03/02/1995 02:37 PM House HES

 HHES - 03/02/95                                                               
 HB 124 - EXTEND BOARD OF NURSING HOME ADMINISTRATORS                        
                                                                               
 Number 2151                                                                   
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIR TOOHEY handed the gavel to HESS Committee Vice-Chair                 
 Rokeberg and discussed the sponsor statement.                                 
                                                                               
 "This bill eliminates the State Board of Nursing Home                        
 Administrators and transfers its legal duties to license and                  
 regulate to the Division of Occupational Licensing in the                     
 Department of Commerce.  Federal regulations require that a                   
 nursing home administrator be licensed by the state in order                  
 for that state to receive Medicaid funding from the federal                   
 government.                                                                   
                                                                              
 "This licensing can be done either by a board or by the                      
 executive branch agency.  The Division of Occupational                        
 Licensing is ready to take on the licensing duties.  The                      
 Department of Health approves of the transfer, and the                        
 Hospital and Nursing Home Association supports eliminating the                
 board and transferring these duties to Occupational Licensing.                
                                                                               
 "Eliminating the board will also save money because travel                   
 costs will no longer be incurred by the board."                               
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIR TOOHEY said that Catherine Reardon, Director of the                  
 Division of Occupational Licensing, was present.                              
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked for public testimony on the bill.               
                                                                               
 Number 2214                                                                   
                                                                               
 HARLAN KNUDSON, executive, Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home             
 Administration (ASHNHA), spoke in support of the HESS Committee               
 Substitute (CS) for HB 124.  He said the state needs to continue              
 the licensing of nursing home administrators, not only for the                
 Medicaid program, but it is also good for quality care.                       
                                                                               
 MR. KNUDSON said in addition, the Department of Commerce is able to           
 handle the two main roles of licensure.  One, there is an excellent           
 national exam of which the administrators of this state participate           
 in drafting, and there is a good exam, so the state does qualify              
 the people to come in, and there are regulations pending that will            
 require continuing education.                                                 
                                                                               
 MR. KNUDSON urged the support of the HESS Committee members.                  
                                                                               
 Number 2245                                                                   
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIR TOOHEY asked Mr. Knudson approximately how many licensed             
 administrators that hold an Alaska license were in the state.                 
                                                                               
 MR. KNUDSON answered about 80.                                                
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE BRICE moved to adopt the HESS Committee Substitute             
 for HB 124 for purposes of discussion.  The motion passed.                    
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIR TOOHEY clarified the difference between the CS and the               
 original bill.  The CS eliminates the sunset date.  The original              
 bill provided for a sunset date.  There was also a change between             
 the licensed administrators and they decided to eliminate the                 
 board's responsibility and go to the Department of Commerce.                  
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE BRICE moved that the CSHB 124(HESS) be passed with             
 individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes.                     
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY objected, and a roll call vote was taken.                
 Voting yes were Representatives Rokeberg, Brice, Robinson and                 
 Toohey.  Voting no was Representative Vezey.  Absent were                     
 Representatives Bunde and Davis.  The motion passed.