Legislature(1997 - 1998)
04/03/1997 01:35 PM Senate L&C
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SB 92 BOARD OF VETERINARY EXAMINERS; LICENSE
CHAIRMAN LEMAN announced SB 92 to be up for consideration.
MS. ANNETTE KREITZER, Staff to Labor and Commerce Committee,
explained there was a new CS before them labeled LS0595B. She said
there was some concern that veterinarians hadn't been consulted, so
she has spoken with eight or nine veterinarians. She said the
committee had been concerned that veterinarians graduate from an
accredited veterinary school and that is the case in the CS. She
said the CS also changes the State exam to make it specific to
Alaska issues of veterinary practice and not all of the
veterinarians agree or disagree with that.
The feeling from the Division is if you're going to graduate from
an accredited school, take the National Board Exam, pass the
clinical competency test, and take the State exam it should be
focused on issues that are pertinent to the State of Alaska. The
bill also adds pay required fees.
MS. KREITZER said under licensing by credentials that section 3 is
conforming to sections 1 and 2.
SENATOR MACKIE moved to adopt the CS to SB 92. There were no
objections and it was so ordered.
SENATOR KELLY asked if the State test was a new requirement now.
MS. KREITZER replied that it's not new; some of the questions on
it, however, would be and were going to be specific to Alaska
issues.
SENATOR KELLY asked how people were supposed to know about Alaska
issues without living here for a long time. MS. KREITZER said that
would be a question for Dr. Brasler, Anchorage Veterinary
Association. She has been advised that this is the practice in
Colorado and other states.
CHAIRMAN LEMAN commented that in the practice of engineering and
architecture people at least have to take an arctic engineering
class and pass that or write a paper on the topic. So people from
out of State have some training in cold weather. SENATOR MACKIE
said he would like to see an example of what a specific Alaska
issue is.
MS. KREITZER replied that some veterinarians suggested rabies, some
of the things that happen along the Iditarod Trail, and cold
weather situations specific to Alaska animals. Their point is that
veterinarians who are treating animals in Alaska should have the
training to deal with them whether they are getting licensed for
the first time or coming in under credentialling.
SENATOR MACKIE said he wants the bill they pass to give the
opportunity for those who are qualified and trained and for us to
have a conducive atmosphere to invite people to come and practice
here.
MS. KREITZER explained that some veterinarians think the required
State test is redundant to the other tests given and there is
concern with the purpose of the State test. Of the nine
veterinarians she spoke with they all agreed that it is supposed to
test veterinarians to practice within this State.
Number 424
SENATOR KELLY said his concern was that Alaska veterinarians would
not necessarily want or encourage competition from outside
applicants and might make the test difficult to pass.
SENATOR MACKIE said he didn't like specific Alaska language and
asked how it is currently. MS. KREITZER said that she tried to
follow the committee's wishes and spoke with several veterinarians
and could not get consensus on this issue. There is disagreement
about whether the State test is redundant.
Number 449
DR. JOHN BASLER, Anchorage Veterinarian Association, said he is not
representing the Anchorage Veterinarians per se. He is president
of the Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association and on behalf of
their executive board, this is a new enough issue that they have
not had a board meeting to discuss it. He has polled about 2/3 of
the board and their feeling is that they don't have any major
objections to the current version. They, however, request the
right to comment further after a meeting of the board.
MR. BASLER said the main area of concern was the first graduate
section and Alaska specific issues. He added that there is a
separate Alaska State Board exam that is given twice yearly which
veterinarians have to pass in order to practice here. Putting
Alaska issues in would cover some specific disease processes within
the State, some of which would be pertinent for outside
veterinarians. The easiest one might be rabies in which case there
are a number of different factors in different areas of the
country, including Alaska, and that would be important for a
veterinarian to know wherever they are coming from. He didn't know
what the passage rate for the State test was here, but in
California there is a 30% failure rate.
SENATOR MACKIE asked what he thought of in section 3 after "has
passed the written examination of the State" inserting "Board, and
has been provided orientation..." on specific issues of veterinary
practice. MR. BASLER responded that orientation is already
provided. The concern is with people coming up being knowledgeable
about issues here. SENATOR MACKIE explained his concern is the
potential to make the test so stringent that it would be close to
impossible to pass it.
MR. BASLER said he thought the main reason for passage of this bill
was not to address this issue, but to make it easier for licensing
by credentials.
CHAIRMAN LEMAN noted that people with driver's licenses from other
states have to pass an exam to get a license in Alaska.
SENATOR MACKIE moved to pass CSSB 92(L&C) from committee with
individual recommendations. There were no objections and it was so
ordered.
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