Legislature(2003 - 2004)
04/02/2004 03:35 PM House L&C
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HB 502-DISPENSING OPTICIANS: BOARD & REGULATION CHAIR ANDERSON announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 502, "An Act relating to dispensing opticians and dispensing optician apprentices." Number 0653 KRISTY BRAND, President, Opticians Association of Alaska, testified that she was licensed in both glasses and contact lenses. She stated: A few years ago the legislature passed a bill that changed a system that had worked for 30 years, and that system was the training of apprentices in the field of opticianry. From 1973 until 2002 we were required to study for 6,000 hours to become an optician. In 2001 that standard was lowered to 1,800 hours. At 1,800 we would be one, if not the lowest state, in the union in terms of training. The bill before you rectifies this problem. It increases the requirements for training; it adopts the United States Department of Labor's apprenticeship program as the formal educational component for training apprentices in Alaska. This program sets out specific guidelines for training; it sets out a progressively increasing wage scale based on the hours completed and based on the percentage of the journeyman level, which was calculated by the federal Department of Labor. Upon completion of the training program, the U.S. Department of Labor would issue a certificate of completion to be presented to the state of Alaska for licensing. Once licensed, the credentials can then be taken to the University of Alaska, where they will allow credit for each portion of the license, that can be used towards an Associate's Degree in applied optics. This program is also beneficial to employers, as there's a financial incentive for hiring unemployed people and training them in our field, and there are also federal grants that employers can apply for to help offset the costs for apprenticeship wages. The U.S. Department of Labor also has a school-to-work linkage program where high school seniors can train part-time in opticianry to bridge the gap between high school and work. Our association has a motto and that motto is that "we are Alaska's opticians, united in vision" and that vision is a system where we can all continue to provide the quality of services to Alaska's consumers, and that we set an example for all the other states, whether they are licensed or not. Alaskan consumers deserve the best. ... REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD recalled previous testimony stating that very few of the apprentices in Alaska become licensed opticians. He wondered how to get more people to graduate from the apprenticeship program. MS. BRAND said the problem could be seen as anyone working in an optician's office, including clerks and sales people, were required to sign up for the apprenticeship program whether or not this was their career goal. Senate Bill 270 corrected this problem by creating the classification of optician's assistants. She felt that after the statutes reflect these changes the people signed up as apprentices in the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship program will be the career opticians. She commented that the system has been broken for a long time and her association is helping to mend it. REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG complimented Ms. Brand for her clear testimony. Number 0929 JAMES D. ROTHMEYER, Chairman, State Board of Dispensing Opticians, testified in support of HB 502. He listed several benefits for the public, including increasing the time requirements for apprenticeship training back up to the national average for this profession. HB 502 brings Alaska opticianry statute into agreement with existing statutes, and clears up conflicting definitions of a contact lenses prescription. He stated that this bill allows for a mechanism to license experienced opticians coming from other states if they can present their license or proof of advanced certification. MR. ROTHMEYER stated that this bill mandates that the federal Department of Labor assume the administration of the optician apprenticeship program, thereby reducing the state's costs. He noted that the Board of Dispensing Opticians was created in 1973, but they have been unable to test for technical competency since SB 270 passed in 2002. House Bill 502 would create trained, licensed, competent, professionals who would take responsibility for dispensing eyeglasses and contact lenses. ... Number 1048 CHAIR ANDERSON noted there were salient arguments from out of state but that he was going to defer to Alaskan associations, the Alaska Board of Dispensing Opticians and the Opticians Association of Alaska. Number 1072 REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG moved to report HB 502 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 502 was reported from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.
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