HB 28-TEMP LICENSE/FEE WAIVER FOR PROFESSIONALS  2:50:26 PM VICE CHAIR PASKVAN announced HB 28 to be up for consideration. SENATOR MENARD moved to adopt SCS CSHB 28( ), labeled 27- LS0192\T. VICE CHAIR PASKVAN objected for discussion purposes. 2:52:10 PM KACI SCHROEDER, staff for Representative Thomas, sponsor of HB 28, said the CS makes two changes. The first one is in section 2 on page 2, line 29, through page 3. She explained that the previous version had a section that dealt directly with the service member and since the rest of the bill deals only with military spouses, the drafter suggested moving that section to another area of law that also deals with service members. Now, the new section deals only with military spouses and the other section deals only with service members. The other change is on page 3, line 3, where a period was inserted after "area" breaking up a run-on sentence and clarifying that the exemption is good for 180 days. MS. SCHOREDER said that HB 28 focuses on bettering the lives of military families whose lives are dominated by frequent deployments, relocations and extended periods of single parenthood. Military spouses are extremely transient with 14.5 percent of them crossing state lines each year as opposed to only 1.1 percent of their civilian counterparts. They are less likely to be employed and if they are employed, they tend to earn less than their civilian counterparts. However, they are not unlike their civilian counterparts in that they depend on two incomes and they want to achieve their goals and aspirations. So, HB 28 allows a military spouse to obtain a temporary license so they can work while fulfilling the requirements for a full Alaskan license in their various professions. SENATOR MENARD posed a situation in which a military spouse is a dental hygienist and there is strict licensing with that. So, now they're going to go from the West Coast to the East Coast - would that be temporary or is it just for people coming into Alaska. MS. SCHROEDER replied just for people coming into Alaska. SENATOR MENARD said she knows these professions become very volatile and asked if she had been in contact with the different highly qualified fields, the medical field especially. MS. SCHROEDER replied yes; the bill has changed drastically from the first draft based on feedback from the professions, the department and Senator Giessel in the last committee. 2:55:24 PM MARK SANSOUCI, Regional Liaison for Military Families for the Northwest, U.S. Department of Defense, said he would be brief since he saw two of the three members passed this bill out of State Affairs two days ago. This bill doesn't require a fiscal note. This temporary license issue is part of what they consider "a kitchen table" issue for families who need the dual incomes. It frequently determines whether the family will stay in the military as experienced NCOs or officers. He said since most military spouses are women that among the wage gap earners discussed earlier and these situations get exacerbated when the spouse who tends to be a professionally licensed person may be hung up on requirements and can't get to work quickly. This measure will help in that respect also. It has no intent to professionally license a person who is not going to meet Alaskan requirements; it just gets them to work earlier while they work on fulfilling those requirements. 2:57:13 PM Finally, Mr. Sansouci said, military spouse employment and careers is one of the top ten key issues of the Department of Defense state liaison office. SENATOR GIESSEL thanked Ms. Schroeder for her work and said this is very clearly written now. 2:59:25 PM VICE CHAIR PASKVAN thanked everyone for their testimony and finding no further questions, closed public testimony. [HB 28 was held in committee.] Finding no further business to come before the committee, he adjourned the meeting at 2:59 p.m.