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Committee reviews audits, hears Senate Bill 80 to extend sunset dates for four boards
Summary
Senate Bill 80 would extend sunset dates for four boards — Marijuana Control Board, Board of Massage Therapy, Alaska Commission on Aging, and Big Game Commercial Services Board. Legislative audit recommended staggered extensions and offered specific recommendations; committee set the bill aside for future consideration.
Anchorage — The House Labor and Commerce Committee held an initial hearing on Senate Bill 80, which backdates and extends sunset dates for four state boards: the Marijuana Control Board, the Board of Massage Therapy, the Alaska Commission on Aging, and the Big Game Commercial Services Board.
Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, sponsor of SB80, said the bill is a cleanup measure that backdates extensions to June 2024 and extends the boards’ sunsets under amended terms. "This bill extends the sunset dates of 4 boards," Bjorkman said, listing the boards and describing their core duties.
Legislative audit findings: Chris Curtis, the state legislative auditor, summarized sunset audits for each board and recommended different extension lengths based on audit findings. Curtis said the Marijuana Control Board is serving the public interest but recommended a three-year extension to allow timely review in light of a governor’s advisory task force report and new licensing information systems. The massage therapy board and the Big Game Commercial Services Board received recommended six-year extensions, while the Alaska Commission on Aging received an eight-year recommended extension.
Curtis also presented targeted recommendations: better documentation of marijuana handler permit records, implementation of a new license and enforcement database, and consideration that marijuana board regulations require majority approval by board members. For the massage board and big game board, auditors recommended improvements in recruitment and retention of investigative and licensing staff and consideration of fee adjustments to support operations.
Board perspectives: Chairs of affected boards testified in support of continued oversight. Aneta Atwell, chair of the Board of Massage Therapy, described the board’s role in regulation, discipline, and enforcement and said the board is financially stable but anticipates a fee increase to cover investigative duties. Bailey Stewart, chair of the Marijuana Control Board, told the committee that the regulated industry faces significant illicit and gray-market competition and that the board needs time to address systemic issues.
Next steps: Committee members had no substantive questions for the auditor or board chairs at the hearing and set SB80 aside for consideration at a later date.
