Committee presses DOH on compact licensure, model bills as part of Rural Health Transformation scoring
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Summary
Senators pressed Department of Health officials about the legislative actions tied to the Rural Health Transformation application, especially joining licensure compacts and scope‑of‑practice changes; DOH said model compact statutes exist and will share materials with the committee but exact scoring credit remains set by CMS.
During the Jan. 29 Senate Health and Social Services Committee hearing, several legislators focused on the legislative commitments embedded in Alaska’s Rural Health Transformation application and asked whether the administration had secured sponsors and model language for compact licensure and scope‑of‑practice changes.
Senator Tobin asked whether the administration had consulted specific legislators or lined up sponsors; Deputy Commissioner Emily Ricci replied that the application was prepared outside session to be competitive and that targeted legislative conversations were not held during that initial period. Ricci said DOH is now working to educate and engage legislators and that there is opportunity to pursue legislation during this session and next.
Committee members pressed the department for model statutes and asked if partial adoption would count toward CMS scoring. Courtney Anne, legislative liaison for the department, told the committee that model legislation exists for most compacts and that DOH will provide links to the committee. She said meeting the compact requirements is generally specific: states must join the compact and variations are limited, and joining should meet the scoring intent.
The department emphasized that four of the five compacts referenced fall under the Department of Commerce (licensing), while EMS compact changes are managed within DOH. Hedberg and staff said some legislative proposals already exist for pharmacists and psychologists and that there are members interested in introducing related bills. However, officials reiterated that CMS has not provided a precise breakdown of how much scoring weight is tied to each legislative change, making it difficult to say how much of the award hinges on passage this session.
Committee members raised timing and political questions: some noted the governor has less than a year in term and asked whether the work might fall to a successor. DOH said the administration considers the policies a priority and wants them addressed this session where feasible but acknowledged the two‑year window identified in the NOFO allows discussion during the current and next legislative sessions.
Ending: The department committed to provide model compact links and the specific CMS citations used in the NOFO so the committee can consider drafting or sponsoring conforming bills.
