04/04/2018 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

            HB 262-MILITARY SPOUSE COURTESY LICENSE                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:44:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO  announced that the  final order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO. 262,  "An  Act  relating to  temporary  courtesy                                                               
licenses for  certain nonresident professionals; and  relating to                                                               
the   Department    of   Commerce,   Community,    and   Economic                                                               
Development."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:44:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   SCOTT   KAWASAKI,  Alaska   State   Legislature,                                                               
reintroduced  HB  262 as  prime  sponsor.    He gave  numbers  of                                                               
military and  veteran populations in the  state.   He  stated the                                                               
University of  Alaska, the Fairbanks School  District, the State,                                                               
and small  businesses offer  discounts and aid  to military.   He                                                               
said military spouse licensing would  align with those efforts to                                                               
support military families.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO asked whether there  are laws prohibiting someone from                                                               
using  a  non-Alaska license  if  they  are  in  the state  on  a                                                               
temporary basis.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI answered  there are different regulations                                                               
for  different  states  so sometimes  there  are  differences  in                                                               
occupational  licenses between  states.   He said  there is  work                                                               
towards a compact so that licenses between states.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:48:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH  shared his concerns  regarding occupational                                                               
licensing.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:49:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WILLAM   JODWALIS,   Representative    Scott   Kawasaki,   Alaska                                                               
Legislature, answered  questions in  the hearing on  HB 262.   He                                                               
said there  was already  a law  passed in 2011    House  Bill 28-                                                               
regarding courtesy  licenses and HB  262 wouldn't touch  or alter                                                               
that.  He said  the proposed  bill  would set  forth a  reporting                                                               
mechanism for  the department to  issue a report  for statistical                                                               
data on occupational licenses issued to military spouses.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:50:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BIRCH  asked  about  the  breadth  of  scope  and                                                               
latitude for military spouse licensing.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:51:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SARA   CHAMBERS,  Deputy   Director,   Department  of   Commerce,                                                               
Community &  Economic Development (DCCED), answered  questions in                                                               
the hearing on  HB 262.  She said currently  military spouses can                                                               
obtain  a 180-day  temporary license  which can  be extended  for                                                               
another  180  days  to  give  them  time  to  comply  with  state                                                               
licensure requirements.  She said  the department was  looking at                                                               
licensure by credential or endorsement.   She said this works for                                                               
professionals who take  a national examination.   She stated that                                                               
for those  who do not have  to take an examination,  or for those                                                               
which  require  Alaska-specific  knowledge,  the  department  has                                                               
worked to  produce a report  providing data.   She said  the bill                                                               
would  codify  that  report.     She  indicated  it  is  a  small                                                               
percentage of the overall licenses issued.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL spoke to the  number of military spouses that                                                               
utilize the program.   He asked whether some may  simply be using                                                               
the normal channels for licensure.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CHAMBERS  answered  it's  possible  some  are  using  normal                                                               
channels.   She said  there is a  military licensure  webpage for                                                               
the information which is linked to all state licensure webpages.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked whether  the department has a "military                                                               
spouse" box to click on its website.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. CHAMBERS answered it does not.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:01:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SULLIVAN-LEONARD  mentioned  she  has  worked  in                                                               
various hospitals.   She said military members who  came for jobs                                                               
often  got priority.   She  asked about  the need  to create  new                                                               
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CHAMBERS shared  her understanding  that  supporters of  the                                                               
bill would  like to have a  more codified reporting system.   She                                                               
said  the  information  could  be   provided  on  the  department                                                               
website.    She said  the  department  is  happy to  produce  the                                                               
information when asked.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SULLIVAN-LEONARD  asked whether  it could  be done                                                               
without the legislation.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. CHAMBERS  answered the department  does what  the legislation                                                               
is requiring already, with the  exception of the mandate that the                                                               
information be delivered to the legislature on a certain date.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO  pointed to subsection  g which  he said seems  to ask                                                               
the  department  to  provide   informational  materials  for  the                                                               
purpose  of improving  the board's  knowledge of  licensees.   He                                                               
asked whether that is part of the fiscal note (FN).                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:03:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CHAMBERS  said the element that  produced a change to  the FN                                                               
was the  change from producing a  report at the fiscal  year (FY)                                                               
rather  than the  calendar  year.   She said  that  prior to  the                                                               
amendment to the bill, there was a zero FN.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
5:04:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 5:04 p.m. to 5:05 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
5:05:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO closed public testimony.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:05:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL moved Amendment 1.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 7:                                                                                                            
          Delete "calendar"                                                                                                     
          Insert "fiscal"                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. JODWALIS indicated  the bill sponsor had no  objection to the                                                               
proposed amendment6.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
5:06:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO removed his objection to Amendment 1. There being no                                                                 
other objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
5:06:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON moved to report HB 262 out of committee                                                                
as amended with individual recommendations and the accompanying                                                                 
fiscal notes.  There being no objection, it was so ordered.