04/15/2016 08:30 AM House FINANCE

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 69(FIN)                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the Board of Chiropractic                                                                              
     Examiners and the practice of chiropractic."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:09:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRANDON BREFCYNSKI,  STAFF, SENATOR BILL  STOLTZE, explained                                                                    
that  the bill  had been  brought  forward by  the Board  of                                                                    
Chiropractic Examiners and  the Alaska Chiropractic Society.                                                                    
State  chiropractic laws  had not  been updated  since 1988;                                                                    
the  bill   was  intended  to  clarify   and  modernize  the                                                                    
associated  statutes. The  bill addressed  the training  and                                                                    
utilization  of chiropractic  clinical assistants,  interns,                                                                    
and preceptors. Additionally, the  bill would strengthen and                                                                    
clarify  law   allowing  chiropractors  to   perform  school                                                                    
physicals. The  legislation would also revise  penalties for                                                                    
fraudulent  practices, updated  definitions, and  modernized                                                                    
terminology.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson  referred to  the explanation  of bill                                                                    
changes,  which   she  believed  contained  an   error.  She                                                                    
referred  to  the  explanation   that  the  bill  reinstated                                                                    
provisions  requiring  chiropractors   to  perform  physical                                                                    
examinations   (Section   2,   page  2).   She   asked   for                                                                    
verification  that the  bill  would  allow chiropractors  to                                                                    
perform examinations, but not require it.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Brefcynski replied in the  affirmative. He noted that it                                                                    
may have been a drafting error.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Saddler asked  who would be covered  by the bill.                                                                    
Mr.  Brefcynski deferred  the question  to a  representative                                                                    
from the Board of Chiropractic Examiners.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:11:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  EDWARD  BARRINGTON,  BOARD OF  CHIROPRACTIC  EXAMINERS,                                                                    
JUNEAU,   provided   information  about   his   professional                                                                    
background.  He  relayed  that  the  Board  of  Chiropractic                                                                    
Examiners and the Chiropractic Society supported the bill.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Saddler  asked how many  people were  employed in                                                                    
chiropractic clinical assistants, interns, and preceptors.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Barrington  answered  that   there  were  currently  no                                                                    
statistics   available  because   the  positions   were  not                                                                    
regulated. Typically a person  was trained in a chiropractic                                                                    
office.  There were  programs in  chiropractic colleges  and                                                                    
there  was a  national  board  examination for  chiropractic                                                                    
clinical assistants.  An intern  was a  chiropractic student                                                                    
who had passed all of  their graduation requirements and may                                                                    
have graduated, but  was waiting for a  board examination in                                                                    
a  particular  state  and  who may  want  to  gain  clinical                                                                    
experience. The preceptor  supervised the intern. Currently,                                                                    
there were  chiropractic colleges  wanting to  place interns                                                                    
in  Alaska, but  they required  enabling language  in Alaska                                                                    
law.  He   explained  that  clinical  assistants   would  be                                                                    
regulated  much like  medical assistants.  There was  public                                                                    
interest  in the  endeavor and  there  had been  third-party                                                                    
inquiries from insurance  companies about the qualifications                                                                    
of people working with their insureds directly.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative    Munoz   asked    if   chiropractors    had                                                                    
prescriptive  authority in  Alaska. Mr.  Barrington answered                                                                    
that chiropractors did not  have prescriptive authority over                                                                    
pharmaceutical substances;  they did have  prescription over                                                                    
exercise and nutrition.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Thompson  noted  other individuals  available  for                                                                    
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thompson OPENED and CLOSED public testimony.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Saddler  addressed  the  fiscal  note  from  the                                                                    
Department of Commerce,  Community and Economic Development.                                                                    
The  note  reflected a  cost  of  $2,500  in  FY 17  and  no                                                                    
position changes.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:16:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Gattis   remarked  that  she   had  received                                                                    
comments  from chiropractors  in  her district  who saw  the                                                                    
legislation as  a helpful cleanup  bill. She hoped  the bill                                                                    
was reported out.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Thompson   agreed  that  the  bill   was  to  help                                                                    
industry.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson  asked about the fiscal  note. She did                                                                    
not recall that  there was typically a charge  to the boards                                                                    
for rewriting  regulation and for printing  and postage. She                                                                    
asked if the practice was normal.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
JANEY   HOVENDEN,   DIRECTOR,  DIVISION   OF   CORPORATIONS,                                                                    
BUSINESS   AND   PROFESSIONAL   LICENSING,   DEPARTMENT   OF                                                                    
COMMERCE, COMMUNITY  AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,  replied that                                                                    
typically all  expenses for a  profession were  charged back                                                                    
to licensees.  The $2,500 fiscal  note would be paid  for by                                                                    
licensees of the chiropractic program.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wilson  asked  for verification  that  every                                                                    
time the department made changes  to any of the boards (even                                                                    
if the  change did not come  at the board's request)  it was                                                                    
charged to the board.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Hovenden replied in the affirmative.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Saddler  MOVED to  REPORT  CSSB  69(FIN) out  of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 69(FIN) was REPORTED out  of committee with a "do pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with  one previously  published  fiscal                                                                    
note: FN2 (CED).                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:19:11 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:20:26 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thompson  addressed the schedule for  the afternoon                                                                    
meeting.  He recessed  the meeting  to a  call of  the chair                                                                    
[note: the meeting never reconvened].