04/17/2023 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

          HB 56-CONTROLLED SUB. DATA: EXEMPT ANIMAL RX                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:48:49 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN   reconvened  the   meeting  and   announced  the                                                               
consideration of HOUSE  BILL NO. 56 "An  Act exempting controlled                                                               
substances prescribed or dispensed by  a veterinarian to treat an                                                               
animal  from   the  requirements  of  the   controlled  substance                                                               
prescription database."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
He  stated that  this is  the second  hearing of  this bill.  The                                                               
committee  heard  the  Senate  companion bill  on  March  24  and                                                               
adopted a committee substitute. He  noted that James Sexton would                                                               
provide a brief recap of HB 56.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:49:36 PM                                                                                                                    
JAMES  SEXTON,  Staff,  Representative Justin  Ruffridge,  Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska,  stated that  HB 56  exempts                                                               
veterinarians  from  the  Prescription  Drug  Monitoring  Program                                                               
(PDMP).   Currently,  when   pets  are   admitted  as   patients,                                                               
veterinarians are  required to review the  human owner's personal                                                               
medical history  of pharmaceutical  drug prescriptions  and other                                                               
information.  Veterinarians  are  not trained  in  human  medical                                                               
information, medications,  or correlating  dosages. Veterinarians                                                               
are not listed under privacy  for HIPPA purposes. This bill would                                                               
remove this burdensome requirement  and address the corresponding                                                               
privacy concerns.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:50:53 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN  opened public testimony  on HB 56;  finding none,                                                               
he closed public testimony.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:51:31 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON   moved  to  adopt  the   Senate  committee                                                               
substitute  (SCS)  for HB  56,  work  order 33-LS0394\B,  as  the                                                               
working document.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BJORKMAN objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:52:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BISHOP joined the meeting.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:52:16 PM                                                                                                                    
LAURA  ACHEE,   Staff,  Senator  Jesse  Bjorkman,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau,   Alaska,  presented  the   explanation  of                                                               
changes to the  Senate committee substitute. She  said the Senate                                                               
committee  substitute   (SCS)  is  identical  to   the  committee                                                               
substitute adopted  for the companion  of this bill [CSSB  51 was                                                               
adopted  March  24,  2023].  This  bill  would  expand  statutory                                                               
allowances for certification to  allow veterinarians that haven't                                                               
been qualified in  the United States, but  who are well-qualified                                                               
and have  alternative certifications to  be certified to  work in                                                               
the state of Alaska.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:53:21 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN removed  his  objection  and SCS  for  HB 56  was                                                               
adopted as the working document.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:53:30 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:56:52 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN reconvened the meeting.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MERRICK joined the meeting.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:57:12 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited the will of the committee.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:57:15 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON  moved to report  SCS HB 56, work  order 33-                                                               
LS0394\B,  from  committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
attached fiscal note(s).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:57:45 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN  found  no  objection  and  SCS  HB  56(L&C)  was                                                               
reported from the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.