03/01/2006 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

                                                                                                                                
     SENATE BILL NO. 254                                                                                                        
     "An Act extending the termination date for the State                                                                       
     Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board; and                                                                       
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was  the first hearing for  this bill in the  Senate Finance                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
TOM MAHER,  Staff to Senator  Gene Therriault,  paraphrasing from                                                               
the sponsor statement [copy on  file], testified that a scheduled                                                               
audit conducted  by the Division  of Legislative  Audit concluded                                                               
that  the  Physical Therapy  and  Occupational  Therapy Board  is                                                               
operating in  the public's best  interest and should  continue to                                                               
regulate  the physical  and  occupational  therapists. The  Board                                                               
safeguards the  public interest by  promoting the  competence and                                                               
integrity of  those who practice  in this field and  continues to                                                               
improve its  effectiveness and ensure therapists  are licensed in                                                               
the State of Alaska.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Maher explained that this  legislation would extend the lapse                                                               
date of the Board  by eight years from June 30,  2006 to June 30,                                                               
2014.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Maher  reported   that  the   audit   contained  no   other                                                               
recommendations pertaining to this Board.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Maher  informed  that  the  fiscal  note  accompanying  this                                                               
legislation  reflects  projected  future  costs  of  the  Board's                                                               
operations. Governor Murkowski's proposed  FY 07 operating budget                                                               
contains funding for this Board's operations in FY 07.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:23:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SUNDI  HONDL,  President,  Alaska Physical  Therapy  Association,                                                               
testified  via  teleconference  from  Mat-Su in  support  of  the                                                               
continuation of the Board.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:24:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PATRICIA    MCADOO,    Physical    Therapist,    testified    via                                                               
teleconference  from  Anchorage  that she  supported  this  bill.                                                               
Because  physical  therapy education  could  not  be obtained  in                                                               
Alaska, a "strong"  Board is important. This Board is  one of the                                                               
most  respected and  hard  working  bodies of  this  type in  the                                                               
country. The Board process is  an investment in the protection of                                                               
Alaskans.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:25:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Stedman  offered  a  motion  to  report  the  bill  from                                                               
Committee  with   individual  recommendations   and  accompanying                                                               
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice Chair  Bunde noted that this  Board, like most of  the State                                                               
boards and commissions, is self-supporting.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There was no  objection and SB 254 was MOVED  from Committee with                                                               
zero fiscal  note #1 from  the Department of  Commerce, Community                                                               
and Economic Development.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:25:51 AM