[Contains discussion of HB 121 and SB 54.] 9:10:57 AM CO-CHAIR HALL announced that the first order of business would be confirmation hearings on the governor's appointees to various boards. 9:11:20 AM DONOVAN NEAL, Appointee, Board of Public Accountancy, testified as appointee to the Board of Public Accountancy. He began his testimony by stating he has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) for 25 years, noting that he has spent 10 years in public accounting and another 15 years "in industry." He further stated that he has participated on a few non-profit boards, which were notated on his resume that had been provided to the committee members. He welcomed questions from the committee. 9:12:30 AM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what APICDA stood for, referring to Mr. Neal's resume. MR. NEAL explained that it stood for Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association, which was a non-profit community development quota (CDQ) group that is focused on the Bering Sea region. REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER, referring to HB 121, asked Mr. Neal's opinion on the proposed legislation. MR. NEAL explained that, at one point in the public accounting area, there were a lot of candidates and a lot of competition for jobs. He stated that, in recent years, its been more difficult to attract qualified candidates to the CPA profession. He noted that HB 121 was a part of a nationwide movement in efforts to reduce the additional requirement to attract more applicants to the CPA profession. 9:14:29 AM REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked what issues Mr. Neal foresees that would need to be addressed by the Board of Public Accountancy. MR. NEAL noted that the board meets four times annually, and oversees a number of things, including applications for new accountancy, regulation changes, and alternative pathways to CPA licensure. He stated that the board also looks at application renewals. 9:16:27 AM JAMES DOUGHTY, Appointee, Board of Public Accountancy, He stated that he started in public accounting in 2006 after receiving his bachelor's in accounting from the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). He stated that he became a CPA in 2009. He noted that he has worked for corporations, government clients, non-profits organizations, et cetera. He stated that he looked forward to tackling various issues as a member of the board, noting that the proposed changing credit requirements for CPA was the primary reason that he applied for the board. He stated that he would like to see the proposed changing credit requirements pass the legislature, noting that there was a nationwide shortage of CPAs. 9:17:37 AM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether Mr. Doughty found the disclosure requirements for his application to the board onerous. MR. DOUGHTY replied that he found the application process easy. 9:18:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked for clarification whether his application was for appointment or re-appointment. MR. DOUGHTY clarified that this was his initial application. 9:18:45 AM MARY ELKINS, Appointee, Board of Professional Counselors, testified as an appointee to the Board of Professional Counselors. She stated that she had applied to the board to ensure that Alaska's counseling regulations reflect the work "on the ground." 9:19:22 AM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether this was a re-appointment. MS. ELKINS explained that she was appointed in June [2025]. REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what issues she saw facing the mental health industry in Alaska. MS. ELKINS replied that the industry was changing significantly, particularly with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI). She asserted that there was a great need for increased access to mental healthcare, reporting that there are underserved clients through Medicaid. She further asserted that private health insurance plans are challenging, noting that, while mental health care should be a weekly or twice weekly appointment, many private health insurance plans offer coverage capping at a few times a year. 9:21:28 AM REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked for the term length on the Board of Professional Counselors. MS. ELKINS stated that she thought it was a two- or three-year term. REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK noted that Ms. Elkins' resume was very robust, seeming to serve in a lot of positions simultaneously in the last decade. She asked how the Board of Professional Counselors would fit into Ms. Elkins' life. MS. ELKINS acknowledged that she was very busy but stated that she did not find it difficult to juggle many roles. She noted that her roles were concurrent, stating that she was the CEO of her business, and that she additionally started a community behavioral health clinic. MS. ELKINS, in response to a follow-up question from Representative Carrick, identified "providing guidance and supervision" to help individuals become "fantastic counselors" as her number one role. 9:24:37 AM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Ms. Elkins opinion on the integration of behavioral health providers in public school and further asked her to identify any regulations in need of change with regards to behavioral health services in Alaska. MS. ELKINS opined that the present of behavioral health professionals in schools was very important. She identified the COVID-19 pandemic as very impactful on children, noting that access to mental health professionals would be very helpful. She stated that behavioral health services needed to be expanded. She noted that she would like to see private insurances cover what is typically covered under Medicaid. 9:27:16 AM CRYSTAL HERRING, Appointee, Board of Professional Counselors, testified as an appointee to the Board of Professional Counselors. She stated that she was originally from Mississippi, and she has lived in Alaska for the past 24 years. She stated that she had been in the counseling profession for about 28 years, and that she had been a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Alaska since 2013. She identified keeping up with current practices and making regulatory changes as needed as goals in the name of serving her community. 9:28:35 AM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what challenges Ms. Herring saw in the mental health industry. MS. HERRING replied that she agreed with Ms. Elkins on the regulation of AI technology, noting that AI had a large impact on the mental health field as it was heavily unregulated and there was a lot of concern about confidentiality. REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether Ms. Herring's appointment was a re-appointment. MS. HERRING replied that her appointment was new and that she had never served on a board. 9:31:26 AM ASHLEY MARTIN, Appointee, Board of Professional Counselors, She stated that she has been in the behavioral health field for the past 17 years, noting that she received her LPC in 2019. She reported that past experience included work in both inpatient and outpatient substance use treatment programs, and a mental health crisis recovery center. She stated that, through her current position as a behavioral health officer at Catholic Social Services, she helps homeless individuals and individuals who reside at shelters. She emphasized the importance of qualify supervision for individuals working towards their LPCs and stated that she hoped to be a part of "retaining quality counselors for my community." 9:32:50 AM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what Ms. Martin saw as the biggest issues facing the behavioral health industry. MS. MARTIN replied that lack of counselors was a problem in Alaska. She offered her agreement with previous appointees on changing technologies and the potential impacts on the mental health profession. She additionally spoke to barriers to access, such as lack of transportation in rural areas, as an issue. MS. MARTIN, in response to a follow-up question from Representative Saddler, stressed the importance of allowing licenses to transfer upon relocation to Alaska. 9:35:11 AM REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked what the board was doing to communicate with and address regional issues in Alaska, noting that every appointee to the Board of Professional Counselors was located in Anchorage, Alaska. MS. MARTIN emphasized access to supervision in their region while earning their license. She noted that new graduates in rural areas may not have a licensed supervisor in their area. 9:37:51 AM CARRIE-ELAINE BORDER, Appointee, Board of Professional Counselors, testified as an appointee to the Board of Professional Counselors. She stated that she has 14 years of experience in the mental health field, with 7 years of experience as a supervisory LPC. She further stated that she had 16 years of experience with medical billing, noting that she was a Medicare and Medicaid billing specialist prior to becoming a counselor. She said that she had a bachelor's in teaching. She stated that she had helped with the legislative efforts to create an Associate Counselor license type, a new license that allows counselors to practice under supervision as a step towards LPC. 9:40:02 AM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER appreciated Ms. Borders technical experience and history with medical billing. He asked what policy changes the legislature should consider to prevent mental health crises. MS. BORDER answered that LPCs needed more accountability and noted that the renewal process was simplistic and did not provide for actual accountability. MS. BORDER further stating that blending Medicaid services with healthcare services to classify what kind of services are being provided, the cost of actual services, and to whom. She specified that it was important to identify who had the greatest need for mental healthcare and quantify the effectiveness of care. 9:44:29 AM CO-CHAIR HALL asked what accountability looks like for LPCs. MS. BORDER replied that accountability means "showing that you have done what you said you would do." CO-CHAIR HALL queried the mechanisms by which accountability could be taken. MS. BORDER responded that technology could be used to show progress, and additional paperwork that could be sent to the Board of Professional Counselors to prove supervision. 9:46:26 AM ROBERT GERLACH, DVM, Appointee, Board of Veterinary Examiners, testified as an appointee to the Board of Veterinary Examiners. He stated that, after receiving his veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania, he practiced in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, primarily on dairy cattle. He stated that he moved to Anchorage, where he worked in private practices for 13 years. He stated that he had a background in physiology and toxicology and began working for the State of Alaska to study contaminants in fisheries in Alaska. He stated that he had previously served as the Alaska State Veterinarian and had worked with the Board of Veterinary Examiners in the past and was encouraged by the former chair to apply for a position on the board. 9:50:00 AM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether his appointment was a re- appointment. DR. GERLACH stated that this would be his initial appointment. REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Dr. Gerlach to comment on Alaska's readiness to deal with pathogenic diseases of mammalian or avian origin. DR. GERLACH stated that, due to the challenges of remote operations around Alaska, his approach to addressing pathogenic diseases and outbreaks was highly collaborative with both state and federal entities the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G). He stated that, as the State Veterinarian, he and others performed an extensive evaluation of bird flu in both wild and domestic avian populations in Alaska. He further explained that his office trained wildlife biologists and technicians in the appropriate collection of samples, which avoided travel delays. DR. GERLACH, in response to a follow-up question from Representative Saddler, offered his belief that the state was in good shape to respond to disease outbreaks, and highlighted the importance of collaboration between state and federal entities. REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked for Dr. Gerlach's opinion on the proposed Department of Agriculture. DR. GERLACH stated that the Office of the State Veterinarian was very small, with three staff members, and relies on the laboratory in the Department of Environment Conservation (DEC) to provide a number of services for sample processing and analysis. He stated that the State Veterinary Office also relies on individuals in DEC and the Food Safety & Sanitation [Program] to response to outbreaks in agricultural and dairy products. He stated that these collaborations allow the State Veterinary Office to provide "a wide variety of services with efficient use of resources." He said that the State Veterinarian position was very integrated within DEC. He noted that moving the position to a new location [with the creation of the Department of Agriculture] could mean a possible expansion of staff and it could also provide challenges with regard to laboratory support and sample handling. 9:55:28 AM CO-CHAIR HALL thanked Dr. Gerlach for his testimony. 9:56:06 AM SAMSON SHEPERD, Appointee, State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers & Land Surveyors, testified as appointee to the State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers & Land Surveyors. He offered his education and work background. He said he is a small business owner and expressed excitement about the opportunity to serve the board. 9:56:50 AM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER spoke to an effort in legislature [SB 54] to add interior designers to the board. MR. SHEPERD stated that he did not have any comment on that piece of legislation. REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what issues Mr. Sheperd saw with the board. MR. SHEPERD noted that there appeared to be a lack of appointees to the board.