04/13/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 282(FIN)                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act  relating   to  applying  military  education,                                                                    
     training, and service  credit to occupational licensing                                                                    
     and  certain  postsecondary  education  and  employment                                                                    
     training  requirements;   providing  for   a  temporary                                                                    
     occupational  license  for qualified  military  service                                                                    
     members; and providing for an effective date."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:59:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AARON SCHROEDER,  STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE BILL  THOMAS, shared                                                                    
that  the goal  of the  legislation was  to make  separating                                                                    
service member  transitions quick and effective.  He relayed                                                                    
that Alaska  had seen approximately 1200  separating service                                                                    
members in  the past  two years, many  of which  had already                                                                    
received quality  training through  the military  that could                                                                    
transfer  to  licensed  civilian professions.  He  explained                                                                    
that  the  bill  requested   the  Division  of  Professional                                                                    
Licensing,  University  of  Alaska, and  the  Department  of                                                                    
Labor  to  evaluate  military training  and  education,  and                                                                    
assign   credit  where   credit   was  appropriate   without                                                                    
compromising current standards.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
10:00:10 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman discussed the fiscal notes in the packet.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman OPENED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:00:44 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MARK   SAN-SOUCI,  REGIONAL   STATE  LIAISON   OFFICE,  U.S.                                                                    
DEPARTMENT  OF  DEFENSE,  WASHINGTON  (via  teleconference),                                                                    
testified  in  support   of  HB  282.  He   noted  that  the                                                                    
legislation was  the companion to  SB 150, which  the senate                                                                    
had passed on February 1,  2012. He stated that 1286 service                                                                    
members retired and came back to  the state in FY11, and the                                                                    
department  believed that  1 million  service members  would                                                                    
separate and go back to the states within the next 5 years.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:01:54 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 282(FIN)  was HEARD and  HELD in committee  for further                                                                    
consideration.