03/28/2014 03:30 PM House L&C

                   HB 302-PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:51:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON  announced that the  next order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 302, "An Act  relating to the practice  of public                                                               
accounting;  and relating  to rules  of professional  conduct for                                                               
the profession of public accounting."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:51:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHNSON moved  to  adopt  the proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)   for  HB  302,  labeled   28-LS1292\N,  Martin,                                                               
3/11/14, as the working document.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON objected for purpose of discussion.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:51:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LYNNETTE  BERGH,  Staff,  Representative Steve  Thompson,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature, stated that HB  302 was drafted in response to                                                               
the Alaska  Board of  Public Accountancy's  (BPA) FY  2013 annual                                                               
report recommendations.   The proposed committee  substitute (CS)                                                               
for HB 302,  Version N, addresses AS  08.04.080, the professional                                                               
rules of conduct  for the profession of public  accounting.  This                                                               
section of  statute sets the timeframe  the BPA must use  for the                                                               
adoption of  any rules or  amendments and the effective  date for                                                               
each licensee or  firm.  The proposed CS, Version  N, would amend                                                               
the number of  days for noticing from  60 days to 30  days.  This                                                               
timeframe  is   in  line  with  the   Division  of  Corporations,                                                               
Business, and Professional Licensing's (DCBPL) guidelines.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:53:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER asked  for  clarification  on the  change                                                               
from 60 days to 30 days.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. BERGH characterized  this as a housekeeping  matter since the                                                               
original statute  didn't match with the  division guidelines, and                                                               
the BPA noted the discrepancy.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:53:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether it was a clerical error.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BERGH  referred to  AS  44.62.190,  which provides  division                                                               
guidelines  for  noticing  any  regulation  changes.    She  read                                                               
subsection  (a),   "At  least  30   days  before   the  adoption,                                                               
amendment,  or repeal  of a  regulation, notice  of the  proposed                                                               
action shall be...."                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:54:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON removed his objection.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  OLSON,  after first  determining  no  one else  wished  to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on HB 302.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:54:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHNSON moved  to report  the proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS) for  HB 302,  Version N,  out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations  and  the accompanying  fiscal  note.                                                               
There being  no objection,  the CSHB  302(L&C) was  reported from                                                               
the House Labor & Commerce Standing Committee.