HB 168 PERMITS FOR NONRESIDENT OPTOMETRISTS                         
                                                                              
 SENATOR KELLY announced HB 168 to be up for consideration.                    
                                                                               
 SAM KITO, Alaska Optometric Association, said HB 168 was introduced           
 at their request.  The purpose is to allow permits to be issued to            
 non-resident optometrists for the purpose of assisting or                     
 substituting for an optometrist licensed under Alaska Statute                 
 08.72.  He explained that Alaska has a lot of solo practitioners in           
 remote and semi-remote areas of the state.  If a practitioner                 
 becomes injured or seriously ill, or must be temporarily out of his           
 office, he presently has to close down his clinic.  This can be a             
 hardship to his patients, especially if it is for several months.             
                                                                               
 CATHERINE REARDON said she supported HB 168.                                  
                                                                               
 SENATOR TORGERSON asked why anyone who holds a valid license should           
 be from Canada, Australia, or New Zealand.  MR. KITO explained that           
 those licenses were compatible with the ones in the United States.            
                                                                               
 Number 46                                                                     
                                                                               
 SENATOR SALO moved to pass HB 168 from committee with individual              
 recommendations.  There were no objections and it was so ordered.