Brief Description: The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing proposes to update regulations language for military license fees, and for occupational license fees for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists, the State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board, and the Board of Examiners in Optometry to clarify fees for the new interstate compacts for those professions.
The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (Department) proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 12, Chapter 02 of the Alaska Administrative Code including the following:
- 12 AAC 02.105. Administrative fees, is proposed to update language to clarify military licensure fees, as well as clarify that the application fee for temporary license types is nonrefundable, and applies to a temporary military courtesy license, and for an application for an initial license under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
- 12 AAC 02.130. Audiologist, Hearing Aid Dealers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Speech-Language Pathologist Assistants, is proposed to clarify that initial licensure fees and renewal fees for audiologists or speech-language pathologist license types also apply to initial licenses issued and licenses renewed under the Audiology and Speech-Language Interstate Compact enacted under AS 08.11.300 (sec. 6, ch. 43, SLA 2024 (SB 75)). This also adds a reference to the nonrefundable fingerprint processing fee.
- 12 AAC 02.300. Board of Examiners in Optometry, is proposed to repeal the language referencing temporary military courtesy license fees, as these fees are now set out in 12 AAC 02.105 (administrative fees).
- 12 AAC 02.320. State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board, is proposed to clarify that initial licensure fees and renewal fees for physical therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapist assistants, and occupational therapy assistants also apply to initial licenses issued and licenses renewed under the Interstate Physical Therapy Licensure Compact enacted under AS 08.84.188 (sec. 7, ch. 42, SLA 2024 (SB 74)). This also adds a reference to the nonrefundable fingerprint processing fee.
- 12 AAC 02.956, Temporary license for spouses of military personnel, and 12 AAC 02.957, Temporary license for military personnel, are proposed to be updated to clarify that the fees required are the fees established in 12 AAC 02.105 for a temporary military courtesy license.
You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806. Additionally, the Department will accept comments by facsimile at (907) 465-2974 and by electronic mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. Comments may also be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System by accessing this notice on the system at http://notice.alaska.gov/218179, and using the comment link. The comments must be received not later than 4:30 p.m. on February 24, 2025.
You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806 or by e-mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Department will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and on the Department’s website at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing.aspx.
If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Stefanie Davis at (907) 465-2537 or RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov not later than February 17, 2025 to ensure that any necessary accommodation can be provided.
A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by contacting Stefanie Davis at (907) 465-2537, RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov, or at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/CEN-1024-2.pdf.
After the public comment period ends, the Department will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected.
Statutory Authority: AS 08.01.063; AS 08.01.065; AS 08.11.050; AS 08.55.040; AS 08.84.050
Statutes Being Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific: AS 08.01.063; AS 08.01.065; AS 08.11.010; AS 08.11.015; AS 08.11.043; AS 08.11.050; AS 08.11.300; AS 08.55.040; AS 08.84.030; AS 08.84.032; AS 08.84.050; AS 08.84.188
Fiscal Information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
For each occupation regulated under the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, the Division keeps a list of individuals or organizations who are interested in the regulations of that occupation. The Division automatically sends a Notice of Proposed Regulations to the parties on the appropriate list each time there is a proposed change in an occupation's regulations in Title 12 of the Alaska Administrative Code. If you would like your address added to or removed from such a list, send your request to the Division at the address above, giving your name, either your e-mail address or mailing address (as you prefer for receiving notices), and the occupational area in which you are interested.
DATE: 1/22/2025
Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist
Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
ADDITIONAL REGULATION NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(d))
1. Adopting agency: Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.
2. General subject of regulation: Occupational licensing fees.
3. Citation of regulation: 12 AAC 02.105; 12 AAC 02.130; 12 AAC 02.300; 12 AAC 02.320; 12 AAC 02.956; 12 AAC 02.957.
4. Department of Law file number: 2024200505.
5. Reason for the proposed action: Update and clarification of current regulations; compliance with state statutes.
6. Appropriation/Allocation: Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing – #2360.
7. Estimated annual cost to comply with the proposed action to:
A private person: None known.
Another state agency: None known.
A municipality: None known.
8. Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding (in thousands of dollars): No costs are expected in FY 2025 or in subsequent years.
9. The name of the contact person for the regulation:
Melissa Dumas, Administrative Operations Manager
Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
Telephone: (907) 465-2572
E-mail: melissa.dumas@alaska.gov
10. The origin of the proposed action: Staff of state agency.
11. Date: 1/22/2025
Prepared by: Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist