03/25/1996 03:08 PM House L&C

 HB 432 - VETERINARY LICENSING                                               
                                                                               
 Number 0625                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN KOTT announced that the next order of business to come               
 before the House Labor and Commerce Committee was HOUSE BILL NO.              
 432, "An Act relating to the practice of veterinary medicine."                
                                                                               
 GEORGE DOZIER, staff to Chairman Kott, explained HB 432                       
 accomplishes three or four different goals.  He said it contains a            
 provision which prescribes the fraudulent use or procurement of a             
 veterinarian license.  It also prescribes the act of fraudulently             
 claiming to have such a license.  It makes it a unclassified                  
 misdemeanor with up to a $10,000 fine for violation of those                  
 provisions.  Mr. Dozier explained the second section of the bill              
 recognizes that at one time an organization used to give                      
 standardized tests.  That organization is no longer in existence.             
 It is now called something else and the test is also called                   
 something else.  It changes certain references to the licensure               
 provisions from the National Board of Veterinarian Examiners to the           
 National Board of Examination Committee.  The same thing is done              
 further on changing the old organization known as the American                
 Veterinarian Association's Educational Commission for Foreign                 
 Veterinarian Graduates to the National Board of Examination                   
 Committees Education Commission for foreign Veterinarian Graduates.           
 Mr. Dozier explained the bill also requires veterinary technicians            
 to be licensed and requires the board to promulgate regulations               
 concerning that licensure.                                                    
                                                                               
 Number 0723                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN KOTT announced that the first witness would be Dr. Dee               
 Thornell, testifying via teleconference from Anchorage.                       
                                                                               
 DEANNA J. THORNELL, of the Board of Veterinary Examiners, stated              
 that while current law makes it illegal to practice veterinary                
 medicine in the state without a license, no penalties are mandated.           
 HB 432 would mandate a $10,000 fine and imprisonment of up to one             
 year for a person found in violation of the licensing requirements.           
                                                                               
 Number 0850                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN KOTT asked if all recommendations contained in HB 432 have           
 been approved by the Board of Veterinary Licensing.                           
                                                                               
 DR. THORNELL responded that they have.  She added that the change             
 related to licensing veterinary technicians is consistent with                
 every other state in the union.                                               
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE ELTON stated he was somewhat surprised that the                
 provisions for licensing veterinary technicians are to be                     
 supervised by the veterinary board.  This seems like having doctors           
 oversee licensing requirements for nurses.  He asked if this was a            
 common procedure.                                                             
                                                                               
 DR. THORNELL replied that it is consistent with the other states.             
 Also, it would not be financially feasible to create a separate               
 board for licensing veterinary technicians, because there are so              
 few in the state.  Some states do provide extra seats on the                  
 veterinary board for licensed technicians.                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE ELTON then asked if the cost of the licensing                  
 procedures for veterinary technicians would be borne by the                   
 veterinarians.                                                                
                                                                               
 DR. THORNELL responded that the technicians are already bearing the           
 cost of their own examinations.  In essence, the legislation only             
 changes the title from "registered veterinary technician" to                  
 "licensed veterinary technician."  All of the statutes are already            
 in place for registering veterinary technicians.                              
                                                                               
 Number 1016                                                                   
                                                                               
 CATHERINE REARDON, Director, Division of Occupational Licensing,              
 Department of Commerce and Economic Development, stated that she              
 was available to answer questions from the committee.                         
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN KOTT announced that, there being no questions or                     
 additional witnesses wishing to testify, public testimony on HB 432           
 was closed.                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG made a motion that HB 432, with individual            
 recommendations and attached zero fiscal note, be passed out of the           
 House Labor and Commerce Committee.                                           
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN KOTT announced that, there being no objections, HB 432               
 with individual recommendations and accompanying zero fiscal note             
 was passed out of the House Labor and Commerce Committee.