03/13/2014 08:30 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 239                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination  date of the Board of                                                                    
     Examiners in Optometry; and  providing for an effective                                                                    
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 240                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination  date of the Board of                                                                    
     Chiropractic Examiners; and  providing for an effective                                                                    
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 241                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination  date of the Board of                                                                    
     Marital  and  Family  Therapy;  and  providing  for  an                                                                    
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 242                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act extending  the termination  date of  the State                                                                    
     Physical  Therapy and  Occupational Therapy  Board; and                                                                    
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:37:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DANIEL GEORGE, STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE BILL STOLTZE, referred                                                                    
to  the  Department  of  Commerce,  Community  and  Economic                                                                    
Development Professional  Licensing Program's  Annual Report                                                                    
dated December 2013 (copy on  file). He relayed that numbers                                                                    
in  the  fiscal  notes  had been  derived  from  the  annual                                                                    
report.  He communicated  that there  were four  replacement                                                                    
fiscal notes for HB 239, HB 240, HB 241, and HB 242.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  George  addressed  the  fiscal note  for  HB  239.  The                                                                    
analysis in  the first three  paragraphs on page  2 remained                                                                    
the  same.  New  language  had been  added  related  to  the                                                                    
extension of  the Board of Examiners  in Optometry including                                                                    
a summary of the board's FY  12 through FY 13 biennium data,                                                                    
revenues,   expenditures,   biennium  surplus/deficit,   and                                                                    
ending   cumulative  surplus/deficit.   The  analysis   also                                                                    
included  a  description   of  the  FY  08   through  FY  11                                                                    
cumulative  data and  number of  licensees.  The format  was                                                                    
repeated  in  the  fiscal  notes  for  all  four  bills.  He                                                                    
communicated that the  board's revenues in FY  12/FY 13 were                                                                    
$74,540 and expenditures were $94,478.  There was a biennium                                                                    
deficit  of  $19,938 and  a  cumulative  surplus deficit  of                                                                    
$44,755.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:39:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. George discussed the fiscal  note for HB 240. The second                                                                    
page of  the note  reflected the FY  12/FY 13  biennium data                                                                    
for the  extension of the  Board of  Chiropractic Examiners.                                                                    
The   board's   data    included   revenues   of   $179,215,                                                                    
expenditures  of  $168,800,  a  surplus of  $10,415,  and  a                                                                    
cumulative surplus of $80,344.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:40:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  George pointed  to  the  fiscal note  for  HB 241.  The                                                                    
second page of  the note reflected the FY  12/FY 13 biennium                                                                    
data for the extension Board  of Marital and Family Therapy.                                                                    
The board's data included  revenues of $63,165, expenditures                                                                    
of $85,197, a  deficit of $22,032, and  a cumulative surplus                                                                    
of $112,195.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:41:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. George addressed the fiscal  note for HB 242. The second                                                                    
page of  the note  reflected the FY  12/FY 13  biennium data                                                                    
for  the State  Physical  Therapy  and Occupational  Therapy                                                                    
Board.  The  board's  data included  revenues  of  $250,000,                                                                    
expenditures  of  $325,365,  a  deficit of  $75,365,  and  a                                                                    
cumulative deficit of $55,238.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Guttenberg  noted  that  the  OMB  component                                                                    
number [at the  top right of the first page]  on each of the                                                                    
fiscal notes was the same.  He wondered how the numbers were                                                                    
determined.  Mr.   George  deferred  the  question   to  the                                                                    
department.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze noted that the  question would be addressed                                                                    
later in the  meeting. He relayed his intent  to address the                                                                    
bills one  at a time, beginning  with HB 239. He  added that                                                                    
the  bills had  been previously  heard and  public testimony                                                                    
had been taken.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 242                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination date of the State                                                                        
     Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board; and                                                                       
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:03:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LORA REINBOLD,  SPONSOR,  discussed that  HB
 would extend the termination  date of the State Physical                                                                    
Therapy and  Occupational Therapy  Board and provide  for an                                                                    
effective date.  She relayed that the  therapists provided a                                                                    
tremendous  opportunity for  Alaskans to  be healthy  and to                                                                    
return to work after injury.  She spoke to the importance of                                                                    
the board.  The legislation would  allow the board  to carry                                                                    
out its duties to  effectively license and regulate physical                                                                    
and occupational  therapists and to protect  and promote the                                                                    
health and welfare of Alaskans.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze noted that the  auditor had recommended the                                                                    
extension.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Guttenberg  asked about  the  recommendation                                                                    
from  audit.  He  wondered  if  there  was  a  uniform  case                                                                    
management system across all boards and commissions.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
KRIS  CURTIS,   LEGISLATIVE  AUDITOR,  ALASKA   DIVISION  OF                                                                    
LEGISLATIVE    AUDIT,    replied   that    the    division's                                                                    
investigative unit  had upgraded its case  management system                                                                    
in 2010. The auditor's  findings and recommendations related                                                                    
to all  occupational boards  that utilize  the investigative                                                                    
unit  to  investigate  cases. The  Division  of  Legislative                                                                    
Audit had made  the same finding in the past  two years that                                                                    
problems existed with the  management system; it recommended                                                                    
improvements.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Guttenberg asked  for verification  that the                                                                    
finding  in the  audit report  was not  unique to  the State                                                                    
Physical Therapy and Occupational  Therapy Board. Ms. Curtis                                                                    
agreed. She detailed  that the finding had  been included in                                                                    
every occupational board since 2013.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze  commented  on his  appreciation  for  the                                                                    
profession. He  asked if there were  amendments. He remarked                                                                    
that  the fiscal  note  had been  discussed  earlier in  the                                                                    
meeting.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Neuman  MOVED to REPORT  HB 242 out  of committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
HB  242 was  REPORTED  out  of committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation and with one new  fiscal impact note from the                                                                    
House  Finance Committee  for  the  Department of  Commerce,                                                                    
Community and Economic Development.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:06:52 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:08:19 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED