HB 251-PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE  3:22:23 PM CHAIR OLSON announced that the first order of business would be SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 251, "An Act relating to the Board of Veterinary Examiners and the practice of veterinary medicine." 3:22:50 PM REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON made a motion to withdraw the committee's action in adopting the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 251, labeled 27-LS1062\R, Martin, 3/20/12. There being no objection, Version R was withdrawn [Version R was previously adopted at the 3/23/12 House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting.] 3:23:13 PM REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute, (CS) for HB 251, labeled 27-LS1062\O, Martin, 3/26/12. There being no objection, Version O was adopted as the working document. 3:23:30 PM ANNETTE KREITZER, Staff, Representative Alan Dick, Alaska State Legislature, introduced explained the changes from [the sponsor substitute] Version D and the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 251. She stated that the language in Section 1 of Version O was changed to remove the Board of Veterinary Examiners' oversight of veterinarians practicing uncompensated or pro bono care. She referred to page 2, lines 1-8, and related concerns were expressed about how to track pro bono veterinarians. Subsection (b) would require the department to collect the name, address, contact information and a copy of the veterinarian's license to practice veterinary medicine. She reported the department form will be available electronically. 3:24:43 PM MS. KREITZER stated that Section 2 was deleted from Version D, which provided provisions for surrender and reinstatement of a license. The phrase "or experimental" was removed from proposed Section 3, page 3, line 26 of Version D, noting the term professional incompetence is found in proposed Section 2 of Version O. Additionally, "gross negligence or repeated negligent conduct" was removed from that same section based on testimony by the Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association, who expressed concern that this created an unnecessary higher standard for showing professional incompetence. Version O corrects a minor drafter error in proposed Section 3, line 21, which incorrectly directed the notice of complaint be sent to the licensee when the notice should be sent to the complainant. Additionally, Version O would establish a task force to examine the need for and status of veterinary services in rural Alaska, including rabies vaccinations. The task force would be comprised of representation from the House and Senate, the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN), state personnel that interact with veterinarians and private veterinarians who provide service in rural Alaska and urban areas. She reported the task force recommendations are due to the governor and the legislature by December 31, 2012. 3:26:23 PM CHAIR OLSON thanked his staff and the sponsor's staff for their work on this bill. He pointed out numerous people had weighed in on the bill. 3:27:02 PM REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON moved to report the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 251, labeled 27-LS1062\O, Martin, 3/26/12, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no further objection, the CSHB 251(L&C) was reported from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee. 3:27:23 PM The committee took an at-ease from 3:27 p.m. to 3:29 p.m.