04/11/2011 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

               SB 119-ATHLETIC TRAINER LICENSING                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:32:50 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DAVIS announced  the first  order of business  would  be SB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KEVIN MEYER,  sponsor, introduced SB 119 and  gave a brief                                                              
overview.  This  would  require  a license  to  practice  athletic                                                              
training in  Alaska. Athletic trainers  are certified  health care                                                              
professionals who  practice in the  field of sports  medicine. The                                                              
American  Medical  Association  (AMA)  has  recognized  that  this                                                              
profession   plays  a   significant   role   in  the   management,                                                              
prevention, recognition, and rehabilitation of injured athletes.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
As  people become  increasingly  active, athletic  trainers are  a                                                              
vital  resource for  administering immediate  emergency care.  The                                                              
bill  has several  letters  of support  from  the Alaska  Athletic                                                              
Trainers  Association. Alaska  is  one of  only  three states  who                                                              
currently do not license athletic trainers.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS noted there was a CS.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  EGAN moved  to adopt  the  proposed committee  substitute                                                              
(CS) for SB 119, labeled 27-LS0732\B, as the working document.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:35:25 PM                                                                                                                    
CHRISTINE MARASIGAN,  staff to Senator Kevin Meyer  said she would                                                              
explain  the changes  in  the CS.  On  page 2,  line  11 has  been                                                              
deleted, as  well as  parts of line  14 and  lines 19  through 26.                                                              
All of  the changes  address the  concept that  there is  only one                                                              
national  certifying organization  for  athletic trainers.  Forty-                                                              
seven other states use this national certifying organization.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:36:49 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DAVIS opened public testimony.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHRISTOPHER  DEEM, Alaska Athletic  Trainers Association,  thanked                                                              
Senator  Meyer  for bringing  the  bill  forward.  He said  it  is                                                              
needed to  protect the  student athletes in  Alaska. To  become an                                                              
athletic  trainer  requires  a bachelor's  degree  in  science,  a                                                              
lengthy  internship,   and  a  test.  As  a   national  and  state                                                              
association  they  are working  to  bring  Alaska into  line  with                                                              
national certification  standards. Currently  there is  nothing in                                                              
Alaska  to  prevent  someone  from  calling  himself  an  athletic                                                              
trainer. This bill  would assure Alaska has a  minimum standard of                                                              
care and a common set of requirements.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:39:07 PM                                                                                                                    
BRENDA SHELTON,  President, Alaska  Athletic Trainers  Association                                                              
said she was  here on behalf of  all members. According  to the US                                                              
Department  of Labor (DOL)  and the  American Medical  Association                                                              
(AMA),  athletic trainers  have an  unparalleled job  description.                                                              
They make a lot  of autonomous, important decisions.  The Board of                                                              
Certification (BOC)  has been responsible for  certifying athletic                                                              
trainers  since  1982.  It  ensures   that  entry  level  athletic                                                              
trainers meet all credential requirements.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
In  addition  to holding  a  bachelor's  degree from  an  athletic                                                              
training  program  and  completing an  internship,  trainers  must                                                              
pass a  certification exam.  The BOC  then makes trainers  reapply                                                              
for  certification   every  three   years.  Continuing   education                                                              
requirements  are 75  hours every  three years.  She said  the BOC                                                              
expects anyone using  the title to uphold the  highest ethical and                                                              
medical  standards. SB  119 enhances  the  profession of  athletic                                                              
training.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DAVIS   asked  for   testimony  from   the  Department   of                                                              
Community, Commerce,  and Economic Development (DCCED).  She noted                                                              
the bill had picked up a fiscal note.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
DON  HABEGER, Director,  Division  of Corporations,  Business  and                                                              
Professional  Licensing, Department  of  Community, Commerce,  and                                                              
Economic   Development  (DCCED),   said  he   was  available   for                                                              
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:43:45 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MEYER  said the  fiscal note did  not require  any general                                                              
fund money.  It was  receipt supported services.  He asked  if the                                                              
CS would lower the fee.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. HABEGER  said he  thought it  did. Looking  at the  regulatory                                                              
process,  it seemed  that the  division had  to make  a number  of                                                              
substantial decisions,  for which it would need  outside help. The                                                              
CS  allows  them  to  use  a  national   standard,  for  which  an                                                              
organization  already  exists.   The  licensing  fee  for  similar                                                              
certifications is $50 - $100.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:45:49 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. HABEGER  noted the  committee could help  by looking  at other                                                              
certifying bodies and forwarding the information to DCED.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MEYER said  the original  fiscal note  required a  fee of                                                              
$725  per year;  this was  too high.  Athletic  trainers said  the                                                              
most  they could  afford was  $100. It  behooves us  to have  them                                                              
licensed.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:47:05 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  EGAN said  the  letters from  the  association mention  a                                                              
$100 annual fee.  He was previously told it would  be a $50 annual                                                              
fee. Why so high?                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. HABEGER  said they sat down  with the lobbyist  and interested                                                              
parties.  The original  work draft  was very  different from  what                                                              
now exists.  One issue is  that any new  program has to  work with                                                              
their  database, which  is ancient  and needs  to be upgraded.  If                                                              
this program has  to be incorporated into that  database, it would                                                              
be expensive. If  licensees can wait for a new  database, which is                                                              
at least a year away, the cost could be reduced.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:50:11 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DAVIS noted  the bill had a referral to  Labor and Commerce.                                                              
Given the  fiscal note it will  now receive a Finance  referral as                                                              
well. This will  give an opportunity to revise the  fiscal note to                                                              
make it consistent with the new database.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS  asked if  the group  was willing for  the bill  to go                                                              
forward.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS closed public testimony.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  EGAN moved  to  report CS  for SB  119,  version B,  from                                                              
committee   with  individual   recommendations  and   accompanying                                                              
fiscal note(s).  Without objection,  CSSB 119(STA) moved  from the                                                              
Senate Health and Social Services Standing Committee.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:53:45 PM                                                                                                                    
At-ease.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:54:45 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DYSON  noted he had  discussed the  bill with some  of its                                                              
advocates  who are  professionals  in the  area.  His concern  was                                                              
about the  volunteer coaches. Proponents  had good  answers. There                                                              
is a concerted  effort to get  people trained to do  some analysis                                                              
of  injuries,  and to  know  when  they  should defer  to  medical                                                              
professionals.