158 - DCCED Presentation to HMLV - 5.1.25.pdf |
HMLV 5/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |
HB 158 |