SB 81-EXTEND BOARD OF MIDWIVES    CHAIR DAVIS announced SB 81 to be up for consideration. 1:36:43 PM RICHARD BENAVIDES, staff to Senator Davis, sponsor of SB 81, explained that the bill extends the sunset date for the Board of th Certified Direct-Entry Midwives (BCDEM) to June 30, 2015. The extension is in line with legislative audit recommendations. The board serves to educate midwives of the level of service, experience, and education expected of them, regulating the profession while ensuring public safety. SENATOR COWDERY asked for the number of other states that have a board of midwives, and if the length of the proposed extension is normal. MR. BENAVIDES said that the extension is average. SENATOR COWDERY asked if the members are paid. MR. BENAVIDES said that he believes they only receive a per diem while on board business. 1:39:15 PM NIKKI ROUGET, with the Division of Legislative Audit (DLA), said that the DLA conducted a review of the BCDEM and concurred that the board is operating in the best interest of the public and should be extended, with no operational recommendations. In 2005 the typical extension was changed from four years to eight years. SENATOR ELTON commented that the previous administration had the idea to reduce the instance of board overlap, and said he wondered if anyone knew of a similar plan by the current administration. 1:41:31 PM KAY KANNE, Executive Director of the Juneau Family Birth Center (JFBC), said that she has been a midwife in Juneau for 23 years, since there were no midwife laws. The board was created in 1992 and she served two consecutive terms; it strives for the highest levels of training and service, and is looked to as an example for other states, most of which have midwife boards. The JFBC serves 10 percent of birth population in Juneau. 1:43:38 PM SENATOR COWDERY asked where midwives are concentrated in the state. MS. KANNE replied that most midwives are concentrated in Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks, and are required to practice near a hospital. The midwife population has been relatively stable in recent years. SENATOR THOMAS asked if midwife training is readily available in the state. MS. KANNE replied that it is readily available in Juneau, coupled with an approved program with an option for a masters' degree. Training generally takes two to three years. 1:46:10 PM BRODIE ANDERSON, aide to Representative Kawasaki, said that he was available for questions but did not plan to testify. DANA BROWN, Director of Alaska Family Health and Birth Center, said that she wants to see the board extended because it does a good job of serving the profession and contributing to public safety. The responsibilities of the board include investigating midwives, overseeing regulations, and providing continuing education. She added that the Fairbanks Birth Center assists in 11 percent of local births, and in Wasilla the percentage is 25. 1:49:50 PM CHAIR DAVIS commented that all kinds of health services are needed across Alaska. SENATOR ELTON said that he was surprised by the high fees for board membership, and added that the board is important for monitoring confidence and it ensures excellence of care. 1:52:44 PM SENATOR DYSON said that expensive legal cases brought against the board mean penalization of innocent members; in general, though, the board has done an excellent job of serving its members. SENATOR DYSON made a motion to move SB 81 from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There being no objection, the motion carried.