03/13/2014 08:30 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 239                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination  date of the Board of                                                                    
     Examiners in Optometry; and  providing for an effective                                                                    
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 240                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination  date of the Board of                                                                    
     Chiropractic Examiners; and  providing for an effective                                                                    
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 241                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination  date of the Board of                                                                    
     Marital  and  Family  Therapy;  and  providing  for  an                                                                    
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 242                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act extending  the termination  date of  the State                                                                    
     Physical  Therapy and  Occupational Therapy  Board; and                                                                    
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:37:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DANIEL GEORGE, STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE BILL STOLTZE, referred                                                                    
to  the  Department  of  Commerce,  Community  and  Economic                                                                    
Development Professional  Licensing Program's  Annual Report                                                                    
dated December 2013 (copy on  file). He relayed that numbers                                                                    
in  the  fiscal  notes  had been  derived  from  the  annual                                                                    
report.  He communicated  that there  were four  replacement                                                                    
fiscal notes for HB 239, HB 240, HB 241, and HB 242.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  George  addressed  the  fiscal note  for  HB  239.  The                                                                    
analysis in  the first three  paragraphs on page  2 remained                                                                    
the  same.  New  language  had been  added  related  to  the                                                                    
extension of  the Board of Examiners  in Optometry including                                                                    
a summary of the board's FY  12 through FY 13 biennium data,                                                                    
revenues,   expenditures,   biennium  surplus/deficit,   and                                                                    
ending   cumulative  surplus/deficit.   The  analysis   also                                                                    
included  a  description   of  the  FY  08   through  FY  11                                                                    
cumulative  data and  number of  licensees.  The format  was                                                                    
repeated  in  the  fiscal  notes  for  all  four  bills.  He                                                                    
communicated that the  board's revenues in FY  12/FY 13 were                                                                    
$74,540 and expenditures were $94,478.  There was a biennium                                                                    
deficit  of  $19,938 and  a  cumulative  surplus deficit  of                                                                    
$44,755.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:39:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. George discussed the fiscal  note for HB 240. The second                                                                    
page of  the note  reflected the FY  12/FY 13  biennium data                                                                    
for the  extension of the  Board of  Chiropractic Examiners.                                                                    
The   board's   data    included   revenues   of   $179,215,                                                                    
expenditures  of  $168,800,  a  surplus of  $10,415,  and  a                                                                    
cumulative surplus of $80,344.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:40:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  George pointed  to  the  fiscal note  for  HB 241.  The                                                                    
second page of  the note reflected the FY  12/FY 13 biennium                                                                    
data for the extension Board  of Marital and Family Therapy.                                                                    
The board's data included  revenues of $63,165, expenditures                                                                    
of $85,197, a  deficit of $22,032, and  a cumulative surplus                                                                    
of $112,195.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:41:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. George addressed the fiscal  note for HB 242. The second                                                                    
page of  the note  reflected the FY  12/FY 13  biennium data                                                                    
for  the State  Physical  Therapy  and Occupational  Therapy                                                                    
Board.  The  board's  data included  revenues  of  $250,000,                                                                    
expenditures  of  $325,365,  a  deficit of  $75,365,  and  a                                                                    
cumulative deficit of $55,238.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Guttenberg  noted  that  the  OMB  component                                                                    
number [at the  top right of the first page]  on each of the                                                                    
fiscal notes was the same.  He wondered how the numbers were                                                                    
determined.  Mr.   George  deferred  the  question   to  the                                                                    
department.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze noted that the  question would be addressed                                                                    
later in the  meeting. He relayed his intent  to address the                                                                    
bills one  at a time, beginning  with HB 239. He  added that                                                                    
the  bills had  been previously  heard and  public testimony                                                                    
had been taken.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 240                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination date of the Board of                                                                     
     Chiropractic Examiners; and providing for an effective                                                                     
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:59:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LORA  REINBOLD, SPONSOR, relayed that  HB 240                                                                    
would  extend   the  termination   date  of  the   Board  of                                                                    
Chiropractic  Examiners.  She  spoke to  the  importance  of                                                                    
keeping  high-quality chiropractors  in business.  She urged                                                                    
the  committee to  support the  extension of  the bill  that                                                                    
would  enable the  board to  continue to  license; regulate;                                                                    
and  protect and  promote the  public  health, welfare,  and                                                                    
safety of Alaskans.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze asked if there  were amendments. He relayed                                                                    
that the committee had discussed  the fiscal note earlier in                                                                    
the meeting.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Neuman  MOVED to REPORT  HB 240 out  of committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Holmes  pointed  to  the  legislative  audit                                                                    
report and believed the board was doing its job.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze WITHDREW his OBJECTION.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
There being  NO further OBJECTION,  HB 240 was  REPORTED out                                                                    
of committee  with a "do  pass" recommendation and  with one                                                                    
new fiscal impact note from  the House Finance Committee for                                                                    
the   Department  of   Commerce,   Community  and   Economic                                                                    
Development.