04/05/2016 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

      HB 324-VIOLENT CRIMES COMPENSATION BOARD MEMBERSHIP                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:05:23 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STOLTZE announced the consideration of HB 324.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GABRIELLE   LEDOUX,  Alaska   State  Legislature,                                                               
Juneau, Alaska,  explained that HB  324 amends the  membership of                                                               
the Violent Crimes Compensation Board  in order to give the board                                                               
flexibility  in  recruitment. She  detailed  that  the board  had                                                               
problems  recruiting  for  the   medical  doctor  or  osteopathic                                                               
physician  board member  designation.  She revealed  that HB  324                                                               
would  add  either  a  physician   assistant  or  advanced  nurse                                                               
practitioner to increase the pool of people.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STOLTZE asked if the change included retired physicians.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:07:21 AM                                                                                                                    
COURTNEY  ENRIGHT,  Staff,  Representative LeDoux,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska,  replied that the change  was just a                                                               
wording change and the board  had previously been allowed to have                                                               
retired physicians.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STOLTZE asked  if a  doctor retired  from active  practice                                                               
with a suspended license would qualify.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LEDOUX replied  that  membership currently  reads                                                               
"retired." She  surmised that a  retired doctor with  a suspended                                                               
license probably would not qualify.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STOLTZE   specified  that   he  meant   voluntary  license                                                               
suspension, similar to suspending one's insurance.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX answered correct.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:08:57 AM                                                                                                                    
GERAD  GODFREY,  Chairman,  Violent  Crimes  Compensation  Board,                                                               
Anchorage,  Alaska,  stated  that  he  would  provide  background                                                               
information  on what  necessitated HB  324. He  detailed that  on                                                               
three occasions  during his  14-year tenure  the board  could not                                                               
fill  the  statutorily-required seat  for  a  medical doctor.  He                                                               
noted that the board has three  members and a quorum was possible                                                               
with two members, but a  medically-trained person brought insight                                                               
and experience  to the  meetings. He  specified that  a medically                                                               
trained person could look at  medical billing records, understand                                                               
the scope  of injuries  from the  crime, or  identify individuals                                                               
that  use  the   incident  to  have  the  state   pay  for  their                                                               
prescription drug addiction.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. GODFREY summarized that the  board has experienced challenges                                                               
in getting  a practicing  physician to  commit the  time required                                                               
for the medical-doctor's board seat.  He said expanding the scope                                                               
of  medical expertise  that would  be qualified  to serve  on the                                                               
board would make it easier to find someone to commit the time.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:13:55 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  STOLTZE  commended  Dr.  Regina  Chennault  for  her  past                                                               
contribution   as  a   board  member   for  the   Violent  Crimes                                                               
Compensation Board.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:15:54 AM                                                                                                                    
MR. GODFREY thanked  Chair Stoltze for being an  advocate for the                                                               
Violent Crimes Compensation Board.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:17:17 AM                                                                                                                    
KATE  HUDSON,  Executive  Director, Violent  Crimes  Compensation                                                               
Board, Juneau, Alaska, concurred with Mr. Godfrey's testimony.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STOLTZE  closed public  testimony on HB  324. He  asked Ms.                                                               
Hudson to  discuss the  board's funding  from the  Permanent Fund                                                               
and the possible funding impact  from the proposed changes to the                                                               
Permanent Fund.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:19:00 AM                                                                                                                    
MS.  HUDSON   acknowledged  that  funding  does   come  from  the                                                               
Permanent  Fund. She  specified that  the board  has two  funding                                                               
sources: withheld  dividends to  incarcerated felons  in addition                                                               
to state and  federal funding. She concurred that  changes to the                                                               
Permanent  Fund  dividend would  impact  the  way the  board  was                                                               
funded. She  noted that the  fiscal notes were  indeterminate due                                                               
to the various bills that affect the Permanent Fund.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STOLTZE pointed out that the bill has a zero-fiscal note.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:21:14 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  COGHILL moved  to report  the  CS for  HB 324(STA)  from                                                               
committee  with  individual  recommendations and  attached  zero-                                                               
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:21:21 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STOLTZE announced that hearing no objection, CSSB 234(STA)                                                                
moved from committee.