01/29/2018 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

                                                                                                                                
         HB 280-EXTEND: BOARD OF MARITAL & FAMILY THERAPY                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
3:54:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO  announced that the  final order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 280,  "An Act extending  the termination  date of                                                               
the Board  of Marital  and Family Therapy;  and providing  for an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:54:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEGAN  HOLLAND,  Staff,  Representative  Andy  Josephson,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  on behalf  of the  sponsor presented  HB 280,                                                               
extending the termination date for  the Board of Marital & Family                                                               
Therapy.  She  explained that the board  regulates, licenses, and                                                               
trains  marital  and  family  therapists.    It  establishes  and                                                               
enforces   training,    education   and    continuing   education                                                               
requirements for  its 85 licensees  across the state.   The board                                                               
had received a full 8-year extension through LB&A.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:55:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KRIS  CURTIS, Legislative  Auditor,  Legislative Audit  Division,                                                               
Legislative Agencies and Offices, reported  on HB 280.  She spoke                                                               
to  the May  2017 audit  report  conclusions that  the board  was                                                               
serving   the   public   interest,  effectively   licensing   and                                                               
regulating marital  and family therapists and  marital and family                                                               
supervisors.   The board monitors  licensees and works  to ensure                                                               
only  qualified individuals  practice.   Additionally, the  audit                                                               
found  that   the  board  had  actively   developed  and  adopted                                                               
regulations  to  improve  the   profession.    Legislative  Audit                                                               
recommended an  8-year extension.  There  were no recommendations                                                               
made as  part of the  audit.  At 85  licensees as of  January 31,                                                               
2017, it was one of the smaller boards.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CURTIS  indicated the  board  had  a  surplus of  just  over                                                               
[$]68,000 as of March 31 and  had been operating with the surplus                                                               
over the past  several years, which had not always  been the case                                                               
for this board.  The Office  of the Governor, the department, and                                                               
the  board all  concurred with  the conclusions  and were  all in                                                               
favor of an 8-year extension.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:57:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NICOLE  JENKINS, Member,  Board  of Marital  and Family  Therapy,                                                               
Boards  and Commissions,  testified in  support of  HB 280.   She                                                               
stated the  board had  operated under a  deficit budget  for more                                                               
than  a   decade  due  to   the  high  cost  of   a  disciplinary                                                               
investigation of a  license.  The board had paid  off the debt by                                                               
raising licensing  fees and was  continuing to encourage  the use                                                               
of any  surplus to reduce fees  for its licensees.   The Board of                                                               
Marital and Family Therapy served  to protect the public interest                                                               
of Alaskans  by overseeing  the licensing  of marital  and family                                                               
therapists and  ensuring that Alaskans received  safe and ethical                                                               
care.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:58:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL  mentioned an investigative action  that made                                                               
the  board "run  in  the red."  He asked  whether  the board  had                                                               
enough surplus to cover a similar circumstance.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. JENKINS replied  in the affirmative.  One of  the last sunset                                                               
audit recommendations  in 2014 was  to improve  the investigative                                                               
management  system to  address any  costs that  may be  incurred.                                                               
The board had complied.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:59:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KITO opened  public testimony  on HB  280 and  ascertained                                                               
that no one wished to testify.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO held over HB 280.