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Senate panel hears HB314 to revise architects, engineers and surveyors board; amendment to add surveyor fails
Summary
The Alaska Senate Finance Committee heard House Bill 314, which would retain DOT design project statutes, clarify an exemption for certified wastewater installers, preserve an 11-member board while giving the governor more appointment flexibility, and add registered interior designers. A committee amendment to restore a second land surveyor seat failed; the committee substituted the bill with fiscal notes and sent it on for further referral.
The Alaska Senate Finance Committee on May 12 heard House Bill 314, a measure to adjust the State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors. Representative Mike Prox, sponsor for the House companion, said HB314 mirrors last year’s bill but addresses drafting concerns that led the governor to veto prior legislation.
Prox told the committee HB314 keeps existing statutes governing Department of Transportation design-bid projects, refines exemption language for certified wastewater installers after consultation with legal counsel and the Department of Environmental Conservation, maintains an 11-member board, increases gubernatorial flexibility in appointments by removing mandated disciplinary slots for engineering seats, and establishes a registered interior-designer registration.
Supporters included Chris Curtis, the state legislative auditor, who said a April 2024 sunset review of the board was clean and recommended the standard eight-year extension. Architect Charles Bettiswirth of Fairbanks testified in support and referred the committee to his prior testimony on the companion Senate bill.
A committee member moved Amendment 1 to restore the bill’s prior composition by replacing one engineering position with a second land surveyor so the board would include two surveyors. The mover said two surveyors provide opportunities for peer review on issues unique to that profession. Committee members debated the representation balance and the number of licensed professionals in each field; testimony from Sylvain Raab, director of the Division of Business and Professional Licensing, emphasized that board composition is a legislative policy decision.
Following discussion, committee members voted and the amendment failed. The committee then reviewed fiscal notes: testimony summarized a DCCED/Professional Licensing fiscal note that identified $67,300 in the governor’s FY27 request and an additional need of about $175,600 plus one full-time position, a receipt-supported services cost that brings out-year totals to roughly $228,200; the Department of Environmental Conservation’s fiscal note assigned zero fiscal impact, indicating implementation with existing resources. Senator Stegman moved that the committee substitute HB314 with attached fiscal notes; with no objections the committee approved the substitute and sent the bill on to the Rules Committee for referral.
The committee did not take a final policy vote on HB314; the substitute with fiscal notes moves the measure forward for additional committee consideration.
