Legislature(2023 - 2024)DAVIS 106

03/28/2024 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

Note: the audio and video recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.

Download Mp3. <- Right click and save file as

* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= HB 309 DELEGATION OF ROUTINE OPTOMETRY SERVICES TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 309 Out of Committee
*+ HB 283 EXTEND ALASKA COMMISSION ON AGING TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 283 Out of Committee
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
        HB 309-DELEGATION OF ROUTINE OPTOMETRY SERVICES                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:07:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX  announced that the  first order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO.  309,  "An  Act  relating  to  the  practice  of                                                               
optometry; and relating to the  delegation of routine services of                                                               
optometry."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:08:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JAMES  "BUD"  SEXTON,  Staff,  Representative  Justin  Ruffridge,                                                               
Alaska State Legislature, on  behalf of Representative Ruffridge,                                                               
prime  sponsor, presented  HB 309.    He began  his testimony  by                                                               
giving  a quick  overview  of the  proposed  legislation and  its                                                               
policies.   He  explained  that it  would  allow optometrists  in                                                               
Alaska  to  delegate  routine tasks  to  staff  in  optometrists'                                                               
offices  and  detailed how  the  bill  would further  "clean  up"                                                               
Alaska statute to be clearer in its intent.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:09:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MINA cited  a letter  of  opposition and  concern                                                               
from the American Academy of  Ophthalmologists and asked the bill                                                               
sponsor if he had a response to it.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE,  as prime  sponsor, responded  that the                                                               
letter seemed  to be in opposition  to HB 309, though  the issues                                                               
it covered as  inadequate are already addressed in the  bill.  He                                                               
provided  specific  examples and  explained  that  HB 309  was  a                                                               
framework bill that would give  the Alaska Board of Optometry the                                                               
framework  to   draft  any  given   provisions  related   to  the                                                               
delegation of services.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MINA  noted  that  Sylvan  Robb  had  penned  the                                                               
aforementioned letter  and said she  would like to hear  from Ms.                                                               
Robb regarding her thoughts related to HB 309.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:13:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SEXTON  suggested  that a  better  comparison  of  statutory                                                               
language would  be Alaska's  existing ophthalmology  statutes, of                                                               
which he cited Alaska Statute (AS) 8.64.106.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:14:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SYLVAN ROBB,  Director, Division  of Corporations,  Business, and                                                               
Professional   Licensing   (DCBPL),   Department   of   Commerce,                                                               
Community and  Economic Development  (DCCED), explained  that she                                                               
would  need to  read the  statutory language  regarding dentistry                                                               
referred  to by  Representative Mina  and said  that the  type of                                                               
delegation language  proposed under  HB 309  is quite  common and                                                               
generally  preferable,  because  it  would  allow  the  statutory                                                               
entity to  set its own regulations  and not have to  refer to the                                                               
Alaska  State  Legislature each  time  an  entity would  like  to                                                               
change a regulation.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:16:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRADLEY CROSS,  Chair, Alaska Board of  Optometry, explained that                                                               
establishing the  guardrails that  would be set  up under  HB 309                                                               
via proposed regulation process is  the typical way to accomplish                                                               
the goals that the proposed legislation aims to achieve.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:17:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  PRAX inquired  whether individuals  who are  delegated the                                                               
authority to do routine tasks have to be licensed specifically.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ROBB responded  that  the licensee  is  responsible for  the                                                               
practices performed by that person to whom they are delegating.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:19:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved to report  HB 309 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 309 was reported out of the                                                               
House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.                                                                            

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 309 Block of Support Letters.pdf HHSS 3/28/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 309
HB 309 Opthalmology Acad. Opposition.pdf HHSS 3/28/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 309
HB 283 Fiscal Note DOH-COA.pdf HHSS 3/28/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 283
HB 309 Lamigo Support.pdf HHSS 3/28/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 309
HB 309 Karpik Support.pdf HHSS 3/28/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 309
HB 309 Walgenbach Support.pdf HHSS 3/28/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 309
HB 309 Delaney Support.pdf HHSS 3/28/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 309
HB 309 Charlton Support.pdf HHSS 3/28/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 309
HB 309 (HSS)Follow-Up from DCCED-CBPL.pdf HHSS 3/28/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 309