03/04/2021 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

             SB 12-MILITARY SPOUSE COURTESY LICENSE                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:42:33 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER  announced the consideration  of 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."                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:42:54 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR   SCOTT   KAWASAKI,   as  sponsor,   introduced   SB   12                                                               
paraphrasing the following sponsor statement:                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     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.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
[At ease 3:43:42 pm to 3:43:58]                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:45:50 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  KAWASAKI summarized  that  SB 12  is pro-military,  pro-                                                               
economy, pro-jobs, and it ensures  that service members and their                                                               
spouses are treated well when they serve their duty in Alaska.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:46:15 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HOLLAND  asked for confirmation  that the bill  is solely                                                               
about occupational licenses.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KAWASAKI answered  yes; the  bill is  about professional                                                               
licenses  issued through  the Department  of Commerce,  Community                                                               
and Economic Development (DCCED).                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:46:44 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR COSTELLO  expressed appreciation for the  legislation and                                                               
related that  the Labor and  Commerce had  heard a lot  about how                                                               
long it  takes military  spouses to  receive their  licenses even                                                               
though they  are expedited.  She related  that Sara  Chambers has                                                               
explained  that an  expedited license  means  the application  is                                                               
moved to  top of the list.  She offered her office  and the Labor                                                               
and Commerce  Committee's help  on this bill  and noted  that her                                                               
office  was  also  working  with  Senator  Revak's  office  on  a                                                               
licensure bill.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KAWASAKI  thanked her for  the help and  highlighted that                                                               
the process for all licenses could be streamlined.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER offered  that as a military spouse his  wife, who is                                                               
a nurse, has been faced with licensure challenges.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
He offered  his understanding that  the committee would  not take                                                               
up the sectional analysis.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[JOE HAYES]  explained that the bill  was short and simple  and a                                                               
sectional analysis was not necessarily warranted.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:50:20 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER  accepted the answer  and stated that he  would hold                                                               
the bill for future consideration.