ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE  March 13, 2006 3:33 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Pete Kott Representative Gabrielle LeDoux Representative Bob Lynn Representative Norman Rokeberg Representative Harry Crawford MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Tom Anderson, Chair Representative David Guttenberg COMMITTEE CALENDAR SENATE BILL NO. 253 "An Act extending the termination date for the Board of Chiropractic Examiners; and providing for an effective date." - MOVED SB 253 OUT OF COMMITTEE SENATE BILL NO. 254 "An Act extending the termination date for the State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board; and providing for an effective date." - MOVED SB 254 OUT OF COMMITTEE CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 255(FIN) "An Act extending the termination date and duties for the Board of Examiners in Optometry; amending the licensing, endorsement, and renewal provisions for optometrists; and providing for an effective date." - NOT YET REFERRED PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION    BILL: SB 253 SHORT TITLE: EXTEND BOARD OF CHIROPRACTIC EXAMINERS SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF LEG BUDGET & AUDIT 01/30/06 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 01/30/06 (S) L&C, FIN 02/16/06 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211 02/16/06 (S) Moved Out of Committee 02/16/06 (S) MINUTE(L&C) 02/17/06 (S) L&C RPT 3DP 02/17/06 (S) DP: BUNDE, STEVENS B, SEEKINS 03/01/06 (S) FIN RPT 5DP 03/01/06 (S) DP: BUNDE, OLSON, DYSON, STEDMAN, HOFFMAN 03/01/06 (S) FIN AT 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 03/01/06 (S) Moved SB 253 Out of Committee 03/01/06 (S) MINUTE(FIN) 03/03/06 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 03/03/06 (S) VERSION: SB 253 03/06/06 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/06/06 (H) L&C, FIN 03/13/06 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM CAPITOL 17 BILL: SB 254 SHORT TITLE: EXTEND PT & OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY BOARD SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF LEG BUDGET & AUDIT 01/30/06 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 01/30/06 (S) L&C, FIN 02/16/06 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211 02/16/06 (S) Moved Out of Committee 02/16/06 (S) MINUTE(L&C) 02/17/06 (S) L&C RPT 3DP 02/17/06 (S) DP: BUNDE, STEVENS B, SEEKINS 03/01/06 (S) FIN RPT 5DP 03/01/06 (S) DP: BUNDE, OLSON, DYSON, STEDMAN, HOFFMAN 03/01/06 (S) FIN AT 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 03/01/06 (S) Moved SB 254 Out of Committee 03/01/06 (S) MINUTE(FIN) 03/03/06 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 03/03/06 (S) VERSION: SB 254 03/06/06 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/06/06 (H) L&C, FIN 03/13/06 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM CAPITOL 17 WITNESS REGISTER    PAT DAVIDSON, Legislative Auditor Legislative Audit Division Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Provided testimony on SB 253 and recommended extending the sunset date of the Board of Chiropractic Examiners. TOM MAHER, Staff to Senator Gene Therriault Legislative Budget & Audit Committee Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SB 254 on behalf of the Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, Sponsor. ACTION NARRATIVE PETE KOTT, ACTING CHAIR, called the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:33:22 PM. Representatives Rokeberg, Lynn, LeDoux, Crawford, and Kott were present at the call to order. SB 253-EXTEND BOARD OF CHIROPRACTIC EXAMINERS REPRESENTATIVE KOTT announced that the first order of business would be SENATE BILL NO. 253, "An Act extending the termination date for the Board of Chiropractic Examiners; and providing for an effective date." 3:34:58 PM PAT DAVIDSON, Legislative Auditor, Legislative Audit Division, Alaska State Legislature, stated that the Legislative Audit Division recommends extending the Board of Chiropractic Examiners (board). She said that while the division does not recommend any further legislative changes, it does recommend that the board improve its efficiency. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG noted a substantial deficit in revenues in fiscal year (FY) 2004 and asked if fees were adjusted as a result. PAT DAVIDSON said yes, the fees were increased in FY05 and FY06. She added that while this should be monitored, it appears that within one or two biennial renewal cycles, the board should be out of deficit. In addition, she said that FY05 will show a substantial increase in contractual [fees] that were due to an investigation. She said that these are typically non-cyclical costs. 3:36:51 PM REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG moved to report SB 253 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, SB 253 was reported from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee. 3:37:15 PM SB 254-EXTEND PT & OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY BOARD REPRESENTATIVE KOTT announced that the final order of business would be SENATE BILL NO. 254, "An Act extending the termination date for the State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board; and providing for an effective date." 3:37:26 PM TOM MAHER, Staff to Senator Gene Therriault, Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, Alaska State Legislature, explained that SB 254 stems from recommendations contained in the Division of Legislative Audit Report entitled "Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board Sunset Audit", dated September 17, 2005. He quoted from the sponsor statement for SB 254, which reads in part [original punctuation provided]: Legislative Audit concluded that the State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board (Board) is operating in the public's best interest and should continue to regulate physical and occupational therapists. The Board safeguards the public interest by promoting the competency and integrity of those who practice in this field and continues to improve its effectiveness and ensure therapists are licensed in the State of Alaska. Accordingly, SB 254 extends the sunset date of the Board to June 30, 2014 for an eight-year extension. MR. MAHER noted that the report made no further legislative recommendations, adding that while there is a fiscal note, extending the board will not incur additional costs, as it is self-supporting. 3:38:20 PM REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG moved to report SB 254 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, SB 254 was reported from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee. 3:39:26 PM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 3:39:30 PM.