CSHB 252(STA)- OCC LICENSING: TERMS OF BD & CONT. EDUC  CHAIR CON BUNDE announced CSHB 252(STA) to be up for consideration. TAPE 03-37, SIDE B    MS. LAUREN WICKERSHAM, staff to Representative Lesil McGuire, said HB 252 was introduced at the request of the Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors (AELS) Board. The bill essentially does two things. It modifies existing statutory language with regard to board members who may serve partial terms. Currently, if a board member serves any portion of a remaining term, that service counts for a full four-year term. The modification would allow a board member who is filling a partial term of less than two years to AELS serve up to two full terms or eight years. The amendment offered in Labor and Commerce would clarify that this change in term limits applies only to the AELS Board and not to other boards and commissions. Second, HB 252 offers the AELS Board statutory authority to adopt regulations concerning continuing education. An October 2000 audit by the Legislative Budget and Audit division recommended the AELS Board be given this authority in order to help implement and maintain high standards in the professions they oversee. They will work closely with all relevant professional societies before adopting or developing any programs. MR. ROBERT E. MILLER, Chairman, Alaska Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors (AELS), supported HB 252. The AELS regulates multiple professions, which requires a high level of both professional expertise and board experience in terms of reviewing applications to insure that people who are admitted to their professions are qualified. The continuing education is also a provision the board has decided it would like to have the discretion to be able to use, perhaps implementing them in stages for the different professions. MR. SAM KITO, III, Alaska Professional Design Council, supported HB 252. He said the director of the Division of Occupational Licensing had a suggestion regarding continuing education. Recently, issues have come up with respect to reinstatement of people with licenses and he suggested that item 6 be changed to, "establishing continuing education requirements for persons regulated by this chapter" and removing the balance of the sentence. That would allow the AELS Board to have authority to adopt continuing education requirements for any of the situations that may be required. CHAIR BUNDE offered that as an amendment. SENATOR HOLLIS FRENCH wanted clarification on how the amendment would work. MR. KITO explained that it would allow the AELS Board to adopt continuing education regulations for both renewal and reinstatement of expired certificates. So, if an engineer stopped practicing and then did not pay dues, but wanted to get reinstated, in order to do so the board could then require that engineer or architect to show proof of continuing education on a case-by-case basis. There were no further objections to the amendment and it was adopted. SENATOR SEEKINS moved to pass SCS CSHB 252(L&C) from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes. SENATORS STEVENS, SEEKINS, FRENCH, and BUNDE voted yea the motion carried.