03/16/2010 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 245                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to licensure as an optometrist;                                                                           
     establishing a retired status optometrist license; and                                                                     
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:38:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KACI SCHROEDER, STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE BILL THOMAS, SPONSOR,                                                                    
explained   that  the   legislation  would   create  uniform                                                                    
licensure  for Alaskan  optometrists.  Currently, the  state                                                                    
has three  levels of licensure:  low, medium, and  high. The                                                                    
Alaska  State   Board  of  Optometry  would   like  everyone                                                                    
licensed  at the  highest level.  Optometry school  students                                                                    
already  graduate  with  credentials   to  practice  at  the                                                                    
highest  level  and  most optometrists  in  the  state  have                                                                    
upgraded  themselves to  the level  as  well. The  provision                                                                    
would also  allow a person  to easily transfer  from retired                                                                    
to active status.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Schroeder  added that  optometrists who  do not  want to                                                                    
upgrade themselves  and are currently licensed  at the lower                                                                    
two levels would  be grandfathered in; they  would receive a                                                                    
restricted license to practice  optometry at their education                                                                    
level. She  noted that most states  have already implemented                                                                    
similar legislation.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
JILL  MATHESON,  CHAIR,  ALASKA STATE  BOARD  OF  OPTOMETRY,                                                                    
spoke in support  of the bill. The board  wanted everyone at                                                                    
the  same level  to reduce  confusion among  the public  and                                                                    
other health  care providers. She  noted that the  board had                                                                    
requested the legislation.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Stoltze  recalled   that  the   issue  had   been                                                                    
contentious in the past.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Fairclough pointed  to page  1, line  12 and                                                                    
asked  how the  bill  recognizes a  school  or college.  Ms.                                                                    
Matheson  replied that  there is  technical language  in the                                                                    
bill  stipulating  that  schools  must be  approved  by  the                                                                    
American  Optometric Association.  She  detailed that  there                                                                    
are fifteen qualifying schools in  the United States and two                                                                    
in Canada.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:43:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze addressed the fiscal note.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Thomas  MOVED to report  HB 245 out  of Committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
note. Co-Chair Stoltze OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative Fairclough  asked whether  there was  a limit                                                                    
to the number  of times a person could retake  the exam. Ms.                                                                    
Matheson  answered that  the exam  referred to  was the  law                                                                    
exam for  the state  regulations and  statutes. She  did not                                                                    
recall anyone  taking the exam  again; it was  not specified                                                                    
in the  bill. She  presumed that a  person could  retake the                                                                    
exam an unlimited amount of times.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze WITHDREW  his  OBJECTION.  There being  NO                                                                    
further OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
HB  245 was  REPORTED  out  of Committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with  attached  new zero  note  by  the                                                                    
Department    of   Commerce,    Community,   and    Economic                                                                    
Development.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:46:18 PM               AT EASE                                                                                              
1:49:20 PM               RECONVENED