04/04/2013 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                SB 38-EXTEND STATE MEDICAL BOARD                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:09:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HIGGINS announced that the  next order of business would be                                                               
CS  FOR   SENATE  BILL  NO.   38(FIN),  "An  Act   extending  the                                                               
termination  date of  the State  Medical Board;  relating to  the                                                               
executive  secretary of  the State  Medical Board;  and providing                                                               
for an effective date."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:09:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAVID   SCOTT,  Staff,   Senator   Donny   Olson,  Alaska   State                                                               
Legislature, explained  that SB 38  extended the sunset  date for                                                               
the  State Medical  Board through  2020.   He  reported that  the                                                               
Legislative Audit  Division had  reviewed the activities  of this                                                               
board,  concluded  that this  board  was  serving in  the  public                                                               
interest, and  recommended for an  extension to the  sunset date.                                                               
He detailed that the State  Medical Board was responsible for the                                                               
licensing,    regulation,   and    discipline   of    physicians,                                                               
podiatrists, physician  assistants, and paramedics.   He reported                                                               
that the  Board had  two full time  employees, and  the operating                                                               
costs associated  with the Board  were paid by  revenue generated                                                               
from  license  fees.    Directing   attention  to  the  committee                                                               
substitute for  the proposed  bill, which had  been added  in the                                                               
Senate  Finance Committee,  he  reported that  there  had been  a                                                               
request to increase the salary  of the executive secretary to the                                                               
Board, which was reflected  on page 1, lines 7 -  10.  He pointed                                                               
out  that a  fiscal  note  was not  necessary  as  the Board  had                                                               
unanimously agreed  to raise  its fees  to cover  this additional                                                               
expense.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:11:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  REINBOLD asked  if the  annual expense  of almost                                                               
$500,000 requested  in the fiscal  note was a reflection  of past                                                               
expenses.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. SCOTT replied that this was his understanding.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD offered her belief  that it was the same,                                                               
but that she wanted confirmation.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:11:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD asked to  clarify whether the fiscal note                                                               
for SB 38 [Included in  members' packets] reflected any increase,                                                               
and if it  was indeed paid by revenue generated  by the licensing                                                               
fees.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
DON HABEGER,  Director, Division  of Corporations,  Business, and                                                               
Professional  Licensing,  Department  of  Commerce,  Community  &                                                               
Economic  Development, in  response  to Representative  Reinbold,                                                               
said  that  "this is  a  traditional  fiscal  note for  a  sunset                                                               
review."  He  stated that fees were collected  from licensees for                                                               
application  and renewal,  and  were used  to  pay for  supported                                                               
services.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HIGGINS asked to clarify if "they were paying their way."                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR.   HABEGER   offered   agreement,    and,   in   response   to                                                               
Representative Reinbold,  said that  there was a  slight increase                                                               
to the salary  range, which would be covered by  an adjustment to                                                               
the licensing fees.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:13:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HIGGINS opened public testimony.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:13:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ED HALL, Former Chair, Alaska  State Medical Board, said that the                                                               
Alaska  State   Medical  Board  had  unanimously   supported  the                                                               
extension of  the sunset, as well  as the increase to  the salary                                                               
of  the executive  secretary.   He  pointed out  that the  Alaska                                                               
State  Medical Board  had  annually "rolled  over"  more than  $1                                                               
million.    He pointed  out  that  the  duties of  the  executive                                                               
secretary,  as well  as the  licensing  examiner, were  expanding                                                               
with  the increase  to  the number  of licenses  in  Alaska.   He                                                               
clarified  that he  had just  retired as  chair of  the board  on                                                               
March 1, 2013.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:15:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. HALL,  in response  to Chair  Higgins, said  that he  did not                                                               
know the  amount of the fee  increase, and that the  current fees                                                               
varied for each professional occupation.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:16:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HIGGINS closed public testimony.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:16:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KELLER  moved  to  report  CSSB  38(FIN)  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There  being no  objection,  CSSB  38(FIN)  was                                                               
reported  from  the House  Health  and  Social Services  Standing                                                               
Committee.