SL&C 2/20/96 SB 43 ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, LAND SURVEYORS  SENATOR KELLY announced SB 43 to be up for consideration. He said he heard of an additional problem that had just come up. SENATOR LEMAN, sponsor of SB 43, said one of the differences in the "f" version and the bill they heard last year was in section 1. Last year the Board requested flexibility for "a governor's appointment of an engineer" and that had been changed to "two civil engineers, and the three other engineering positions would be selected from other branches of the profession. The mining engineers who are currently named in statute objected. As an alternative the bill offers to say that one engineer be selected from mining, chemical, or petroleum engineering, the three smallest categories, as opposed to electrical, mechanical, and civil. This would assure that at all times there would be a mining, chemical, or petroleum engineer on the Board. The other change, SENATOR LEMAN said, is in section four, which Senator Duncan had suggested, to provide for a retired status registration. It would not authorize practice, but would enable retired engineers to have a procedure whereby they could become active, if they wanted to. He thought that reflected well on the many engineers who have retired in this State who would like to maintain their license without necessarily paying the full fee each year. Version "g" is different only in section 1 which is deleted. SENATOR LEMAN said it has been increasingly difficult, because of the small category of mining engineers, to find someone who is willing and able to serve. He said the Board spends a lot of time reviewing applications for registration and it leaves the smallest category with a mining engineer with the least amount of work to do, because there aren't that many new people applying for registration in mining engineering. There are many in the categories of civil, mechanical, and electrical. Number 300 SENATOR KELLY asked the Committee if they had a version preference. SENATOR MILLER said he preferred the "g" version. SENATOR KELLY asked if there were any other changes from the original bill in the "g" version. SHERMAN ERNOUF, Legislative Aide to Senator Tim Kelly, said the "Duncan amendment" was the only one. SENATOR SALO asked what was the composition of the panel. SENATOR LEMAN replied that it would be one person who is experienced in the settlement of disputes, one attorney, and one professional architect, engineer, or land surveyor. SENATOR SALO asked, regarding section 4, if the retired status people with a license for a continuing practice, could serve on the panel. SENATOR LEMAN said he didn't think so the way the bill is currently written. SENATOR SALO remarked that they would probably be very good to serve on a panel. SENATOR LEMAN agreed saying he would want to look at that further, but thought that they should have had to practice in Alaska before serving. Number 338 SENATOR MILLER moved to adopt the version "g" committee substitute. There were no objections and it was so ordered. SENATOR DUNCAN asked for clarification on how the committee substitute was different other than the retired status. SENATOR LEMAN replied that sections 1 and 2 are revisor's changes. Section 4 is the insertion of the word "or" on page 3, line 2. The Department of Law said it is difficult to enforce the Board's statutes without that word unless a person violates all three of the provisions. Section 5 was brought to the Board by the land surveyors. It takes out the exemption of land surveying teaching in a post secondary educational institution. The institution would have to have a registered land surveyor. They need this to elevate the status of land surveying. There are also some definition changes in the practice of land surveying that bring it more up to date with current practice. Number 369 MIKE TAURIANIAN, Soldotna, said he supported the concept of the bill. His concern was the small number of mining engineers to pick from, roughly five percent of all engineers, and the difficulty in not only getting someone to serve, but in providing geographical distribution. Electrical and mechanical engineers are about 33 percent of the total. So he requested restoring that language, dropping mining engineer and adding "three engineers from other branches of the profession of engineering." SENATOR KELLY said this committee had already made a policy call on that language, but this bill will go through several more committees and he would have an opportunity to address that issue again. MR. TAURIANIAN said he supported the retired status and he hoped language would be adopted regarding the engineers who come to Alaska and retire without working here first. Number 406 MERLE JANTZ, Vice Chairman, AELS Board, said they recently voted unanimously to support SB 43. He said he was very glad they are looking at the retired status issue. Regarding section 1, he felt that they need the expertise while reviewing applications. SENATOR KELLY explained they had already made that policy call and he could testify on that issue in the next committee of referral. SHARON MACKLIN, Alaska Professional Design Council, said there has been a concern raised having to do with the land surveying issue. SENATOR DUNCAN questioned language in section 1 of "g". SENATOR LEMAN noted that the other section was the one he considered to be a revisor's section, because it was referring to an entity that doesn't exist anymore. He wanted to hear what the Board wanted to do to establish evidence of practice for registration. He thought it would be consistent with some of the changes in sections 5 and 6 about upgrading the profession of land surveying. SENATOR KELLY commented that upgrading and closing the door might be a touchy subject. He asked if by deleting that language, engineers could be required to have more than eight years experience before they get a license. SENATOR LEMAN replied that it would be the equivalent of what the Board requires of other professions. SENATOR DUNCAN said he was concerned with the necessity of that section. SENATOR KELLY asked if anyone else wanted to testify on this bill. BARBARA HUFF, Teamsters Local 959, said they have concerns with the amount of time they are looking at with land surveyors. She requested that their staff who actually head up the land surveyors school in Anchorage, a four year program, have an opportunity to discuss this issue further. Their major concern is the additional training could negatively impact rural individuals and their ability to get fully trained or qualified in the field and to be able to function in that profession. SENATOR KELLY said he did not want to hold up the bill unnecessarily, but he wanted to see that question addressed before the bill left the Committee and said they would hear it again next Tuesday. SENATOR DUNCAN noted that they should also look at the retired status language so people couldn't just move to the State and get retired status.