04/30/2025 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

                                                                                                                                
         HB 173-OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY LICENSURE COMPACT                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
5:18:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced  that the next order  of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE  BILL  NO.  173,   "An  Act  relating  to  occupational                                                               
therapist licensure;  relating to occupational  therapy assistant                                                               
licensure; and  relating to  an occupational  therapist licensure                                                               
compact."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
5:19:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NELLIE JIMMIE, Alaska  State Legislature, as prime                                                               
sponsor, presented HB 173.  She  explained that HB 173 would make                                                               
it easier  for occupational  therapists to  come and  practice in                                                               
Alaska.    She   noted  that  there  is  a  need   for  over  200                                                               
occupational  therapists  (OTs)  in  Alaska, noting  that  it  is                                                               
difficult to  access occupational therapy services  in Alaska and                                                               
that  services  are  often  delayed.   She  said  that  in  rural                                                               
communities,  it  can  be  even more  difficult  to  access  this                                                               
service due to increased transportation challenges.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:21:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KEENAN MILLER, Staff, Representative  Nellie Jimmie, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of  Representative Jimmie,  prime sponsor                                                               
of  HB 173,  presented HB  173.   He  explained that  HB 173  was                                                               
similar  to   the  physical  therapy   compact  enacted   by  the                                                               
legislature  in  2024,  noting  that   HB  173  would  utilize  a                                                               
"privilege   to  practice"   model.     He   explained  that   an                                                               
occupational therapist  may retain their home-state  license and,                                                               
under HB  173, apply for a  privilege to practice.   He explained                                                               
that   the  Department   of   Commerce,   Community  &   Economic                                                               
Development (DCCED) would then  check the applicant's credentials                                                               
in their home state.  He  stated that if the applicants record is                                                               
clean, they  would be allowed to  practice in Alaska, so  long as                                                               
they  maintain Alaska  law  and regulations.    He reported  that                                                               
access to occupational therapists  (OTs) has been a long-standing                                                               
issue in Alaska.   He noted that  OTs disproportionately practice                                                               
in  urban  hubs,  making  it   difficult  for  rural  and  remote                                                               
communities to  access care.   He noted  that there are  over 200                                                               
openings for  OTs across  the state.   He  further noted  that OT                                                               
care was critical for people performing everyday tasks.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
5:23:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATHLEEN   HANSEN,  Occupational   Therapist,  Southeast   Alaska                                                               
Regional Health  Consortium (SEARHC),  gave invited  testimony in                                                               
support  of HB  173.   She stated  that she  was an  occupational                                                               
therapist in Juneau and offered care  from birth to elder care in                                                               
both inpatient and  outpatient settings.  She noted  that she was                                                               
the hiring manager for various  clinics in Juneau and stated that                                                               
it  has  been  difficult  to  find  occupational  therapists  and                                                               
occupational therapy  assistants.   She noted  that HB  173 would                                                               
make it easier for OTs to  come from other states and practice in                                                               
Alaska  and address  any delays  in licensure  for OTs  doing so.                                                               
She asserted that HB 173 would  increase access to OT services in                                                               
Alaska communities.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:24:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRIANNE   OSWALD,   President,    Alaska   Occupational   Therapy                                                               
Association  (AKOTA), gave  invited  testimony in  support of  HB
.  She stated that she  practices in Anchorage in a variety of                                                               
settings, including  hospitals, schools,  and both  inpatient and                                                               
outpatient  clinics.   She  noted  that Alaska  has  only one  OT                                                               
school,  which graduates  approximately  10 to  14 individuals  a                                                               
year.   She  echoed other  speakers by  stressing that  there are                                                               
over 200 job  postings for OTs.  She shared  a personal anecdote,                                                               
stating that she  experienced a two month delay  in receiving her                                                               
license to  practice in Alaska.   She  noted that, while  she was                                                               
based  in Anchorage,  she served  individuals from  all over  the                                                               
state.  She asserted that HB  173 would help improve access to OT                                                               
services in Alaska.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:26:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER asked  if an  increase in  the number  of                                                               
occupational therapists would lower wages overall.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS. OSWALD  replied that had  not been her  experience practicing                                                               
in other states that have implemented compact licensure.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:27:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CARL  SIMS,   Deputy  Program   Director,  National   Center  for                                                               
Interstate Compacts  (NCIC), Council of State  Governments (CSG),                                                               
gave invited testimony in support of  HB 173.  He stated that the                                                               
organization  he  works  for   offers  non-partisan  support  for                                                               
interstate  compacts.     He  highlighted  two   features  of  OT                                                               
compacts, noting  that it helps preserve  state sovereignty while                                                               
also streamlining the licensing process  for OTs.  He stated that                                                               
occupational therapists  practicing in  Alaska would  be required                                                               
to adhere to  Alaska laws and regulations and  further noted that                                                               
Alaska  could opt  to  require OTs  to  complete a  jurisprudence                                                               
exam.   He further stated that  Alaska, under HB 173,  would have                                                               
the authority to  discipline OTs for violations of  Alaska law or                                                               
regulation.  He noted that an  OT must have a clean, unencumbered                                                               
license  and a  background  check to  join the  OT  compact.   He                                                               
further noted that the compact  provides shared access to a state                                                               
database  system,   where  all   states  in  the   compact  share                                                               
information  regarding  disciplinary  action  and  state-specific                                                               
laws and regulations.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
5:29:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. SIMS, in response to  a question from Representative Saddler,                                                               
replied that  he was in  the Council of State  Governments, which                                                               
was housed in the National Center for State Compacts.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
5:29:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS set an amendment deadline for HB 173.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
[HB 173 was held over.]