Alaska House passes five healthcare licensure compacts in single bill

The Alaska House of Representatives voted 39-0 Wednesday to approve Senate amendments to House Bill 110. The bill joins five interstate professional licensure compacts covering physicians, physician assistants, EMS personnel, psychologists, and social workers.

The Senate added four compacts from a separate bill into House Bill 110, which originally addressed only social workers. The four additions are the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, Physician Assistant Licensure Compact, EMS Licensure Compact, and Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. The Senate also added language establishing licensure for respiratory therapists from the Labor and Commerce co-chair's bill.

Representative Zack Fields said the bill positions Alaska well for the next round of Rural Health Transformation Program funding. He noted the scoring process for the federal grants is opaque. The compacts were among the criteria the Department of Health considered when applying for the program.

The bill excludes the nursing licensure compact, which drew opposition from stakeholders. Fields said the nursing compact had opinions on both sides. Concerns included union protections and requirements that nurses obtain Alaska licenses to avoid what he called a death spiral in license fees. He said controversy among stakeholders prevented resolution of the nursing compact this year.

The Senate added language on the floor Wednesday to establish a Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Council in the Department of Health. That language had been removed from the bill earlier in the process.

Fields said the bill received no opposition from Alaskans during the committee process. Public input supported the compacts.