03/01/2019 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 36                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination date of the Board of                                                                     
     Nursing; and providing for an effective date."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:28:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR CATHY GIESSEL, SPONSOR, explained the legislation.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:34:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KRIS  CURTIS,   LEGISLATIVE  AUDITOR,  ALASKA   DIVISION  OF                                                                    
LEGISLATIVE  AUDIT,  addressed  the audit  included  in  the                                                                    
members' packets.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:40:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Micciche  noted  the gaps  in  the  basic  business                                                                    
practices. He  wondered who could suggest  some solutions to                                                                    
the ongoing  management issues. He noted  that the reduction                                                                    
in   the  timeline   process  was   to  provide   additional                                                                    
oversight, and queried the criteria.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Curtis replied  that  it was  an  inexact science.  She                                                                    
remarked that  there was an  examination of  the materiality                                                                    
and severity of each recommendation.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  von  Imhof felt  that  Mr.  LaFleur could  address                                                                    
questions about the inner management of the board.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:44:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOE  LEFLEUR,   ACTING  CHAIR,  ALASKA  BOARD   OF  NURSING,                                                                    
introduced himself.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wielechowski restated  hid  question pertaining  to                                                                    
funding and  a downtrend in  the surplus. He  wondered about                                                                    
increased fees for telehealth.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr. LeFleur responded that he  had been in discussions about                                                                    
the  issue  with  a  company  in Texas  that  wanted  to  do                                                                    
business  in  Alaska, but  that  company  did not  have  the                                                                    
appropriate license  to practice  in Alaska. He  stated that                                                                    
there  was further  review, and  it was  moved to  the board                                                                    
that dealt with licenses.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator   Wielechowski   asked    whether   telehealth   was                                                                    
increasing  the workload.  He  wondered  whether there  were                                                                    
discussions  about   increasing  the  fees   for  telehealth                                                                    
nurses.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. LeFleur responded  that the desire was  for the provider                                                                    
to be licensed in Alaska for Alaskan patients.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wielechowski wondered  whether  there  should be  a                                                                    
separate  classification for  telehealth nurses  to pay  for                                                                    
the increased cost.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  LeFleur stated  that if  the cost  went to  the nurse's                                                                    
employer there would be another board required.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wielechowski  felt that  incurring costs  because of                                                                    
extra  work,  then  the  board  could charge  a  fee  for  a                                                                    
possible new classification.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. LeFleur replied  in the negative, because  there was not                                                                    
jurisdiction.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair von  Imhof wondered how  many of the  19,000 nurses                                                                    
were Alaskan  residents and living outside,  but licensed in                                                                    
Alaska.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:50:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wielechowski  queried  the   reason  for  the  high                                                                    
turnover on the Board of Nursing, and its impact.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  LeFleur stated  that he  was  brought to  the Board  in                                                                    
2017, and  there was a major  turnover of six people,  so he                                                                    
was the only  one left of seven. He remarked  that the Board                                                                    
was experiencing growing pains.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair von Imhof queried closing comments.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. LeFleur explained the Board's purpose.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wielechowski remarked  that the  Board response  to                                                                    
the  audit recommendations  stated  that  the November  2018                                                                    
meeting would not adjourn  until telehealth regulations were                                                                    
developed and  read into the  Board minutes. He  queried the                                                                    
status of those regulations.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. LeFleur  the regulations  were developed,  and due  to a                                                                    
snafu, the  Board took public  testimony. The  Department of                                                                    
Law would vote on the issue.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair von Imhof OPENED public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:54:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BETH  FARNSTROM,  PROFESSIONAL   PRACTICES  DIRECTOR  ALASKA                                                                    
NURSES  ASSOCIATION, ANCHORAGE  (via teleconference),  spoke                                                                    
in support of the bill.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair von Imhof CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:55:47 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SARA CHAMBERS, DIRECTOR,  DIVISION OF CORPORATIONS, BUSINESS                                                                    
AND   PROFESSIONAL   LICENSING,  DEPARTMENT   OF   COMMERCE,                                                                    
COMMUNITY  AND  ECONOMIC   DEVELOPMENT,  addressed  some  of                                                                    
Senator Wielechowski's questions.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wielechowski wondered how  the Board would meet when                                                                    
six of the seven positions were vacant.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Chambers replied that six  new members were appointed by                                                                    
the  administration, but  the Board  had not  met since  the                                                                    
appointments.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator Micciche  wondered whether the Boards  were examined                                                                    
in between  the renewal times.  He queried the plan  for the                                                                    
legislature  to   be  comfortable   by  the   department  to                                                                    
encourage improvements in a relatively short timeline.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Chambers   replied  that  the  findings   were  already                                                                    
resolved from the audit. The audit was almost a year old.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Micciche  wondered how the lost  documentation would                                                                    
be remedied.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Chambers assured the committee  that it would not happen                                                                    
again.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair von Imhof requested fiscal note information.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Chambers explained the fiscal note.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  von Imhof  announced that  amendments were  due by                                                                    
5pm on Monday, March 4.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SB  36  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.