Legislature(2005 - 2006)HOUSE FINANCE 519

04/11/2005 01:30 PM House FINANCE


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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ HB 109 SCREENING NEWBORNS FOR HEARING ABILITY TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+ HB 91 INDECENT EXPOSURE TO MINORS TELECONFERENCED
Moved Out of Committee
+ HB 219 STRANGULATION CRIMES TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 219(FIN) Out of Committee
+ HB 71 AK PENINSULA OIL & GAS LEASE SALE; TAXES TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled
= HB 123 OCCUPATIONS: FEES & EXTENSION OF BOARDS
Moved CSHB 123(FIN) Out of Committee
HOUSE BILL NO. 123                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act relating  to  occupational  licensing fees  and                                                                   
     receipts; extending the termination  dates of the Boards                                                                   
     of  Barbers  and Hairdressers,  Social  Work  Examiners,                                                                   
     Pharmacy,  Professional   Counselors,  Psychologist  and                                                                   
     Psychological   Associate   Examiners,  and   Veterinary                                                                   
     Examiners;  relating  to an  exemption  that allows  one                                                                   
     bill  to continue  more than one  board, commission,  or                                                                   
     agency program; and providing for an effective date."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
RICK URION,  DIRECTOR OCCUPATIONAL  LICENSING, DEPARTMENT  OF                                                                   
COMMUNITY  AND   ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT;  offered   to  answer                                                                   
questions regarding HB 123.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Meyer  asked for  an  explanation of  the  $486,000                                                                   
fiscal note.  Mr. Urion reported  that the fiscal note covers                                                                   
direct costs by  the boards.  Vice-Chair Stoltze  inquired if                                                                   
that amount  is already  built  into the budget.   Mr.  Urion                                                                   
replied that is correct.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Meyer asked  where  the funds  from  the fines  and                                                                   
penalties go.   Mr.  Urion explained that  the fines  went to                                                                   
the profession  until  a few years  ago.   It was  discovered                                                                   
that fines  are not  covered in law,  so new legislation  was                                                                   
needed.   He related that the  fines do not  generate revenue                                                                   
because it costs  money to collect them.  The  bill addresses                                                                   
an  issue of  fairness  when it  allows  fines and  penalties                                                                   
collected  by various  occupations  to be  included with  fee                                                                   
collections for  the purpose  of determining whether  revenue                                                                   
collected approximately equals  the total costs of regulation                                                                   
for an occupation or board.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:46:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Chenault  asked  how  much the  Department  of  Law                                                                   
actually spends on  collecting the fines.  Mr.  Urion replied                                                                   
that he could look up the records.    He added that there are                                                                   
five personnel  alone that  deal with occupational  licensing                                                                   
issues.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Weyhrauch   asked  if  licensing   fines  are                                                                   
determined on a case-by-case method.   Mr. Urion replied that                                                                   
various  boards  have various  methods  of figuring  out  the                                                                   
fines.   Representative Weyhrauch  suggested that  some cases                                                                   
might  be technical  violations,  others  fraud, which  would                                                                   
require  different fine  amounts.   Mr.  Urion  said that  is                                                                   
correct.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:49:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hawker asked if  there is unequal  allocation                                                                   
of fine  costs between occupations.   Mr. Urion  replied that                                                                   
would be  handled at individual  board levels.  Costs  from a                                                                   
profession  will  be  borne  by   its  own  profession.    He                                                                   
emphasized that every profession favors this bill.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Meyer asked if licensing  fees would decrease.   Mr.                                                                   
Urion replied that the amount is miniscule.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:51:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hawker MOVED to adopt Amendment 3:                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 1                                                                                                           
     After "An act relating to"                                                                                                 
     Delete "occupational licensing fees and receipts;"                                                                         
     Page 1, line 7                                                                                                           
     Delete Section 1                                                                                                           
     Page 2, line 28                                                                                                          
     Delete Section 2                                                                                                           
     Page 3, line 9                                                                                                           
     Delete Section 3                                                                                                           
     Page 3, line 20                                                                                                          
     Delete Section 4                                                                                                           
     Page 4, line 22                                                                                                          
     Delete Section 11                                                                                                          
     Page 4, line 27                                                                                                          
     Delete Section 12                                                                                                          
     Renumber remaining sections accordingly.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Meyer OBJECTED for discussion purposes.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hawker explained  that the Amendment 3 deletes                                                                   
all sections  in the  bill not related  to the extensions  of                                                                   
the boards.  The committee has  attempted in the past to keep                                                                   
board extensions  clean and not cluttered with  other issues,                                                                   
not mix  policy with  ministerial activities.   He  suggested                                                                   
that the committee would need  to hear from all of the boards                                                                   
in order to know that they all  are supportive of the new CS.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Urion  related that  last year he  was directed  to write                                                                   
this  bill in  its current  form.   He expressed  frustration                                                                   
about the turn of events with the addition of Amendment 3.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Stoltze  noted  that  it is  important  to  clean                                                                   
sunsets up.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Meyer WITHDREW his OBJECTION.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, Amendment 3 was adopted.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:55:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN  WALSH,  LOBBYIST,  ALASKA   PSYCHOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION,                                                                   
asked if  Amendment 3 amends  the bill as previously  amended                                                                   
by  Amendment  1.    Representative   Hawker  responded  that                                                                   
Amendment 3 amends Version Y, the Labor and Commerce CS.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster  moved to report CSHB 123  (FIN) out of                                                                   
Committee   with    individual   recommendations    and   the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  123 (FIN)  was REPORTED  out  of Committee  with a  "no                                                                   
recommendation"  recommendation and  with fiscal impact  note                                                                   
#1  by the  Department of  Commerce,  Community and  Economic                                                                   
Development.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:59:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                

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