Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

05/03/2024 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 225 OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING FEES TELECONFERENCED
Moved SB 225 Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled: TELECONFERENCED
+= HB 253 FEDERALLY DESIGNATED REFRIGERANTS TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 253 Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= HB 17 CONTRACEPTIVES COVERAGE:INSURE;MED ASSIST TELECONFERENCED
Moved SCS CSHB 17(HSS) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= HB 237 TEMPORARY PERMIT FOR LAPSED NURSE LICENSE TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 237 Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= HB 309 DELEGATION OF ROUTINE OPTOMETRY SERVICES TELECONFERENCED
Moved HB 309 Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= HB 254 BLOCK PORNOGRAPHY TO MINORS; SOCIAL MEDIA TELECONFERENCED
Moved SCS CSHB 254(L&C) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
        HB 309-DELEGATION OF ROUTINE OPTOMETRY SERVICES                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:58:12 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN   reconvened  the   meeting  and   announced  the                                                               
consideration  of HOUSE  BILL NO.  309  "An Act  relating to  the                                                               
practice of optometry; and relating  to the delegation of routine                                                               
services of optometry."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:58:52 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  JUSTIN   RUFFRIDGE,  District  7,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska, sponsor  of HB  309, said  the bill                                                               
seeks  to allow  optometrists  to delegate  some  of the  routine                                                               
services that  they perform  inside their  clinics to  staff that                                                               
have the  training necessary  to do  so. He  said the  bill would                                                               
allow the Board [of Examiners  in Optometry] to adopt regulations                                                               
that  would authorize  an optometrist  to  delegate some  routine                                                               
services to an agent of  the optometrist. Those regulations would                                                               
require that the agent acquire  a license to perform those duties                                                               
because  it's  a  delegated  duty.  HB  309  would  prohibit  the                                                               
optometrist  from delegating  any duties  for pain  management or                                                               
opioid use  or addiction,  and also require  the board  to define                                                               
what a  routine service  would be.  He noted  that some  of those                                                               
services were  described during  testimony from  optometrists. He                                                               
noted  HB 309  was a  bit of  a clean-up  bill as  some of  these                                                               
practices are  ongoing, and  the bill was  brought about  by some                                                               
changes  in  regulation that  were  attempted  by the  Board  [of                                                               
Examiners  in  Optometry] that  could  not  be processed  because                                                               
optometrists  did  not have  the  authority  to delegate  routine                                                               
services.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:00:35 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN opened public testimony on HB 309.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:00:59 PM                                                                                                                    
REBECCA WILBUR,  representing self, Fairbanks,  Alaska, testified                                                               
in support of  HB 309. She said she was  an Alaska Native person,                                                               
Yupik Eskimo and optometrist from  Quinhagak, Alaska and that she                                                               
practiced  in Fairbanks,  Alaska.  She said  she used  optometric                                                               
assistants on a daily basis  and that they improve efficiency and                                                               
help contain  costs. She offered  enthusiastic support  for House                                                               
Bill  309 which  would grant  the  Alaska Board  of Examiners  in                                                               
Optometry  the  authority  to   draft  regulation  regarding  the                                                               
delegation of routine optometric services.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:02:01 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN closed public testimony on HB 309.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:02:07 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited the will of the committee.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:02:10 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON moved  to  report HB  309,  work order  33-                                                               
LS1189\A,  from  committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
attached fiscal note(s).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:02:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN  found no objection  and HB 309 was  reported from                                                               
the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.