Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
02/13/2026 04:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB293 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 293 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 293-GENETIC COUNSELOR: LICENSING; ADVISORY COUNCIL.
4:19:18 PM
CO-CHAIR HALL announced that the only order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 293, "An Act relating to the practice of genetic
counseling; relating to the licensure of genetic counselors;
establishing the Genetic Counseling Advisory Council; relating
to the duties of the State Medical Board; relating to telehealth
by licensed genetic counselors; relating to medical malpractice
liability of licensed genetic counselors; relating to immunity
from civil liability for a licensed genetic counselor providing
free health care services; and prohibiting unfair discrimination
under group health insurance against genetic counselors."
CO-CHAIR HALL announced that the committee would hear invited
testimony on HB 293.
4:19:53 PM
PAM VENTGEN, Executive Director, Alaska State Medical
Association (ASMA), gave invited testimony in support of HB 293.
She said ASMA represents both physicians and physician
assistants in Alaska. She said that the association supports HB
293 as beneficial to all Alaskans who use genetic counseling
services. She said that this is a critical service that needs
to be provided by people with credentials and licensing is the
best way to establish this. She said that the proposed
legislation also would allow billing for services to insurance
companies.
MS. VENTGEN explained that currently, genetic counselors work
primarily in cancer care centers and conduct natal and prenatal
counseling as well. She said that it is most appropriate to
include licensing of genetic counselors under ASMA, since the
association works closely with physicians. She said that in the
past, the licensed paramedics before they were moved over to the
Department of Health. She reasoned that it would not be unusual
for the board to license a subgroup of professionals. She asked
for support for HB 293.
4:21:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked Ms. Ventgen whether ASMA had any
concerns regarding the scope of practice proposed under HB 293.
MS. VENTGEN responded that ASMA had no concerns regarding the
scope of practice. She added that the scope of practice for
pharmacists is well defined in their standards of practice and
they work closely with physicians.
4:23:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK said that she has concerns about creating
a board for a profession that has so few people practicing in
Alaska. She asked for the Division of Corporations, Business,
and Professional Licensing perspective given previous work with
boards.
4:24:03 PM
SYLVAN ROBB, Director, Division of Corporations, Business, and
Professional Licensing; Department of Commerce, Community &
Economic Development, responded that currently there are 21
regulatory boards within the division. She noted the current
bill proposes an advisory board and currently the division does
not have any professions that have an advisory board. She noted
that the regulatory authority would rest with ASMA as the bill
is currently structured. She said that the smallest group of
professionals with a board is the Board of Certified Direct
Entry Midwives, and there were about 38 licenses within this
profession. She noted that having a regulatory board for this
small group of professionals has proven somewhat challenging.
She reiterated that HB 293 proposes an advisory board, and some
of the conflict-of-interest issues would not exist to the same
degree as a regulatory board.
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked the bill sponsor whether the board
proposed under HB 293 would approve licensure.
4:25:43 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS directed Representative Carrick's question to
his staff.
4:25:57 PM
EVAN ANDERSON, Staff, Representative Zack Fields, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Fields, prime sponsor
of HB 293, responded that there are two different terms: the
advisory council and the board. He noted that under the
proposed bill, all licensing goes through ASMA, but the advisory
council is tasked with helping sort through the material
pertaining to licenses. He said that given a discussion with a
previous testifier, they mentioned that the advisory council
would help sift through applications and support the licensing
process.
4:26:37
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked Ms. Ventgen whether ASMA had the
capacity to accommodate the influx of licenses.
MS. VENTGEN responded that she expects that a lot of this work
will be delegated by the guidance of the advisory council. She
said that currently, the licensing examiner and executive
administrator for ASMA processes these licenses, unless there
are any red flags on the application. She did not expect that
this would be a significant increase in workload.
4:28:03 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked Ms. Robb about the fiscal note and
whether the operating expenditures match the designated general
fund (DGF) source, and she assumed that there would be a fee for
licenses. She asked for clarification on the funding
mechanisms.
MS. ROBB responded that this is correct and fees charged for
licenses generate revenue.
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked why there was so much money
designated for travel and whether the intent is for the advisory
board members to travel to meet all in one place. She noted
that there was $37,000 designated for travel purposes.
MS. ROBB responded that currently Administrative Order 358
remains in effect, which imposes a travel freeze. She noted
that the boards have not been meeting in person. She noted that
if the order is rescinded, then the board would require
authority to spend receipts pertaining to travel.
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked whether the authority would be for
the division to spend up to $37,000 on travel.
MS. ROBB responded that this is correct and if no travel
occurred then no expenses would be used on travel.
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked whether the travel funds could be
used in a different manner.
MS. ROBB responded that there is no tracking by program, but
expenses are tracked closely to ensure licensees are paying only
for the cost associated with their own program.
4:30:30 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS asked Ms. Robb whether deleting the authority to
travel would be sufficient to make the fiscal note zero. He
asked if there were ways to make the fiscal note fully DGF or
zero in the interest of maximizing the likelihood of getting
licensure established.
MS. ROBB responded that the entire fiscal note is DGF and there
was no unrestricted general fund (UGF) involvement.
CO-CHAIR FIELDS asked whether eliminating travel authority would
result in a zero fiscal note.
MS. ROBB responded that there would be expenses outside the
scope of travel. Furthermore, the division would need to pay
for public notice of meetings.
4:31:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE said that there is an expectation of
$62,000 in receipts and it seems like an expensive license for
seven people. She asked for clarification and whether there was
an expectation that many out-of-state people would get licenses.
4:32:06 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS responded that given previous testimony, there
was an expectation that there may be dozens or even hundreds of
people who may get licensure.
4:32:36 PM
CO-CHAIR HALL opened public testimony on HB 293. After
ascertaining that nobody wished to testify, she closed public
testimony.
CO-CHAIR HALL announced that HB 293 was held over.
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