02/10/2017 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB48 | |
| HB69 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 69 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 48 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE
February 10, 2017
3:23 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Sam Kito, Chair
Representative Andy Josephson
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Chris Birch
Representative Gary Knopp
Representative Colleen Sullivan-Leonard
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Adam Wool, Vice Chair
Representative Mike Chenault (alternate)
Representative Bryce Edgmon (alternate)
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 48
"An Act relating to the composition of the State Board of
Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors;
extending the termination date of the State Board of
Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors; and
providing for an effective date."
- MOVED HB 48 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 69
"An Act repealing the Workers' Compensation Appeals Commission;
relating to decisions and orders of the Workers' Compensation
Appeals Commission; relating to superior court jurisdiction over
appeals from Alaska Workers' Compensation Board decisions;
repealing Rules 201.1, 401.1, and 501.1, Alaska Rules of
Appellate Procedure, and amending Rules 202(a), 204(a) - (c),
210(e), 601(b), and 603(a), Alaska Rules of Appellate Procedure;
and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED HB 69 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 48
SHORT TITLE: ARCHITECTS,ENGINEERS,SURVEYORS: EXTEND BD
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) KITO
01/18/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/18/17 (H) L&C, FIN
02/08/17 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124
02/08/17 (H) Heard & Held
02/08/17 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
02/10/17 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124
BILL: HB 69
SHORT TITLE: REPEAL WORKERS' COMP APPEALS COMMISSION
SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR
01/20/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/20/17 (H) L&C, JUD
02/06/17 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124
02/06/17 (H) Heard & Held
02/06/17 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
02/10/17 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124
WITNESS REGISTER
JANEY HOVENDEN, Director
Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing
(DCBPL)
Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development (DCCED)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 48.
MARIE MARX, Director
Division of Workers' Compensation
Department of Labor & Workforce Development (DOLWD)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 69.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:23:29 PM
CHAIR SAM KITO called the House Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee meeting to order at 3:23 p.m. Representatives
Josephson, Stutes, Birch, Knopp, Sullivan-Leonard, and Kito were
present at the call to order.
HB 48-ARCHITECTS,ENGINEERS,SURVEYORS: EXTEND BD
3:24:11 PM
CHAIR KITO announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 48, "An Act relating to the composition of the
State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land
Surveyors; extending the termination date of the State Board of
Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors; and
providing for an effective date."
3:24:38 PM
CHAIR KITO closed public testimony on HB 48.
3:25:13 PM
CHAIR KITO explained that HB 48 would extend the State Board of
Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors
(AELS) and make the temporary, non-voting, landscape architect
board position a permanent and voting position. He noted an
updated fiscal note which identifies that the revenue for the
board comes from program receipts in an amount of $29,600
through fiscal year 2023 (FY 23), which is different from the
previous fiscal note.
3:26:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP asked if the new projections are in line
with those of past years.
3:26:38 PM
JANEY HOVENDEN, Director, Division of Corporations, Business,
and Professional Licensing (DCBPL), Department of Commerce,
Community & Economic Development (DCCED), answered that the
updated fiscal note includes the projected costs for the board
to conduct its business, and she stated the costs are in line
with what has been done in the past. She added that the fiscal
note includes there are some additional cost-cutting initiatives
with regard to travel.
3:27:14 PM
CHAIR KITO stated that information provided in a previous
meeting showed fluctuations in the board's revenues. The board
has a surplus; therefore, the fees are anticipated to go down
further. It will adjust fees every other year according to
statute.
3:27:46 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP stated that was his understanding as well.
He said that he hadn't seen the prior appropriations and wanted
to make sure the fiscal note was in line with the prior
appropriations.
3:28:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SULLIVAN-LEONARD stated that she has been
watching the board and supports the voting position for
landscapes architects.
3:28:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH spoke in support of HB 48, which he stated
is a great effort and has been a long time coming.
3:28:55 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON moved to report HB 48 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, HB 48 was moved from
committee.
3:29:21 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 3:29 p.m. to 3:31 p.m.
HB 69-REPEAL WORKERS' COMP APPEALS COMMISSION
3:31:45 PM
CHAIR KITO announced that the final order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 69, "An Act repealing the Workers' Compensation
Appeals Commission; relating to decisions and orders of the
Workers' Compensation Appeals Commission; relating to superior
court jurisdiction over appeals from Alaska Workers'
Compensation Board decisions; repealing Rules 201.1, 401.1, and
501.1, Alaska Rules of Appellate Procedure, and amending Rules
202(a), 204(a) - (c), 210(e), 601(b), and 603(a), Alaska Rules
of Appellate Procedure; and providing for an effective date."
3:32:14 PM
CHAIR KITO closed public testimony on HB 69.
CHAIR KITO explained that HB 69 would repeal the Workers'
Compensation Appeals Commission. He mentioned a letter from the
Department of Labor & Workforce Development (DOLWD) [included in
the committee packet] which answers questions raised by the
committee in a previous meeting.
3:32:53 PM
MARIE MARX, Director, Division of Workers' Compensation,
Department of Labor & Workforce Development (DOLWD), answered
questions regarding HB 69. In response to a previous question
about who generally wins cases appealed to the Alaska Supreme
Court from the commission, she stated that the majority of cases
were not decided by the Alaska Supreme Court: often the parties
settled, the Supreme Court declined to hear a petition for
review, the parties failed to prosecute, or the Alaska Supreme
Court would send the case back to the commission. She noted
that although it is hard to determine a clear winner because of
nuances, she calculated that 51 percent of the 39 cases decided
in favor of the claimant - 49 percent in favor of the employer.
3:34:10 PM
CHAIR KITO said it is basically a statistical dead heat.
MS. MARX responded, "That would be accurate." She stated that
she may have misstated in her previous testimony by calling
"reports of injuries" claims. She clarified that reports of
injury are anytime someone is injured, which doesn't have to
involve time loss or medical care. She explained there are
around 20,000 reports of injury per year. Of those,
approximately 1,200 result in workers' compensation claims being
filed - a very small percentage are disputed. The Workers'
Compensation Board holds hearings on about 250 to 300 claims and
petitions. She explained that a lot of claims do not reach the
board for a hearing because they are often settled, mediated, or
there is a failure to prosecute.
3:36:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON moved to report HB 69 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, HB 69 was moved from
committee.
3:37:00 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 3:37 p.m. to 3:39 p.m.
3:39:40 PM
CHAIR KITO gave an overview of the upcoming schedule for finance
subcommittees and the upcoming House Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee schedule.
3:41:04 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at
3:41 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB048 Fiscal Note DCCED-CBPL 2.8.17.pdf |
HL&C 2/10/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 48 |
| HB048 Sponsor Statement 2.6.17.pdf |
HL&C 2/8/2017 3:15:00 PM HL&C 2/10/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 48 |
| HB048 Supporting Document-Sunset Audit 01.31.17.pdf |
HL&C 2/8/2017 3:15:00 PM HL&C 2/10/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 48 |
| HB048 Supporting Document-Letters of Support 2.6.17.pdf |
HL&C 2/8/2017 3:15:00 PM HL&C 2/10/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 48 |
| HB069 Supporting Document-WCAC cases 1.30.2017.pdf |
HJUD 2/27/2017 1:00:00 PM HJUD 3/10/2017 1:30:00 PM HJUD 3/20/2017 1:00:00 PM HL&C 2/6/2017 3:15:00 PM HL&C 2/10/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 69 |
| HB069 Transmittal Letter 1.30.2017.pdf |
HL&C 2/6/2017 3:15:00 PM HL&C 2/10/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 69 |
| HB069 Fiscal Note DOLWD-WC 1.30.2017.pdf |
HL&C 2/6/2017 3:15:00 PM HL&C 2/10/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 69 |
| HB069 Sectional Analysis ver A 1.30.2017.pdf |
HJUD 2/27/2017 1:00:00 PM HJUD 3/10/2017 1:30:00 PM HJUD 3/20/2017 1:00:00 PM HL&C 2/6/2017 3:15:00 PM HL&C 2/10/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 69 |
| HB069 Fiscal Note JUD-ACS 2.6.17.pdf |
HL&C 2/6/2017 3:15:00 PM HL&C 2/10/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 69 |
| HB069 Documents-DOLWD Response 2.9.17.pdf |
HL&C 2/10/2017 3:15:00 PM |
HB 69 |