Legislature(2017 - 2018)BARNES 124
03/24/2017 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB144 | |
| HB86 | |
| HB170 | |
| HB132 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 170 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 144 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 86 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 132 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 144-EXTEND BOARD OF VETERINARY EXAMINERS
3:19:19 PM
CHAIR KITO announced that the first 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."
3:19:35 PM
CHRYSTAL KOENEMAN, Staff, Representative Sam Kito, III, Alaska
State Legislature, advised that HB 144 extends the Board of
Veterinarian Examiners eight full years until 2020, at the
request of the Division of Legislative Audit.
3:20:22 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 3:19 p.m. to 3:21:21 p.m.
3:21:03 PM
CHAIR KITO, after ascertaining no one wished to testify, closed
public testimony on HB 144.
3:21:38 PM
DOCTOR RACHAEL BERNGARTT, Veterinarian, Alaska Board of
Veterinary Examiners, said she was available for questions.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON asked what the board could do about
improving veterinary medicine in rural Alaska.
DR. BURNGARTT answered that the Alaska Board of Veterinary
Examiners are charged with regulating licensees and it does not
specifically know where licensees will practice. She suggested
that an appropriate resource to work with in increasing
veterinary care in rural Alaska would be the Alaska State
Veterinary Medical Association, which speaks to all
veterinarians. Historically, people submit their credentials,
the board reviews it, "and that's it." She opined that the
board has never denied a courtesy license, commenting that it
recently completed more than 20, less than 50, courtesy licenses
for the Iditarod and veterinarians were stretched out into very
remote areas of Alaska. She reiterated that the board simply
looks at credentials to be certain license applicants adhere to
the regulations, and while she understands the need to increase
veterinary assess in rural Alaska, she expressed that that is
not the job of the Alaska Board of Veterinary Examiners.
3:24:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES asked Dr. Burngartt to explain a courtesy
license.
DR. BURNGARTT answered that a courtesy license is issued for
special events such as, the Iditarod, a spay/neuter clinic, a
marine mammal conference, and such, where the desire is to draw
in outside experts or more manpower. The courtesy license is
issued for a specific event only, at a reduced rate, with an
Alaskan veterinarian as a sponsor. The board also offers
temporary licenses up to 60 days to help folks that may only
need short-term coverage.
3:26:21 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES surmised that courtesy licenses are issued
to existing veterinarians, who may not be Alaskan residents.
DR. BURNGARTT responded that the veterinarians who are issued
courtesy licenses are not Alaska residents.
3:26:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP asked whether the people who have expressed
opposition to HB 144 believe the role of the board is other than
what it is, that maybe the board's role should provide services,
or whether they oppose HB 144 because they view the board as an
impediment to more rural services.
DR. BURNGARTT responded that she could not speculate why they
are unhappy, but the board has not denied a license to any
veterinarian meeting the credentials.
3:27:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP asked whether it would be fair to say [the
unhappy people] were unsure of the board's role, which is not
uncommon.
DR. BURNGARTT speculated, "Yes," and commented that they do not
understand the role of the board and the folks living in rural
Alaska want care for their pets. She said she would like to see
a cardiologist in rural Alaska, and many other things, but that
is not the job of the Alaska Board of Veterinary Examiners.
CHAIR KITO advised Representative Knopp that one of the
challenges is that there does not appear to be a place where
people can call when they do not receive adequate service. He
further advised that that issue is definitely something his
office is interested in working on over the interim and invited
the members of the committee to participate in collecting
information as to different ways the state could help facilitate
additional care for animals in rural Alaska.
CHAIR KITO reopened public testimony on HB 144.
3:29:23 PM
DOCTOR ERIC JAYNE, Veterinarian, advised he is the veterinarian
who worked throughout rural Alaska for 10 years, 1999-2009, and
is intimately knowledgeable about the issues. He advised that
he prepared a 2004 survey through the University of Alaska
Fairbanks, looking at veterinary needs and asking people for
solutions. One recommendation was to increase education because
people in the villages were performing veterinary care for
animals with zero training and simply guessing about the
procedures. The University of Alaska tried to start a training
program and even though the board's only described role was
approving or denying of licenses, he pointed out that the board
actually did intervene in that training. He stressed that the
board will intervene in issues, and the issue at that time was
training people how to perform emergency care, and the board did
not feel the training was appropriate. The 2004 survey found
that a "crazy number" of animals died every year in rural Alaska
due to the lack of veterinary care, and he estimated the number
was in excess of 50,000 animals dying from lack of care, or
being shot. He explained that a huge issue for him in these
small isolated villages is that the individuals caring for
animals have no choice, and when there is an excess of strays,
or animals that cannot be treated, the animal are shot. The
call goes out in the villages for people to tie up their dogs,
which means any loose dogs will be shot. During that time, he
articulated, the children may not actually see the dogs being
shot, but they hear the gunshots which is a source of trauma for
the children in villages. He expressed that the board should be
more involved because there is a rule in the veterinarian board
regulations calling for the board to perform surveys, and the
board has never performed a survey. Also, he pointed out, a
rural member should be admitted to the board, so the needs of
rural Alaskans can be heard, except there are policies now that
are tweaked against rural veterinarians. He clarified that by
rural veterinarians, he meant non-profit veterinarians.
3:31:42 PM
DR. JAYNE related that there is a real hesitation on the part of
Alaska to allow outside non-profit veterinarians into the state,
which is happening all across America, and whether the board
wants to admit it or not, it is a resource being denied
Alaskans. He acknowledged that the board is fine with
everything up to a point, except the survey suggested that at
least 10,000 spays and neuters are necessary in rural Alaska
just to stay even, and when rising up to that number of spays
and neuters, a lot of veterinarians will feel threatened
economically. The manner in which the board's rules are
interpreted currently, "allows easy access to harass a
veterinarian, which is exactly what happened to me." He
explained that he recently withdrew his application "so this
could be talked about, I guess this was keeping the issue from
being talked about, and I'd be happy to talk with anybody about
what has happened to me," and there are many things in the "vet
board rules" allowing the problems to happen. For example, he
said, there is no time limit to file a complaint, and in
reapplying for a license, he actually had a complaint brought
forward from 12-years prior and he was asked to respond to the
complaint, "which is crazy," he expressed.
3:33:08 PM
DR. JAYNE explained that among the many things that are actually
legal in Alaska, the state allows a veterinarian to euthanize a
pet if the owner cannot pay the bill, which happens oftentimes
in rural Alaska. For example, in Chalkyitsik, an elderly woman
sent her little white dog into town to have one small front
tooth removed, the veterinarian removed it, and told her the
cost would be $500 or they would euthanize the dog. She came up
with the money, paid the fee and paid for both flights. The
veterinarian put one stitch in that tooth - the empty socket,
and Dr. Jayne said he had never seen a stitch put in that
location. The veterinarian "literally told her she could not
take the stitch out herself, that that was against the law, that
she had to fly the dog back in to have the stitch removed."
Fortunately, he said, he was in Chalkyitsik at the time and
removed the stitch, the elder was frantic and almost in tears,
he related. There are stories such as that happening all of the
time. Also, he advised, he has seen many cases where rural
Alaskans do not feel protected by the board because they have
received poor quality medicine, were sent drugs without the
correct labeling, and such. Dr. Jayne stressed that there were
so many things the board could do if it took an interest in
rural Alaska, and the best way to accomplish that result would
be to add a true rural Alaska member.
3:34:50 PM
CHAIR KITO encouraged Dr. Jayne to allow Chair Kito's staff to
work with him over the interim to try to come up with different
ideas to bring back before the committee next year.
DR. JAYNE said, "That would be great," and advised that the
reason he reapplied was absolutely to bring this issue out
because he is "haunted by the memory of the children in rural
Alaska and the effect this has on them."
CHAIR KITO closed public testimony on HB 144.
3:35:38 PM
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL moved to report HB 144, Version 30-LS0596\A,
out of committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 144 was
moved from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB170 DCCED Presentation 3.23.17.pdf |
HL&C 3/24/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 170 |
| HB170 Fiscal Note DHSS-SDSA 3.17.17.pdf |
HL&C 3/24/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 170 |
| HB170 Fiscal Note DCCED-DBS 3.13.17.pdf |
HL&C 3/24/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 170 |
| HB170 Repealers List 3.21.17.pdf |
HL&C 3/24/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 170 |
| HB170 Sectional Analysis 3.21.17.pdf |
HL&C 3/24/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 170 |
| HB170 Sponsor Statement 3.21.17.pdf |
HL&C 3/24/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 170 |
| HB086 ACPE Response HLAC 3.23.17.pdf |
HL&C 3/24/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 86 |
| HB141 DOLWD Response HLAC 3.10.17.pdf |
HL&C 3/24/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 141 |
| HB170 DCCED Whitepaper 3.20.17.pdf |
HL&C 3/24/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 170 |
| HB170 DCCED Presentation 3.23.17.pdf |
HL&C 3/24/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 170 |