Legislature(2001 - 2002)
04/16/2002 10:34 AM Senate RLS
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE RULES COMMITTEE
April 16, 2002
10:34 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Randy Phillips, Chair
Senator John Cowdery, Vice Chair
Senator Rick Halford
Senator Gene Therriault
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Johnny Ellis
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 4
"An Act relating to a mandatory exemption from municipal property
taxes for certain residences and to an optional exemption from
municipal taxes for residential property; and providing for an
effective date."
APPROVED FOR CALENDARING
SENATE BILL NO. 91
"An Act relating to information and services available to
pregnant women and other persons; and ensuring informed consent
before an abortion may be performed, except in cases of medical
emergency."
APPROVED CSSB 91(RLS) FOR CALENDARING
SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILL NO. 223
"An Act referencing the award of good time and restricting
release on mandatory parole for prisoners serving certain
sentences who fail to attain certain minimum educational
standards; and providing for an effective date."
APPROVED SSSB 223 FOR CALENDARING
SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILL NO. 226
"An Act requiring highways to be designed and constructed so that
they will adequately serve anticipated traffic levels for the
next 30 years; and providing for an effective date."
SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
SENATE BILL NO. 295
"An Act relating to the disclosure of information regarding
delinquent minors to certain licensing agencies; and providing
for an effective date."
APPROVED FOR CALENDARING
SENATE BILL NO. 302
"An Act defining the term 'mental health professional' for the
purpose of statutes relating to the evaluation of prisoners who
may need psychological or psychiatric treatment, for the purpose
of statutes relating to the evaluation of children in need of aid
and delinquent minors who may need to be confined in a secure
residential psychiatric treatment center or who should be
released from such a center, for the purpose of statutes
requiring certain professionals to report the possibility that a
vulnerable adult has been abused or neglected, and for the
purpose of statutes relating to mental health civil commitments."
APPROVED FOR CALENDARING
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 32
Suspending Rules 24(c), 35, 41(b), and 42(e), Uniform Rules of
the Alaska State Legislature, concerning House Bill No. 390,
relating to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and the salmon
marketing tax.
APPROVED FOR CALENDARING
HOUSE BILL NO. 411
"An Act relating to physician assistants; providing that a
physician assistant is a health care provider covered by certain
laws relating to medical malpractice actions; adding physician
assistants to the list of providers against whom unfair
discrimination relating to health care insurance is prohibited
and to the list of providers who can provide proof of disablement
or handicap for the purpose of motor vehicle registration or for
the purpose of obtaining a special license plate or a special
parking permit; and providing for an effective date."
APPROVED FOR CALENDARING
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
SB 4 - See Community & Regional Affairs minutes dated 2/7/01 and
2/28/01, Finance Report dated 4/5/02 and Rules minutes dated
4/20/01.
SB 91 - See HESS minutes dated 3/14/01, 3/16/01 and 4/2/01,
Judiciary minutes dated 4/9/01 and 4/11/01 and Finance Report
dated 4/3/02.
SB 223 - See Judiciary minutes dated 2/11/02 and Finance Report
dated 4/3/02.
SB 295 - See HESS minutes dated 3/4/02 and Judiciary minutes
dated 4/10/02.
SB 302 - See HESS minutes dated 3/4/02 and Judiciary minutes
dated 4/10/02.
SCR 32 - No previous Senate committee action to record.
HB 411 - No previous Senate committee action to record.
WITNESS REGISTER
Ms. Annette Kreitzer
Staff to Senator Leman
Alaska State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on the proposed amendment to SB 91
Ms. Sharon Clark
Staff to Representative Fate
Alaska State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified for the sponsor of HB 411
Ms. Sharon Holt
Sunshine Community Health Center
Talkeetna, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports HB 411
Mr. Jim Wojciehowski
Alaska Academy of Physician Assistants
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports HB 411
Ms. Mary Marshburn
Division of Motor Vehicles
Department of Administration
PO Box 110200
Juneau, AK 99811-0200
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports HB 411
Mr. Ed Hall
Alaska Academy of Physician Assistants
13601 Windward Circle
Anchorage, AK 99516
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports HB 411
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 02-7, SIDE A
Number 001
CHAIRMAN RANDY PHILLIPS called the Senate Rules Committee meeting
to order at 10:34 a.m. Senators Cowdery, Halford and Phillips
were present. The committee took up its agenda.
SENATOR COWDERY moved to calendar SB 4-MUNICIPAL PROPERTY TAX
EXEMPTION with its accompanying fiscal notes at the Chairman's
discretion. There being no objection, the motion carried.
SENATOR COWDERY moved to calendar SB 91-ABORTION: INFORMED
CONSENT; INFORMATION at the Chairman's discretion.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS announced that an amendment to SB 91 has been
proposed.
SENATOR HALFORD moved to adopt the proposed amendment (Amendment
1), which reads as follows:
Page 1, line 7, after the word "prepare," insert "and
annually update"
MS. ANNETTE KREITZER, aide to Senator Leman, informed members
that this issue was raised in the Senate Finance Committee but
the timing was such that the amendment could not be drafted
before the bill moved on. The Department of Health and Social
Services concluded, after looking at subsections (2) and (3) on
page 2, that it would be required to prepare an information
packet more than annually. The amendment will clarify that the
department is expected to do an annual update.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS announced that with no objection to Amendment
1, it would be incorporated into a Senate Rules Committee
substitute.
SENATOR HALFORD moved to calendar CSSB 91(RLS) with its
accompanying fiscal note at the Chairman's discretion. Senator
Halford pointed out the fiscal note may change as a result of the
amendment and requested the Chairman request an updated fiscal
note.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS stated that if the fiscal note amount changes,
the committee will bring it up the following day.
There being no objection to calendaring CSSB 91(RLS) with its
updated fiscal note, the motion carried.
SENATOR COWDERY moved to calendar SB 223-PRISONERS:PAROLE/GOOD
TIME with its accompanying fiscal note at the Chairman's
discretion.
There being no objection, CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS announced that SB 223
will be scheduled at a later date.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS announced that SB 226-HIGHWAY DESIGN &
CONSTRUCTION will be held in committee as it has not received a
fiscal note yet.
SENATOR HALFORD moved to calendar SB 295-LICENSING:DISCLOSURE OF
MINORS RECORDS with its accompanying fiscal note and asked for
unanimous consent.
There being no objection, the motion carried.
SENATOR HALFORD moved to calendar SB 302-DEFINITION OF MENTAL
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL with its zero fiscal note at the Chairman's
discretion.
There being no objection, the motion carried.
SENATOR HALFORD moved to calendar SCR 32-SUSPEND UNIFORM RULES
FOR HB 390 at the Chairman's discretion.
There being no objection, the motion carried.
The committee took a three-minute recess.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS announced that the committee would hold a
substantive hearing on HB 411-PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.
REPRESENTATIVE HUGH FATE, sponsor of HB 411, informed members
that he introduced the measure at the request of physician
assistants. When the health provider statutes were enacted,
physician assistants were simply admitted at that time but they
were not given the same standards as other health providers. HB
411 will enable physician assistants to do several things. As
providers they will be allowed to authorize license plates for
the disabled. They will be put under the insurance programs for
malpractice insurance and be able to receive funds disbursed
under health insurance programs. They will have the same
opportunities regarding insurability. He pointed out that in
House committee hearings, he was asked if HB 411 will impact the
general fund. It will not. The uniform code of schedules pays
physician assistants about 85 percent of the amount paid by
Medicaid or Medicare to a physician. HB 411 will have no impact
on that amount. He noted that physicians' assistants now provide
health care in many areas in rural Alaska yet they must still be
under the supervision of a physician. HB 411 will merely provide
parity for physician assistants with other health providers.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS acknowledged the presence of Senator
Therriault. He then took teleconference testimony.
MS. SHARON HOLT, chief fiscal officer of the Sunshine Community
Health Center, Talkeetna, stated wholehearted support for HB 411.
She said that the center has four physician assistants whose
services are critical to the communities served by the center.
Because the current state statute does not include physician
assistants in the list of health care providers, the center
periodically has its billings for medical services denied by
third party payers. That represents a significant barrier to
health care for individuals with health insurance, as well as the
clinic's ability to maximize potential revenues, particularly for
small, rural health clinics. She urged members' support of HB
411.
MR. JIM WOJCIEHOWSKI, President of the Alaska Academy of
Physician Assistants, urged members to expedite the passage of HB
411. He noted that Representative Fate's overview was excellent:
HB 411 corrects an oversight in the original statute. He pointed
out that physician assistants were relatively new to the state 20
years ago but are now the sole providers in many rural areas.
MS. MARY MARSHBURN, Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles,
commented that Section 3 of the bill adds physician assistants to
the list of health care providers who can sign disabled parking
permits. She believes that is a good addition to the bill.
MR. ED HALL, member of the Academy of Physician Assistants,
stated support for HB 411 and its companion bill, SB 265. He
believes the measure will diminish patient barriers with
insurance. He encouraged members' support.
SENATOR HALFORD moved to calendar HB 411 with its accompanying
fiscal notes at the Chairman's discretion. There being no
objection, the motion carried.
There being no further business to come before the committee,
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS adjourned the meeting at 10:54 a.m.
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