04/02/2012 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

             HB 251-PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:22:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON announced  that the first order of  business would be                                                               
SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE  FOR HOUSE BILL  NO. 251, "An Act  relating to                                                               
the Board of Veterinary Examiners  and the practice of veterinary                                                               
medicine."                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:22:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON made a motion  to withdraw the committee's                                                               
action in adopting the proposed  committee substitute (CS) for HB
,  labeled  27-LS1062\R,  Martin,  3/20/12.   There  being  no                                                               
objection,  Version R  was withdrawn  [Version  R was  previously                                                               
adopted  at  the  3/23/12  House   Labor  and  Commerce  Standing                                                               
Committee meeting.]                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:23:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHNSON moved  to  adopt  the proposed  committee                                                               
substitute,  (CS)  for  HB   251,  labeled  27-LS1062\O,  Martin,                                                               
3/26/12.  There being no objection,  Version O was adopted as the                                                               
working document.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:23:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ANNETTE KREITZER,  Staff, Representative Alan Dick,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, introduced  explained the changes from  [the sponsor                                                               
substitute] Version D and the  proposed committee substitute (CS)                                                               
for  HB 251.    She stated  that  the language  in  Section 1  of                                                               
Version  O  was  changed  to   remove  the  Board  of  Veterinary                                                               
Examiners'  oversight of  veterinarians practicing  uncompensated                                                               
or  pro bono  care.   She  referred  to page  2,  lines 1-8,  and                                                               
related  concerns were  expressed  about how  to  track pro  bono                                                               
veterinarians.   Subsection (b) would  require the  department to                                                               
collect the name, address, contact  information and a copy of the                                                               
veterinarian's  license to  practice  veterinary  medicine.   She                                                               
reported the department form will be available electronically.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:24:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. KREITZER  stated that Section  2 was deleted from  Version D,                                                               
which provided  provisions for surrender  and reinstatement  of a                                                               
license.  The phrase "or  experimental" was removed from proposed                                                               
Section  3,  page 3,  line  26  of  Version  D, noting  the  term                                                               
professional  incompetence  is found  in  proposed  Section 2  of                                                               
Version  O.     Additionally,   "gross  negligence   or  repeated                                                               
negligent conduct"  was removed from  that same section  based on                                                               
testimony  by the  Alaska State  Veterinary Medical  Association,                                                               
who  expressed concern  that this  created an  unnecessary higher                                                               
standard  for  showing  professional  incompetence.    Version  O                                                               
corrects a  minor drafter error  in proposed Section 3,  line 21,                                                               
which incorrectly  directed the  notice of  complaint be  sent to                                                               
the licensee when  the notice should be sent  to the complainant.                                                               
Additionally, Version O  would establish a task  force to examine                                                               
the need for  and status of veterinary services  in rural Alaska,                                                               
including  rabies   vaccinations.    The  task   force  would  be                                                               
comprised  of  representation  from  the House  and  Senate,  the                                                               
Alaska  Federation   of  Natives  (AFN),  state   personnel  that                                                               
interact  with   veterinarians  and  private   veterinarians  who                                                               
provide service  in rural Alaska  and urban areas.   She reported                                                               
the task  force recommendations are  due to the governor  and the                                                               
legislature by December 31, 2012.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:26:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON thanked  his staff and the sponsor's  staff for their                                                               
work on  this bill.  He  pointed out numerous people  had weighed                                                               
in on the bill.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:27:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHNSON moved  to report  the proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)   for  HB  251,  labeled   27-LS1062\O,  Martin,                                                               
3/26/12,  out of  committee with  individual recommendations  and                                                               
the  accompanying   fiscal  notes.     There  being   no  further                                                               
objection, the  CSHB 251(L&C) was  reported from the  House Labor                                                               
and Commerce Standing Committee.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:27:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 3:27 p.m. to 3:29 p.m.