SB 92 BOARD OF VETERINARY EXAMINERS; LICENSE  CHAIRMAN LEMAN announced SB 92 to be up for consideration. MS. ANNETTE KREITZER, Staff to Labor and Commerce Committee, explained there was a new CS before them labeled LS0595B. She said there was some concern that veterinarians hadn't been consulted, so she has spoken with eight or nine veterinarians. She said the committee had been concerned that veterinarians graduate from an accredited veterinary school and that is the case in the CS. She said the CS also changes the State exam to make it specific to Alaska issues of veterinary practice and not all of the veterinarians agree or disagree with that. The feeling from the Division is if you're going to graduate from an accredited school, take the National Board Exam, pass the clinical competency test, and take the State exam it should be focused on issues that are pertinent to the State of Alaska. The bill also adds pay required fees. MS. KREITZER said under licensing by credentials that section 3 is conforming to sections 1 and 2. SENATOR MACKIE moved to adopt the CS to SB 92. There were no objections and it was so ordered. SENATOR KELLY asked if the State test was a new requirement now. MS. KREITZER replied that it's not new; some of the questions on it, however, would be and were going to be specific to Alaska issues. SENATOR KELLY asked how people were supposed to know about Alaska issues without living here for a long time. MS. KREITZER said that would be a question for Dr. Brasler, Anchorage Veterinary Association. She has been advised that this is the practice in Colorado and other states. CHAIRMAN LEMAN commented that in the practice of engineering and architecture people at least have to take an arctic engineering class and pass that or write a paper on the topic. So people from out of State have some training in cold weather. SENATOR MACKIE said he would like to see an example of what a specific Alaska issue is. MS. KREITZER replied that some veterinarians suggested rabies, some of the things that happen along the Iditarod Trail, and cold weather situations specific to Alaska animals. Their point is that veterinarians who are treating animals in Alaska should have the training to deal with them whether they are getting licensed for the first time or coming in under credentialling. SENATOR MACKIE said he wants the bill they pass to give the opportunity for those who are qualified and trained and for us to have a conducive atmosphere to invite people to come and practice here. MS. KREITZER explained that some veterinarians think the required State test is redundant to the other tests given and there is concern with the purpose of the State test. Of the nine veterinarians she spoke with they all agreed that it is supposed to test veterinarians to practice within this State. Number 424 SENATOR KELLY said his concern was that Alaska veterinarians would not necessarily want or encourage competition from outside applicants and might make the test difficult to pass. SENATOR MACKIE said he didn't like specific Alaska language and asked how it is currently. MS. KREITZER said that she tried to follow the committee's wishes and spoke with several veterinarians and could not get consensus on this issue. There is disagreement about whether the State test is redundant. Number 449 DR. JOHN BASLER, Anchorage Veterinarian Association, said he is not representing the Anchorage Veterinarians per se. He is president of the Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association and on behalf of their executive board, this is a new enough issue that they have not had a board meeting to discuss it. He has polled about 2/3 of the board and their feeling is that they don't have any major objections to the current version. They, however, request the right to comment further after a meeting of the board. MR. BASLER said the main area of concern was the first graduate section and Alaska specific issues. He added that there is a separate Alaska State Board exam that is given twice yearly which veterinarians have to pass in order to practice here. Putting Alaska issues in would cover some specific disease processes within the State, some of which would be pertinent for outside veterinarians. The easiest one might be rabies in which case there are a number of different factors in different areas of the country, including Alaska, and that would be important for a veterinarian to know wherever they are coming from. He didn't know what the passage rate for the State test was here, but in California there is a 30% failure rate. SENATOR MACKIE asked what he thought of in section 3 after "has passed the written examination of the State" inserting "Board, and has been provided orientation..." on specific issues of veterinary practice. MR. BASLER responded that orientation is already provided. The concern is with people coming up being knowledgeable about issues here. SENATOR MACKIE explained his concern is the potential to make the test so stringent that it would be close to impossible to pass it. MR. BASLER said he thought the main reason for passage of this bill was not to address this issue, but to make it easier for licensing by credentials. CHAIRMAN LEMAN noted that people with driver's licenses from other states have to pass an exam to get a license in Alaska. SENATOR MACKIE moved to pass CSSB 92(L&C) from committee with individual recommendations. There were no objections and it was so ordered.