Legislature(2021 - 2022)GRUENBERG 120
05/14/2021 08:00 AM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB204 | |
| Presentation(s): State & Local Workers' Rights Enforcement | |
| HB91 | |
| SB12 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 204 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 91 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | SB 12 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 12-MILITARY SPOUSE COURTESY LICENSE
12:30:49 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that the final order of business would
be SENATE BILL NO. 12, "An Act relating to temporary courtesy
licenses for military spouses; and relating to the Department of
Commerce, Community, and Economic Development."
12:30:50 PM
JOE HAYES, Staff, Senator Scott Kawasaki, Alaska State
Legislature, presented SB 12 on behalf of Senator Kawasaki,
prime sponsor. He read the sponsor statement, which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
In 2011, House Bill 28 was passed into law to provide
expedited temporary courtesy licenses to eligible
individuals transferred to Alaska with their active
duty service member spouse, so they can practice their
trade without experiencing extensive wait times for
licensure approval while they complete state
requirements. For a military spouse, expedited
temporary courtesy licenses are the fastest method of
obtaining licensure so they can get to work quickly
after relocating to Alaska.
Many states have passed similar legislation into law.
However, states such as Washington and Connecticut
also included a reporting mechanism so the Legislature
and Joint Armed Services Committee equivalent in that
state could track the executive branch's progress of
implementation. HB 28 did not include a reporting
requirement when it was passed.
Senate Bill 12 would require the Department of
Commerce, Community and Economic Development to
prepare an annual report of courtesy licenses issued
the previous fiscal year. This simple reporting
mechanism will help facilitate communication between
occupational boards, the state agency, the U.S.
Department of Defense who assists in relocating
service members and families, as well as Alaska
legislators with service members in their districts.
The bill will also aid in making occupational board
staff and legislators more aware of what opportunities
are available for helping military spouses enter the
Alaska the workforce.
Other states have implemented a similar expedited
licensing program to allow military spouses to
transfer their professional credentials quickly and
contribute to the local economies. While Alaska's
program is a model for other states, its
implementation has stalled with few eligible
professionals taking advantage of the program and
spouses reporting delays despite the program being in
effect for eight years. Senate Bill 12 would help
identify inefficiencies in the program before they
cause delays in productivity and ensure the program is
working as intended.
Introduced in 2018 as House Bill 262, the bill passed
the House unanimously and gained bipartisan support in
the Senate before it failed to reach the floor for a
vote. The concept of this bill is listed as a priority
for the U.S. Department of Defense by the state
liaison serving Alaska.
The passage of SB 12 would improve communication
between state and federal government agencies and
active duty families. By improving efficiency and
awareness about what opportunities are available, the
bill will help welcome military families to Alaska. I
respectfully urge your support of SB 12, a corrective
bill that will help ease the transition of military
families and get more licensed professionals to work
in our communities near military installations.
12:33:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked about existing reciprocity.
MR. HAYES responded that HB 28 had passed during the Twenty-
Seventh Alaska State Legislature, but the state had not been
monitoring its effects. This proposed legislation would require
an annual report regarding how many military spouses were able
to use their licenses.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked when HB 28 passed.
MR. HAYES responded that HB 28 passed in 2011.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked whether the state had been denying
licensing to otherwise eligible individuals.
MR. HAYES said that, while no licenses had been denied, military
spouses were not aware of the program.
12:37:21 PM
TAMMIE PERREAULT, Northwest Regional Liaison, Defense-State
Liaison Office, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), testified in
support of SB 12 on behalf of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Military Community & Family Policy. She said that
the proposed legislation would support significant DoD
priorities for occupational licensing boards to ensure licenses
are appropriately processed for military spouses. She expressed
that the reporting requirements under SB 12 would help DoD
assess the actions of licensing boards, as well as encourage any
appropriate implementation of changes to law and regulatory
policy. She said that the Defense-State Liaison Office, in a
2017 study done by the University of Minnesota, found specific
limitations to Alaska's current expedited licensure process such
as board staff not being aware of legislation that supports
licensure portability, lack of unique processes for military
spouses, and limited available information. Since 2017, she
said, the Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional
Licensing in the Department of Commerce, Community & Economic
Development (DCCED) has worked hard to address the shortcomings,
including significantly reducing the processing time for
military spouses. She expressed that without the appropriate
supporting legislation, continuing the effort to improve
Alaska's process for military spouse licensure could be
hindered; the concern has been communicated to the governor by
the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. She
said that half of all military personnel are married, and
military spouse employment and its associated personal and
financial well-being is a vital component in servicemember
retention, with 88 percent of military spouses reporting that
they either want or need to work. Military spouses are highly
influential regarding a servicemember's decision to remain in
the service, she said, and over 28 percent of servicemembers
reported that their decision to leave the military would
"largely or moderately" be affected by their spouse's career
prospects. Ms. Perrault noted that consideration of a spouse's
licensure is required when making "basing decisions," and she
stressed that military families often require two incomes.
12:39:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER asked whether temporary licenses for
active duty military members, rather than only for spouses,
could be considered.
MR. HAYES replied that he does not believe Senator Kawasaki
would be opposed to such consideration, but he doesn't know how
that would work.
12:41:14 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked about military spouses engaged in
internships or apprenticeships.
MR. HAYES responded that he doesn't believe the proposed
legislation would cover such individuals.
12:43:03 PM
SARA CHAMBERS, Director, Division of Corporations, Business, and
Professional Licensing, Department of Commerce, Community, and
Economic Development, said that the proposed legislation doesn't
change anything in the licensing process, it would simply
require the annual report.
12:44:02 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS asked Representative McCarty whether the action
on the House floor addressed the issues he had sought to address
with a possible amendment.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY replied yes.
12:44:20 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS opened public testimony on SB 12. After
ascertaining that no one wished to testify, he closed public
testimony.
12:44:41 PM
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ moved to report SB 12 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, SB 12 was reported out of the House
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.