HB 242-EXTEND PT & OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY BOARD                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:20:21 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNLEAVY  announced the  consideration of  HB 242.  "An Act                                                               
extending the termination date of  the State Physical Therapy and                                                               
Occupational  Therapy  Board;  and  providing  for  an  effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:20:28 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE LORA  REINBOLD, Alaska State  Legislature, Juneau,                                                               
Alaska, sponsor of  HB 242, explained that this  bill extends the                                                               
termination date  of the Physical and  Occupational Therapy Board                                                               
until  June 30,  2022. She  deferred further  explanation to  Ms.                                                               
Curtis.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:21:06 PM                                                                                                                    
KRIS  CURTIS, Legislative  Auditor,  Legislative Audit  Division,                                                               
Legislative  Agencies and  Offices, Juneau,  Alaska, stated  that                                                               
the  audit division  conducted  an audit  of  the state  Physical                                                               
Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board  and issued a report dated                                                               
June 2013. The purpose of the  audit was to determine whether the                                                               
agency  is operating  in the  public's interest  and whether  its                                                               
termination date should be extended.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
The  audit  concluded that  the  board  is serving  the  public's                                                               
interest  by   effectively  licensing  and   regulating  physical                                                               
therapists,    physical    therapy    assistants,    occupational                                                               
therapists,  and occupational  therapy  assistants. The  division                                                               
recommended  the  board  be  extended  the  maximum  eight  years                                                               
provided in statute. The one  recommendation directs the Director                                                               
of  the  Division  of  Corporations,  Business  and  Professional                                                               
Licensing to  continue efforts to improve  the investigative case                                                               
management system integrity and confidentiality.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MICCICHE  asked what  the plan  is for  the investigative                                                               
case  management  system  integrity and  confidentiality  because                                                               
it's obviously a common issue.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CURTIS   recalled  that  the  director's   response  to  the                                                               
recommendation was that  the division is working  with the vender                                                               
to implement improvements to the system.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MICCICHE asked if it's a firewall issue.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. CURTIS  explained that there were  conversion, reporting, and                                                               
security problems  when the new  system was implemented  in 2010.                                                               
Additionally,  there are  issues with  being able  to view  other                                                               
folk's  cases and  investigators reported  the system  freezes up                                                               
and loses information.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DUNLEAVY  opened and closed public  testimony and solicited                                                               
a motion.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:23:19 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MICCICHE moved  to  report HB  242  from committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DUNLEAVY  announced  that  without objection  HB  242  was                                                               
reported from the Senate Labor & Commerce Standing Committee.