Legislature(2003 - 2004)
05/19/2003 08:03 AM Senate L&C
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
CSHB 252(STA)- OCC LICENSING: TERMS OF BD & CONT. EDUC
CHAIR CON BUNDE announced CSHB 252(STA) to be up for
consideration.
TAPE 03-37, SIDE B
MS. LAUREN WICKERSHAM, staff to Representative Lesil McGuire,
said HB 252 was introduced at the request of the Architects,
Engineers and Land Surveyors (AELS) Board. The bill essentially
does two things. It modifies existing statutory language with
regard to board members who may serve partial terms. Currently,
if a board member serves any portion of a remaining term, that
service counts for a full four-year term. The modification would
allow a board member who is filling a partial term of less than
two years to AELS serve up to two full terms or eight years. The
amendment offered in Labor and Commerce would clarify that this
change in term limits applies only to the AELS Board and not to
other boards and commissions.
Second, HB 252 offers the AELS Board statutory authority to
adopt regulations concerning continuing education. An October
2000 audit by the Legislative Budget and Audit division
recommended the AELS Board be given this authority in order to
help implement and maintain high standards in the professions
they oversee. They will work closely with all relevant
professional societies before adopting or developing any
programs.
MR. ROBERT E. MILLER, Chairman, Alaska Board of Registration for
Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors (AELS), supported HB
252. The AELS regulates multiple professions, which requires a
high level of both professional expertise and board experience
in terms of reviewing applications to insure that people who are
admitted to their professions are qualified. The continuing
education is also a provision the board has decided it would
like to have the discretion to be able to use, perhaps
implementing them in stages for the different professions.
MR. SAM KITO, III, Alaska Professional Design Council, supported
HB 252. He said the director of the Division of Occupational
Licensing had a suggestion regarding continuing education.
Recently, issues have come up with respect to reinstatement of
people with licenses and he suggested that item 6 be changed to,
"establishing continuing education requirements for persons
regulated by this chapter" and removing the balance of the
sentence. That would allow the AELS Board to have authority to
adopt continuing education requirements for any of the
situations that may be required.
CHAIR BUNDE offered that as an amendment.
SENATOR HOLLIS FRENCH wanted clarification on how the amendment
would work.
MR. KITO explained that it would allow the AELS Board to adopt
continuing education regulations for both renewal and
reinstatement of expired certificates. So, if an engineer
stopped practicing and then did not pay dues, but wanted to get
reinstated, in order to do so the board could then require that
engineer or architect to show proof of continuing education on a
case-by-case basis.
There were no further objections to the amendment and it was
adopted.
SENATOR SEEKINS moved to pass SCS CSHB 252(L&C) from committee
with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes.
SENATORS STEVENS, SEEKINS, FRENCH, and BUNDE voted yea the
motion carried.
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