SB 12-MILITARY SPOUSE COURTESY LICENSE  12:30:49 PM CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that the final order of business would be SENATE BILL NO. 12, "An Act relating to temporary courtesy licenses for military spouses; and relating to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development." 12:30:50 PM JOE HAYES, Staff, Senator Scott Kawasaki, Alaska State Legislature, presented SB 12 on behalf of Senator Kawasaki, prime sponsor. He read the sponsor statement, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: In 2011, House Bill 28 was passed into law 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 while they complete state requirements. For a military spouse, expedited temporary courtesy licenses are the fastest method of obtaining licensure so they can get to work quickly after relocating to Alaska. Many states have passed similar legislation into law. However, states such as Washington and Connecticut also included a reporting mechanism so the Legislature and Joint Armed Services Committee equivalent in that state could track the executive branch's progress of implementation. HB 28 did not include a reporting requirement when it was passed. Senate Bill 12 would require the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development to prepare an annual report of courtesy licenses issued the previous fiscal year. This simple reporting mechanism will help facilitate communication between occupational boards, the state agency, the U.S. Department of Defense who assists in relocating service members and families, as well as Alaska legislators with service members in their districts. The bill will also aid in making occupational board staff and legislators more aware of what opportunities are available for helping military spouses enter the Alaska the workforce. Other states have implemented a similar expedited licensing program to allow military spouses to transfer their professional credentials quickly and contribute to the local economies. While Alaska's program is a model for other states, its implementation has stalled with few eligible professionals taking advantage of the program and spouses reporting delays despite the program being in effect for eight years. Senate Bill 12 would help identify inefficiencies in the program before they cause delays in productivity and ensure the program is working as intended. Introduced in 2018 as House Bill 262, the bill passed the House unanimously and gained bipartisan support in the Senate before it failed to reach the floor for a vote. The concept of this bill is listed as a priority for the U.S. Department of Defense by the state liaison serving Alaska. The passage of SB 12 would improve communication between state and federal government agencies and active duty families. By improving efficiency and awareness about what opportunities are available, the bill will help welcome military families to Alaska. I respectfully urge your support of SB 12, a corrective bill that will help ease the transition of military families and get more licensed professionals to work in our communities near military installations. 12:33:45 PM REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked about existing reciprocity. MR. HAYES responded that HB 28 had passed during the Twenty- Seventh Alaska State Legislature, but the state had not been monitoring its effects. This proposed legislation would require an annual report regarding how many military spouses were able to use their licenses. REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked when HB 28 passed. MR. HAYES responded that HB 28 passed in 2011. REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked whether the state had been denying licensing to otherwise eligible individuals. MR. HAYES said that, while no licenses had been denied, military spouses were not aware of the program. 12:37:21 PM TAMMIE PERREAULT, Northwest Regional Liaison, Defense-State Liaison Office, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), testified in support of SB 12 on behalf of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community & Family Policy. She said that the proposed legislation would support significant DoD priorities for occupational licensing boards to ensure licenses are appropriately processed for military spouses. She expressed that the reporting requirements under SB 12 would help DoD assess the actions of licensing boards, as well as encourage any appropriate implementation of changes to law and regulatory policy. She said that the Defense-State Liaison Office, in a 2017 study done by the University of Minnesota, found specific limitations to Alaska's current expedited licensure process such as board staff not being aware of legislation that supports licensure portability, lack of unique processes for military spouses, and limited available information. Since 2017, she said, the Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing in the Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development (DCCED) has worked hard to address the shortcomings, including significantly reducing the processing time for military spouses. She expressed that without the appropriate supporting legislation, continuing the effort to improve Alaska's process for military spouse licensure could be hindered; the concern has been communicated to the governor by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. She said that half of all military personnel are married, and military spouse employment and its associated personal and financial well-being is a vital component in servicemember retention, with 88 percent of military spouses reporting that they either want or need to work. Military spouses are highly influential regarding a servicemember's decision to remain in the service, she said, and over 28 percent of servicemembers reported that their decision to leave the military would "largely or moderately" be affected by their spouse's career prospects. Ms. Perrault noted that consideration of a spouse's licensure is required when making "basing decisions," and she stressed that military families often require two incomes. 12:39:47 PM REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER asked whether temporary licenses for active duty military members, rather than only for spouses, could be considered. MR. HAYES replied that he does not believe Senator Kawasaki would be opposed to such consideration, but he doesn't know how that would work. 12:41:14 PM REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked about military spouses engaged in internships or apprenticeships. MR. HAYES responded that he doesn't believe the proposed legislation would cover such individuals. 12:43:03 PM SARA CHAMBERS, Director, Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing, Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, said that the proposed legislation doesn't change anything in the licensing process, it would simply require the annual report. 12:44:02 PM CO-CHAIR FIELDS asked Representative McCarty whether the action on the House floor addressed the issues he had sought to address with a possible amendment. REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY replied yes. 12:44:20 PM CO-CHAIR FIELDS opened public testimony on SB 12. After ascertaining that no one wished to testify, he closed public testimony. 12:44:41 PM CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ moved to report SB 12 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, SB 12 was reported out of the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.