02/13/2014 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

          SB 129-EXTEND BOARD OF REAL ESTATE APPRAISERS                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:33:28 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNLEAVY  announced the  consideration of  SB 129.  "An Act                                                               
extending the  termination date  of the  Board of  Certified Real                                                               
Estate Appraisers; and providing for an effective date."                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:33:40 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR ANNA FAIRCLAUGH,  sponsor of SB 129,  introduced the bill                                                               
explaining that  it extends  the Board  of Certified  Real Estate                                                               
Appraisers ("Board")  for four years  from June 30, 2014  to June                                                               
30, 2018.  The extension is  for just  four years to  ensure that                                                               
the  new federally  mandated  responsibilities are  appropriately                                                               
instituted and  that the board  has the  support staff to  do its                                                               
duties.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:35:25 PM                                                                                                                    
KRIS  CURTIS, Legislative  Auditor,  Legislative Audit  Division,                                                               
Legislative  Affairs Agency,  Alaska  State Legislature,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska, explained  that the agency  conducted a sunset  review of                                                               
the  Board  of  Certified  Real Estate  Appraisers  to  determine                                                               
whether  it was  serving  the public's  interest  and whether  it                                                               
should be  extended. The audit  determined overall that  BCREA is                                                               
protecting  the public's  interest by  effectively licensing  and                                                               
regulating real  estate appraisers. The Board  monitors licensees                                                               
to  ensure that  only qualified  individuals practice  and adopts                                                               
regulatory  changes   to  improve   the  real   estate  appraisal                                                               
profession in  Alaska. The Board  is scheduled to  terminate June                                                               
30, 2014  and Legislative Audit  is recommending an  extension of                                                               
only  four  years  due  to the  increase  in  federally  mandated                                                               
responsibilities.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. CURTIS  reported that the audit  included two recommendations                                                               
for operational improvements, both of  which were directed to the                                                               
Division  of Corporations,  Business  and Professional  Licensing                                                               
(DCBPL)  within  the  Department   of  Commerce,  Community,  and                                                               
Economic  Development. The  first recommendation  was to  improve                                                               
administrative  support  to the  Board  by  addressing delays  in                                                               
investigations. The second  was for the director  of the division                                                               
to improve the investigative case management system.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
The  audit found  that the  investigative case  management system                                                               
does not fully  support the investigative unit.  It was purchased                                                               
with the expectation  that it would be  immediately functional as                                                               
a  case management  tool, but  it  is deficient  due to  software                                                               
limitations and  a lack of  procedures. Both DCBPL and  the Board                                                               
concur with the audit recommendations.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:36:28 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DUNLEAVY   recognized  that   Senator  Olson   joined  the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DUNLEAVY stated  that public  testimony would  remain open                                                               
and he would hold SB 129 in committee for further consideration.