04/13/1995 08:40 AM House FIN

  HOUSE BILL 233                                                               
                                                                               
       "An Act extending  until 1999  the termination date  of                 
       the Board of  Clinical Social Work Examiners,  Board of                 
       Marital and Family Therapy, State  Medical Board, Board                 
       of Nursing, Board of Nursing Home Administrators, Board                 
       of Psychologist and Psychological  Associate Examiners,                 
       Real Estate Commission,  and Hazardous Substance  Spill                 
       Technology  Review Council;  extending  until 1996  the                 
       termination date of the Board  of Marine Pilots and the                 
       Correctional Industries Commission;  and providing  for                 
       an effective date."                                                     
                                                                               
  Co-Chair  Hanley  indicated  that HB  233  would  extend the                 
  existence  of  numerous  boards and  commissions  which  are                 
  either in  their  sunset or  wind-down year.   The  affected                 
  boards  and  commissions  perform  regulatory and  licensure                 
  services for the State of Alaska.  A work draft #9-LS0682\R,                 
  Lauterbach, 4/12/95,  was distributed to  Committee members.                 
  [Copy  on  file].     The  draft  extends  the   boards  and                 
  commissions to the dates recommended by the audit.                           
                                                                               
  ROD MOURANT, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE PETE KOTT, testified that                 
  the sunset dates  on all sections match  the recommendations                 
  made by Legislative Audit.   Representative Navarre asked if                 
  complaints had been registered regarding  the board process.                 
  Mr.  Mourant did  not know  of any.   Representative Navarre                 
  noted  that  he supported  the  board changes,  although, he                 
  pointed   out  that   there  currently   exists  a   process                 
                                                                               
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  established for a final year audit.                                          
                                                                               
  Discussion  followed  between   Representative  Martin   and                 
  Representative Navarre regarding the audit process.                          
                                                                               
  Representative  Foster  MOVED  that the  work  draft  be the                 
  version  before  the Committee.    Representative Therriault                 
  OBJECTED, noting that he had introduced an amendment adopted                 
  at  a  previous  meeting [Amendment  #1]  which  deleted the                 
  Hazardous  Technology  Review  Council.   He  remarked  that                 
  material remained  in the  work draft  currently before  the                 
  Committee.                                                                   
                                                                               
  Representative Brown noted the  letter on file from RCAC  in                 
  support of the  Council.  She  pointed out that the  Council                 
  resulted from a recommendation from  the Oil Spill Division,                 
  following Exxon Valdez and the lack of oil spill technology.                 
  Representative Therriault countered, through action taken on                 
  the operating budget,  their funding  has been deleted  from                 
  the budget thus negating the need for the council.                           
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Hanley  recommended deleting Section 10 which would                 
  include the appropriate  change to  the title before  moving                 
  the  work draft.    Representative  Therriault WITHDREW  his                 
  MOTION.    There  being  NO  OBJECTION,  it  was  withdrawn.                 
  Representative Foster MOVED the work draft excluding Section                 
                                                                               
  Representative Navarre MOVED  to delete  Section #9.   There                 
  being NO OBJECTION, it was  deleted.  Co-Chair Hanley  asked                 
  when the audits would begin.                                                 
                                                                               
  RANDY  WELKER,  LEGISLATIVE  AUDITOR,  LEGISLATIVE  AFFAIRS,                 
  stated  that  the audits  are  required by  statute  and are                 
  scheduled routinely.                                                         
                                                                               
  CATHERINE  REARDON,  DIRECTOR,   DIVISION  OF   OCCUPATIONAL                 
  LICENSING, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT,                 
  explained Section #2, the Board of Marine Pilots.  She asked                 
  the Committee to  consider extending that board  until 1999.                 
  There currently exists legislation in both the House and the                 
  Senate to change  the statute regarding marine  pilots which                 
  could  extend  the  marine  pilot  board until  1999.    She                 
  repeated that it would be easiest  for the Department if all                 
  the  legislation  had the  same date.    Also, the  Board of                 
  Marine Pilots is in it's wind-down year, so at the time that                 
  the audit was prepared in 1993, Legislative Budget and Audit                 
  had recommended a four year extension.  She thought changing                 
  the date to 1999  would not be against the general advice of                 
  the audit group.  Mr. Welker agreed.                                         
                                                                               
  Representative  Navarre  MOVED  to amend  Page  1,  Line 13,                 
                                                                               
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  deleting  "1998"  and  inserting  "1999".   There  being  NO                 
  OBJECTION, it was adopted.                                                   
                                                                               
  Representative Martin MOVED to report CS HB 233 (FIN) out of                 
  Committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  with  the                 
  accompanying fiscal notes.   There  being NO OBJECTIONS,  it                 
  was so ordered.                                                              
                                                                               
  CS HB  233 (FIN) was  reported out of  Committee with a  "do                 
  pass"  recommendations   and  with   fiscal  notes   by  the                 
  Department  of   Commerce  and  Economic   Development,  the                 
  Department  of  Education  and  zero  fiscal  notes  by  the                 
  Department   of   Administration  dated   3/20/95   and  the                 
  Department  of Transportation  and  Public Facilities  dated                 
  3/20/95.