03/17/2020 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 47                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act relating  to the  State  Physical Therapy  and                                                                    
     Occupational  Therapy Board;  relating to  the practice                                                                    
     of physical  therapy; and relating  to the  practice of                                                                    
     occupational therapy."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:26:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair von Imhof  read the title of the  bill. She relayed                                                                    
that  the committee  heard the  bill on  February 24,  2020.                                                                    
There  had  been  concerns  expressed  at  the  meeting  and                                                                    
committee staff  had worked with stakeholders  on a proposed                                                                    
solution.  There was  a Committee  Substitute  (CS) for  the                                                                    
committee's consideration.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
DAVID  SCOTT, STAFF,  SENATOR  BERT  STEDMAN, discussed  the                                                                    
changes to  the bill. He noted  that the CS was  version "G"                                                                    
and read  from an Explanation  of Changes document  (copy on                                                                    
file):                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Section    11    has    been    amended    to    remove                                                                    
     "Physiotherapist"   from   the  penalty   for   falsely                                                                    
     claiming to be a physical therapist.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Specifically, on  page 8,  line 1  "Physiotherapist" is                                                                    
     removed.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     The   term  physiotherapy   is   a   broad  term   that                                                                    
     encompasses   the  scope   of  practice   of  different                                                                    
     healthcare  professions. For  instance, it  is used  by                                                                    
     chiropractors and  can be found in  the regulations for                                                                    
     the  Board of  Chiropractic Examiners:  12 AAC  Chapter                                                                    
     16. To reduce confusion, "physiotherapist" is removed.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Scott informed that stakeholders  had been a part of the                                                                    
proposed changes  to the  bill, and there  was no  change to                                                                    
the fiscal note.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:28:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JANE  CONWAY, STAFF,  SENATOR CATHY  GIESSEL, discussed  the                                                                    
changes to  the bill.  She reiterated  that the  sponsor had                                                                    
worked through a  few different amendments to  the bill, and                                                                    
the one presented by Mr.  Scott was the most satisfactory to                                                                    
all  parties.  The sponsor  felt  that  the  CS was  a  good                                                                    
compromise.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Stedman  MOVED   to   ADOPT  proposed   committee                                                                    
substitute  for  SB  47,  Work  Draft  31-LS0109\G  (Fisher,                                                                    
3/12/20). There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:29:36 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:30:01 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair von  Imhof reiterated  that the  CS did  not change                                                                    
the fiscal impact of the bill.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman  MOVED  to  report  CSSB  47(FIN)  out  of                                                                    
Committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal  note. There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  47(FIN)  was REPORTED  out  of  committee with  a  "no                                                                    
recommendation"  recommendation  and   with  one  previously                                                                    
published fiscal impact note: FN 1(CED).