04/21/1998 01:35 PM Senate L&C

               SB 335 - LICENSING OF COSMETOLOGISTS                            
                                                                               
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN LEMAN brought SB 335 before the committee as the final                
order of business.  He directed attention to an amendment proposed             
by Senator Kelly.                                                              
                                                                               
CATHERINE REARDON, Director, Division of Occupational Licensing,               
Department of Commerce & Economic Development, speaking in support             
of the amendment, explained the amendment was drafted to address a             
concern from an instructor who was questioning the need for an                 
instructor license as well as a hairdresser license because it                 
would mean having to pay two fees.  The amendment provides that if             
an individual has an instructor license to teach a specific                    
occupation, that also gives the individual the power to perform the            
occupation.                                                                    
                                                                               
SENATOR MACKIE moved the adoption of the following amendment:                  
                                                                               
Amendment No. 1                                                                
                                                                               
Page 4, line 16:  Following "license" insert "practitioner"                    
                                                                               
Page 4, line 18:  Following "." insert:                                        
                                                                               
     "A person licensed as an instructor is considered to be                   
licensed as a practitioner, and is subject to the same requirements            
that a practitioner is subject to, in the same area for which the              
person is licensed as an instructor except that, for purposes of               
setting fees under AS 08.01.065, the department shall consider                 
instructors to be an occupation separate from practitioners.  An               
instructor license shall state the areas of practice (barbering,               
hairdressing, manicuring, esthetics, or any combination) in which              
the licensee is qualified to instruct and practice."                           
                                                                               
Hearing no objection to the adoption of the amendment, CHAIRMAN                
LEMAN stated the motion carried.                                               
                                                                               
Number 352                                                                     
                                                                               
SENATOR KELLY commented that normally when somebody who has been               
practicing in the business is grandfathered in, that individual                
gets a license forever, but the way this legislation is written it             
is only for six months.                                                        
                                                                               
MS. REARDON said her understanding of the transitions sections is              
that everyone has to go through the education and pass the exam in             
order to practice manicuring, whether they have been doing it for              
10 years or whether they are just coming in.  Similarly, people who            
want to teach it are going to have to meet the instructor                      
qualifications for teaching manicuring.  She added that she,                   
personally, does not support licensing manicurists.  However, she              
said that since the course is probably going to cost around $3000,             
and will probably take two to three months to accomplish, she would            
suggest making the effective date of the bill September 1, 1999, as            
well as to provide the authority to have an immediate effective                
date to adopt regulations.                                                     
                                                                               
SENATOR KELLY moved an Amendment No. 1 to change the effective date            
of the bill to September 1, 1999, and to draft language giving the             
department the authority to have an immediate effective date to                
adopt regulations.  Hearing no objection, CHAIRMAN LEMAN stated the            
motion carried.                                                                
                                                                               
SENATOR MACKIE asked Ms. Reardon if she supported the legislation.             
MS. REARDON replied that she has serious concerns about manicurist             
licensing.  SENATOR KELLY said he had some of the same concerns,               
but he thinks if there are further problems, they can be worked out            
in the process.                                                                
                                                                               
SENATOR KELLY moved CSSB 335(L&C) be passed out of committee with              
individual recommendations.  Hearing no objection, it was so                   
ordered.