02/21/2002 01:40 PM Senate L&C

           HB 291-LICENSING OF RESIDENTIAL CONTRACTORS                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
CHAIRMAN BEN STEVENS called the Senate  Labor & Commerce Committee                                                            
meeting to  order at 1:40 p.m. and  announced HB 291 to  be up for                                                              
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KEVIN MEYER, sponsor  of HB 291, said under current                                                              
law a person  must apply for a residential  contractor endorsement                                                              
within  six  months  of  successfully  completing  the  exam.  His                                                              
constituent,  Don  Devore,  was  out  of the  state  on  a  family                                                              
emergency  and  missed  the  six-month  deadline.  Mr.  Devore  is                                                              
concerned   that   the   law  did   not   allow   of   extenuating                                                              
circumstances.  If a  person misses  the  six-month deadline,  his                                                              
only recourse  is to take  the residential contractor  exam again.                                                              
It is four hours long and costs $75 each time the test is taken.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENATTIVE  MEYER  said  that   Catherine  Reardon,  Director,                                                              
Division  of Occupational  Licensing,  agreed that  the law  could                                                              
have  some  flexibility  and  that  others  had  also  missed  the                                                              
deadline. The bill  extends the timeline to apply  from six months                                                              
to two  years, which  has been  amended to  one year. Ms.  Reardon                                                              
said  that  a  common  cause  for  people  missing  the  six-month                                                              
deadline  was because  of  processes involved  in  starting a  new                                                              
construction  business, whether  sole  proprietor or  corporation.                                                              
Other examples include health and family emergencies.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. ROBIN WARD, said she is a residential  contractor in Anchorage                                                              
and  Co-chair   of  Legislative  Affairs  for  the   Alaska  State                                                              
Homebuilders Association.  She supported HB 291. She  said that it                                                              
creates a little bit of flexibility without taking it too far.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  LEMAN moved  to pass  CSHB 291(L&C)  from committee  with                                                              
individual recommendations.  There were  no objections and  it was                                                              
so ordered.