02/01/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 119                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the licensing and regulation of                                                                        
     athletic trainers."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:01:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KEVIN  MEYER, introduced  SB 119. He  explained that                                                                    
athletic trainers were  certified, health care professionals                                                                    
who  practice   in  the  field   of  sports   medicine.  The                                                                    
profession  played a  significant  role  in the  management,                                                                    
prevention,  recognition   and  rehabilitation   of  injured                                                                    
athletes under  the supervision of  a license  physician. As                                                                    
people  became increasingly  more active,  athletic trainers                                                                    
were a  vital resource in administering  immediate emergency                                                                    
care as well as injury prevention and treatment.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
BRENDA   SHELDON,   PRESIDENT,  ALASKA   ATHLETIC   TRAINERS                                                                    
ASSOCIATION,  spoke in  support of  SB 119.  She noted  that                                                                    
Alaska  was  one  of  three  states  that  did  not  license                                                                    
athletic  trainers.  She  explained  that  athletic  trainer                                                                    
clients  ranged from  athletes  to  industrial workers.  She                                                                    
noted  that  athletic  trainers  were  often  the  first  to                                                                    
respond in the cases of injuries.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sheldon explained that SB  119 would require everyone in                                                                    
Alaska  who considered  themselves athletic  trainers to  be                                                                    
licensed. She  explained that she  was an  athletic trainer,                                                                    
and shared her personal feelings  about the importance of SB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:07:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHRISTOPHER DEAN, ATHLETIC TRAINER,  testified in support of                                                                    
SB  119.  He explained  that  SB  119 would  ensure  quality                                                                    
medical care  for the athletes  in Alaska. He  stressed that                                                                    
some parents had become dependent on athletic trainers.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman  noted the  new  fiscal  impact note  from                                                                    
Department of Commerce,  Community and Economic Development,                                                                    
and  a  new   zero  fiscal  note  from   the  Department  of                                                                    
Administration.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Thomas wondered  if the  initial  licensing fee  of                                                                    
$900 would  be covered  in the  bill. Senator  Meyer replied                                                                    
that the  $900 could  possibly be covered  by the  state. He                                                                    
hoped to discuss reasons why the licensing was so high.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator Thomas agreed that the fee was very high.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
DON   HABEGER,   DIRECTOR,   CORPORATIONS,   BUSINESS,   AND                                                                    
PROFESSIONAL  LICENSING, explained  that  the licensing  fee                                                                    
was  high, because  it was  expensive to  install a  program                                                                    
into  the  system. He  stressed  that  once the  system  was                                                                    
implemented, the program would  be complete with application                                                                    
accessibility. He  stated that there  was a belief  that the                                                                    
program could easily get absorbed into the existing staff.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:14:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Thomas wondered  if the cost was  high because there                                                                    
were a  small number of  individuals who were  interested in                                                                    
applying. He felt  it could be a  simple implementation. Mr.                                                                    
Habeger  replied  that it  was  a  statutory requirement  to                                                                    
charge  the user  fees in  implementation. He  stressed that                                                                    
the fee was legitimate.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator Thomas wondered how many  people were anticipated to                                                                    
be licensed.  Mr. Habeger replied  that there was no  way he                                                                    
could  predict  that  number, but  relied  on  the  Athletic                                                                    
Trainer Association to provide that number.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson wondered  if there was a  licensing board that                                                                    
would have  a small number  of licensees. Mr.  Habeger noted                                                                    
that  a similar  program was  the Midwife  Board, and  their                                                                    
biennial program fee was about $2000.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  wondered if  there was a  process to  pay for                                                                    
the  investigator to  deal with  the complaint.  Mr. Habeger                                                                    
noted that there were recent  discussions regarding the Real                                                                    
Estate Commission, and those costs could spike.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator  McGuire wondered  how  the  school districts  would                                                                    
intersect into the program. She  wondered if the costs would                                                                    
be passed on to the  school district. Senator Meyer deferred                                                                    
to a school district employee.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Senator  McGuire restated  that she  was concerned  with the                                                                    
costs  for  the  school  districts. Mr.  Dean  replied  that                                                                    
currently  no school  district in  Alaska employed  athletic                                                                    
trainers.  He   stressed  that   the  school   districts  in                                                                    
Fairbanks were highly dependent on benefactors.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:21:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Dean noted  that midwives had a board,  but the athletic                                                                    
trainers  do  not  have  a  board.  He  felt  that  athletic                                                                    
trainers could be better compared with nutritionists.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator Egan  wondered if the  fees would increase  if there                                                                    
was  an   investigation  regarding  licensing   issues.  Mr.                                                                    
Habeger replied that the division  had an investigative unit                                                                    
that  was  responsible for  any  violation  of Title  A.  If                                                                    
investigators determined that there  was a violation, then a                                                                    
process  occurred with  the possibility  for many  different                                                                    
outcomes. He stressed  that most of the time  there were low                                                                    
cost  issues, but  if there  was  a legal  process then  the                                                                    
Department of Law would be involved.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Senator Egan  wondered if there  would be  background checks                                                                    
for people  that applied for  licenses. Mr.  Habeger replied                                                                    
that  if the  applicant remained  current with  the national                                                                    
organization,  then the  applicant would  be eligible  for a                                                                    
state license.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:27:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  noted  that  Mr.   Dean  had  declared  that                                                                    
athletic   trainers  were   more  like   nutritionists  than                                                                    
midwives,  and  wondered if  Mr.  Habeger  agreed with  that                                                                    
assumption. Mr.  Habeger did not  know the specifics  of the                                                                    
Nutritionist program.  He noted  that Naturopaths had  a fee                                                                    
of $400, and did not have a board.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  wondered what penalties would  be incurred if                                                                    
the license  were suspended. Senator Meyer  replied that the                                                                    
licensees were overseen by the National Board.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  noted that there  was an issue  of diagnosing                                                                    
and treatment.  He expressed concern that  athletic trainers                                                                    
were  not authorized  to  practice  medicine. Senator  Meyer                                                                    
stressed that  there were  specific requirements  for people                                                                    
that  call themselves  athletic trainers.  He also  stressed                                                                    
that they  were not  going to  practice medicine.  He stated                                                                    
that  he did  not know  how the  bill would  apply to  rural                                                                    
areas, but agreed to provide that information.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SB  119  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.