Legislature(2017 - 2018)BARNES 124
03/22/2017 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HJR14 | |
| HB157 | |
| HB119 | |
| HB144 | |
| HB86 | |
| HB79 | |
| HB132 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 132 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 144 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 86 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HJR 14 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 157 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 119 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 79 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 144-EXTEND BOARD OF VETERINARY EXAMINERS
3:35:43 PM
CHAIR KITO announced that the next order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 144, "An Act extending the termination date of
the Board of Veterinary Examiners; and providing for an
effective date."
CHAIR KITO explained that HB 144 is one of three sunset bills
this year, and opined there will be 11 sunset bills next year.
3:36:33 PM
CHRYSTAL KOENENMAN, Staff, Representative Sam Kito, III, Alaska
State Legislature, advised that HB 144 extends the Board of
Veterinary Examiners until June 30, 2025. The Division of
Legislative Audit concurred and recommends a full eight-year
sunset and believes the board is operating in the best public
interest of the state, and the health, safety, and well-being of
all of the animals and livestock in the State of Alaska.
Concern was expressed regarding the board and its actions for
rural Alaska and the animals in rural Alaska. In 2010, private
citizens brought these concerns to the board, and in 2012 and
2013, the board took appropriate regulatory action. She
explained that it increased the scope of the "courtesy license"
allowing courtesy licensees to apply to spay and neuter clinics
in rural Alaska. The regulations allow veterinary technicians
to travel to rural Alaska and work remotely with veterinarians
stationed on the road-system in an effort to help ease the
burden in rural Alaska, and follow the desires of pet owners and
prevent pets from procreating.
3:38:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH asked whether other states or jurisdictions
operate without some sort of oversight of veterinarians.
MS. KOENEMAN answered, "No."
3:39:22 PM
KRIS CURTIS, Legislative Auditor, Division of Legislative Audit,
Alaska State Legislature, advised that Legislative Audit did
conduct a sunset review of the Board of Veterinary Examiners,
dated March of 2016. She explained that the purpose of a sunset
audit is to determine whether a board is serving the public's
interest and whether it should be extended. The Division of
Legislative Audit did find that this board is serving the
public's interest by appropriately licensing and regulating
veterinarians and veterinary technicians, she remarked. The
division recommends an eight-year extension which is the maximum
allowed in statutory, with the one recommendation found on page
7 of the audit. The division noted that the board's annual
reports submitted during the audit period included the status of
prior sunset audit findings of the dental examiners sunset
findings, she offered. Therefore, she pointed out that the
division recommended the board chair review the annual report
before submission, and described this as a minimal housekeeping
type of recommendation and it did not impact the sunset. She
pointed to page 5 of the audit report and advised it is a
listing of the licenses and the license counts, and as of
February 2016, there were 670 total licenses representing a 57
percent increase since the last sunset audit of 2008. She
turned to page 6 of the audit and said it is a schedule of
revenues and expenditure, at the end of FY13 the board had a
surplus of approximately $108,000 and the fees were decreased.
At the end of February 2016, it was operating in a deficit and
at that point, the management of the Division of Corporations,
Business, and Professional Licensing did say it would reassess
fees at the end of FY16.
3:41:32 PM
CHAIR KITO noted that of the boards in committee, there are two
running for a full eight-years, with 10-11 boards coming up next
year. He asked Ms. Curtis how the Division of Legislative Audit
will try to make sure the audits do not all hit in a single
year, or whether there was a plan to be sure they would be
spread out more equitably from year-to-year.
MS. CURTIS responded that the Division of Legislative Audit will
conduct the audits as it usually does, and it will look at the
findings. In the event the division is waffling between five,
six, or seven years, it will look at its workload to determine
how it all falls out. She described that the Division of
Legislative Audit's recommendation is simply a recommendation.
She stated that sometimes the department may recommend a six-
year extension, and someone will propose a three-years
extension, or a controversial issue will pop up and the
organization will only have a two-year extension. She explained
that even though the Division of Legislative Audit may plan for
a smooth workload over the years, sometimes that just does not
happen.
3:42:56 PM
DOCTOR RACHAEL BERNGARTT, Veterinarian, Alaska Board of
Veterinary Examiners, advised she has been in Alaska since 2002,
and served on the board over one-year.
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP noted an email petition from a number of
unhappy constituents who were not happy with the Board of
Veterinary Examiners. He acknowledged that he could barely read
the email and only saw "a bunch of signatures," and asked
whether she was aware of the issue.
3:44:05 PM
MS. KOENEMAN responded that the pushback she referred to in her
opening statement was with regard to those 318 signatures of the
petition. The concern was about veterinarian care in rural
Alaska and the spay and neuter clinics, and she advised that the
board did take appropriate steps in 2012 and 2013 addressing
those issues.
CHAIR KITO opened public testimony on HB 144.
3:45:15 PM
LEA McKENZIE said she was testifying on her own behalf, and
advised that the people signing the 2010 petition believe there
has not been any improvement in veterinary care in rural Alaska,
and asked the committee to not extend the board for eight more
years due to the pet care crisis in rural Alaska. Prior to
2010, a veterinarian offered relief to the people and animals in
the area and, she advised, veterinarians are still willing to
come to Alaska but not under the conditions that currently
exist. She stated that "Alaska has a reputation for being
unfriendly to, and even hostile, toward those vets that would
like come and do their non-profit work in rural Alaska." This
service would not impact the state's budget as it is footed by
non-profits existing outside of Alaska. Until Alaska becomes a
friendlier environment for these vets to help rural Alaska, the
crisis affecting animals and people in these remote areas will
continue.
3:48:26 PM
DOCTOR JIM HAGEE, Member, Board of Veterinary Examiners, advised
that he is a practicing veterinarian in Chugach, has been a
resident of Alaska since 1998, has practiced veterinary medicine
over 45-years, and has been a member of the Board of Veterinary
Examiners for the last 5-years. He explained that the board
does deal with rural Alaska, and for 6-years he traveled to the
City of Dillingham practicing veterinary care every other month.
Rural Alaska does need veterinary care, he acknowledged, yet on
the other hand it must be remembered that veterinary medicine as
an organized discipline is a for-profit entity. Non-profit
groups have been instrumental in bringing low-cost spay and
neuters to the villages; however, the continuity of care is not
there. In order for veterinarians, who operate a for-profit
business, to go to villages to provide continual care, a great
economic burden is placed on the veterinarian. He described
that going into the village has to be almost like a donation as
a way of giving back. So far, he advised, there is no
organization that will provide continued veterinary care, only
sporadic spay and neuter care.
3:50:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH thanked Dr. Hagee for his service, years of
volunteering in the Dillingham area, and he appreciates Dr.
Hagee's service on the board.
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES commented that living in rural Alaska
where there is one veterinarian clinic most of the time, she
said she fails to see how this board's unfriendliness plays into
this subject, and that she was confused by the testimony.
CHAIR KITO advised that the committee may be able to
independently look at what is going on with veterinary care in
rural Alaska, and determine whether there are other things
legislators may be able to help facilitate from "our role here."
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES related that as the owner of three
animals, that would be a beautiful thing.
CHAIR KITO advised public testimony would remain open on HB 144.
[HB 144 was held over.]