SB 126-VISITING PHYSICIANS WITH SPORTS TEAMS  4:02:34 PM CHAIR KITO announced that the final order of business would be SENATE BILL NO. 126, "An Act providing for an exception to the regulation of the practice of medicine for a physician who provides medical services to an athletic team from another state." 4:02:49 PM SENATOR ANNA MACKINNON, Alaska State Legislature, presented SB 126 as prime sponsor. She paraphrased the sponsor statement [included in committee packet] which reads as follows [original punctuation provided]: Competitive sports teams typically have a team physician who provides care for the athletes. When the team travels out of state, the physician often accompanies them. However, if an athlete is injured or needs a prescription filled while traveling in Alaska, the team physician would not be able to provide care without being licensed here. Senate Bill 126 would provide an exemption for state licensure for this narrow circumstance. The physician would have to be licensed to practice medicine in another state, under a written contract to provide care to an athletic team in that state and would be limited to providing services to members of the team while they are traveling or participating in a sporting event in Alaska. The bill is a narrow solution to a specific problem. Thirty-five other states have passed similar legislation to ensure that the doctors who know their patients best can continue to treat them. 4:04:19 PM REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP asked about the motivation for the proposed bill. SENATOR MACKINNON answered there is a national movement to address liability issues when team doctors travel with sports teams. REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH asked whether a license is required. SENATOR MACKINNON answered the proposed bill would require three parts: the doctor must be licensed in their state, must be under contract with the team, and must be traveling to and from Alaska. REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked for confirmation that the traveling doctor cannot treat Alaskans. SENATOR MACKINNON answered the Good Samaritan Act would cover them, but the proposed bill covers only the sports team. 4:07:20 PM JULI LUCKY, Staff, Senator Anna Mackinnon, Alaska State Legislature, answered questions in the hearing on SB 126. She said if a person wants to treat Alaskans, they could pursue temporary licensure. 4:08:28 PM JEFFREY MOORE, Medical Doctor, testified in the hearing on SB 126. He clarified the proposed bill would not allow hospital privileges to the team doctors and was intended for smaller issues such as infections or supplying inhalers. He said the team doctors would still be limited in what they can do. He added similar legislation is in place in 35 states and pending in 13 other states. 4:10:20 PM CHAIR KITO opened public testimony on SB 126. He announced he would leave public testimony open for the next hearing. CHAIR KITO held over SB 126.