04/03/2018 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 280                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination date of the Board of                                                                     
     Marital and Family Therapy; and providing for an                                                                           
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:26:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEGAN   HOLLAND,  STAFF,   REPRESENTATIVE  ANDY   JOSEPHSON,                                                                    
discussed the bill.   She stated that the  bill extended the                                                                    
Board of  Marital and  Family Therapy.  She stated  that the                                                                    
Board of  Marital and Family Therapy  regulated and licensed                                                                    
therapists   and  approved   supervisors.  The   board  also                                                                    
established   and   enforced    training,   education,   and                                                                    
continuing  education  requirements  of its  licensees.  The                                                                    
board currently  oversaw 85 licensees  in Alaska.  The board                                                                    
received  a  full   eight-year  extension  from  Legislative                                                                    
Audit. She  announced that there was  no opposition received                                                                    
for extension of the board.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
KRIS  CURTIS,   LEGISLATIVE  AUDITOR,  ALASKA   DIVISION  OF                                                                    
LEGISLATIVE AUDIT, directed attention  to document "A Sunset                                                                    
Review  of  the  Department   of  Commerce,  Community,  and                                                                    
Economic Development,  Board of  Marital and  Family Therapy                                                                    
(board),"  (copy on  file).  She stated  that  it was  found                                                                    
that, overall,  the board was serving  the public's interest                                                                    
by effectively  licensing and regulating marital  and family                                                                    
therapists;  and marital  and family  therapist supervisors.                                                                    
The  board monitored  licensees  and worked  to ensure  that                                                                    
only  qualified individuals'  practices. It  was also  found                                                                    
that the  board actively  developed and  adopted regulations                                                                    
to  improve  the  industry. She  recommended  an  eight-year                                                                    
extension. There were no recommendations  made in the audit.                                                                    
She noted  the standard  information within the  report. She                                                                    
noted that  on page  6, there  were the  scheduled licensing                                                                    
activities. She stated that, as  of January 2017, there were                                                                    
85 active  licensees, which  was a  7 percent  decrease when                                                                    
compared  to the  2013  prior sunset  audit.  She noted  the                                                                    
schedule of revenues  and expenditures on page  8. He stated                                                                    
that the board  had a surplus of approximately  68,000 as of                                                                    
March 31,  2017. She  remarked that  the board  had operated                                                                    
with a surplus over the  past several years. She shared that                                                                    
license  fees were  listed on  page 7.  She stated  that all                                                                    
participating  entities  agreed  that  there  should  be  an                                                                    
extension of the board.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon OPENED public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:29:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KAREN  CUNNINGHAM,  BOARD  OF MARITAL  AND  FAMILY  THERAPY,                                                                    
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified  in support of the                                                                    
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  asked if Ms.  Cunningham could  speak to                                                                    
the decrease in licensees since the previous sunset audit.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Cunningham explained that there  was no graduate program                                                                    
in  the state  for marriage  and family  therapy, so  it was                                                                    
required  to obtain  graduate education  outside the  state.                                                                    
She  continued   that  the   state  had   somewhat  rigorous                                                                    
licensing requirements, as well as  a lack of supervisors in                                                                    
the state.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:32:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bishop addressed that fiscal note.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon stated that the  board cost more than the                                                                    
$21,400.  She  stated that  the  proposed  board budget  was                                                                    
approximately  $93,000,  but  it was  the  portion  directly                                                                    
related  to the  board. She  stated that  it was  covered by                                                                    
receipt services from the licensees.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bishop  MOVED to report  HB 280 out  of Committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
HB  280 was  REPORTED  out  of committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with  one previously  published  fiscal                                                                    
impact note: FN 1(CED).                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:33:57 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:35:47 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED