SB 243-CHIROPRACTORS: SUNSET/LICENSING                                                                         
                                                                                                                              
CHAIRMAN BEN STEVENS called the Senate  Labor & Commerce Committee                                                            
meeting to  order at 1:35 p.m. and  announced SB 243 to  be up for                                                              
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HEATHER BRAKES,  Aide to  Senator Therriault,  sponsor of  SB                                                              
243, said that the bill extends the  termination date of the Board                                                              
from  June  30,  2002  to June  30,  2006,  a  standard  four-year                                                              
extension. Section 2 restores the  Board's authority to license by                                                              
credentials giving it the necessary  statutory authority to do so.                                                              
The  legislation  was  drafted  based  on a  report  done  by  the                                                              
Division of Legislative Audit on December 5, 2001.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Page  5 of  the audit  found that  the  Board is  operating in  an                                                              
efficient an effective manner and  should continue to regulate and                                                              
license chiropractors.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  LEMAN asked  if  she could  remember  the history  behind                                                              
"restoring" the Board's authority to license.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. PAT DAVIDSON, Legislative Audit,  explained that last time the                                                              
Board was  up for  sunset, the  national exam  at the time  didn't                                                              
have a  practical component to it.  So, the Board  required people                                                              
who were  applying for licensure  by credential to take  the state                                                              
practical  exam again.  This is  conflicting with  the concept  of                                                              
licensing by credential. Therefore,  at that time they recommended                                                              
to eliminate  licensing by  credential if the  Board was  going to                                                              
require an applicant to take an exam again.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     What's  changed is  that  the national  exam  now has  a                                                                   
     practical component  to it.  So when you accept  passage                                                                   
     of  the   national  exam,  you   have  really   met  the                                                                   
     requirements  of what the  Board is currently  requiring                                                                   
     of   applicants.  Now   that  those   things  are   both                                                                   
     consistent,   our   recommendation   is   to   reinstate                                                                   
     licensure by credential.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR LEMAN asked if the practical  part of the national exam is                                                              
comparable to what the state of Alaska was using.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. DAVIDSON replied that it is acceptable to the Board.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  LEMAN asked  if the  term "licensing  by credential"  and                                                              
"licensing by comity" are comparable.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. DAVIDSON  replied  that they  have a very  similar theme,  but                                                              
there  are some  minor  differences,  which she  couldn't  espouse                                                              
right now.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
DR. CONNERS-ALLEN  said she had served  on the Board  of Examiners                                                              
for eight years and this is a good path for them to take.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR LEMAN moved to pass SB 243  from committee with individual                                                              
recommendations. There were no objections and it was so ordered.