HB 262-MILITARY SPOUSE COURTESY LICENSE  1:03:42 PM CHAIR KITO announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 262, "An Act relating to temporary courtesy licenses for certain nonresident professionals; and relating to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development." 1:04:03 PM WILLIAM JODWALIS, Staff, Representative Scott Kawasaki, Alaska State Legislature, presented HB 262 on behalf of Representative Kawasaki, prime sponsor. He paraphrased the sponsor statement [in committee packet], which reads as follows [original punctuation provided]: In 2011, HB 28 was passed to provide expedited temporary courtesy licenses to eligible individuals transferred to Alaska with their active duty service member spouse, so they can practice their trade without experiencing extensive wait times for licensure approval. For a military spouse, expedited temporary courtesy licenses are the fastest method of obtaining licensure and getting back to their profession. Similar legislation was also passed by several other states. However, states such as Washington and Connecticut, also included a reporting mechanism so that the Legislature and Joint Armed Services Committee equivalent in that state could track the executive branch's progress of implementation and occupational board communication. HB 28 did not include a reporting requirement when it was passed. In fall 2017, legislators voiced concern that full implementation of HB 28 (2011) was not yet completed, and that not all occupational boards were aware of the now 7-year-old statute. While questions remain, the bill simply seeks to strengthen the ability of military spouses to obtain these occupational licenses in an efficient and expedited manner as prescribed by law. HB 262 seeks to amend AS 08.01.063 to include that the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development prepare an annual report regarding courtesy licenses issued the previous calendar year. This simple reporting mechanism will help facilitate communication between occupational boards, the department and the legislators. It will also aid in making occupational board staff and legislators more aware of what opportunities are available for helping military spouses get back into the workforce. The passage of HB 262 would improve communication between the boards, the department and the legislator and by improving efficiency and awareness about what opportunities are available, will help welcome military families to Alaska and encourage their integration into our local economy. I respectfully urge your support of HB 262, a corrective bill that is in the interest of improving communication, accountability and helping with the transition of Alaska's military families. 1:06:49 PM DALE VANDE HEY, Department of Defense (DoD) State Liaison Office, testified in the hearing on HB 262. He explained the DoD works with state legislators who work on legislation that impacts and supports military members and their families. He stated the proposed bill was "top of the list", as military spouses continue to need assistance. He said it is "not a give- away," but merely recognizing a license from another state and expediting the process for transitioning military spouses. 1:08:35 PM ROBERT DOEHL, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA), testified in the hearing on HB 262.{ He said military spouses have to figure out what licenses and standards are current in the new state and they end up doing this on their own through word-of-mouth as the DoD doesn't provide any assistance. He said DMVA has reached out to the active military to offer informal avenues, but it still comes down to the military spouse to navigate. He added that typically they have to do this about every four years. 1:10:30 PM CHRISTIE RODRIGUEZ testified in support of HB 262. She shared her experience with moving every few years as a military spouse. She said military spouses are 38 percent under-employed compared to their civilian counterparts. CHAIR KITO asked about the fiscal note (FN) for HB 262. 1:13:06 PM SARA CHAMBERS, Deputy Director, Division of Corporations, Businesses, and Professional Licensing (DCBPL), Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development (DCCED), answered questions in the hearing on HB 262. She addressed the fiscal note and explained that currently the department does provide updates on an ad hoc basis. She said $5,000 in expenditure authority was the request. 1:14:18 PM CHAIR KITO asked whether the amount is a one-time request and in future years the amount would be incorporated into the budgets of individual boards. MS. CHAMBERS answered in the affirmative. 1:14:44 PM REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked about producing a report every calendar year rather than every fiscal year. He further asked about renewals. MS. CHAMBERS answered that there are existing practices for military spouses. She said there are over 100 license types and nearly every type offers the process. She added that the ones that don't are the ones that don't need it or have safety requirements. She said there were only 35 military spouse license requests in the previous year. She said she was very interested in hearing from the Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA) and other groups who could help meet the needs. She underlined that currently the division was not hearing from them about any problems. 1:18:59 PM REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked whether Ms. Chambers understands the need to move to reporting on the calendar year. MS. CHAMBERS answered the department is happy to provide the information whenever it is necessary. REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked about the timing of reporting. MS. CHAMBERS said the timing gives the department plenty of time to produce a report. 1:21:32 PM CHAIR KITO opened public testimony on HB 262. CHAIR KITO held over HB 262.