BRIEF DESCRIPTION:  The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development proposes to change occupational license fees charged to audiologists, hearing aid dealers, speech-language pathologists, and speech-language pathologist assistants.

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 02.130. Audiologists, hearing aid dealers, speech-language pathologists, and speech-language pathologist assistants, is proposed to be changed to alter the application, license, registration, renewal, and temporary license fees for audiologists, hearing aid dealers, speech-language pathologists, and speech-language pathologist assistants.

Under AS 08.01.065, the Department must establish fee levels so that the total amount of fees collected for an occupation approximately equals the actual regulatory costs for the occupation.  The Department has reviewed the income and expenses for the occupational licensing programs mentioned above and proposes fee changes that reflect, to the extent possible, the actual costs of the activities under these occupational licensing programs.

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 Sher Zinn, 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/190042  and using the comment link. The comments must be received not later than 5:00 p.m. on June 20, 2018. Comments received after this deadline will not be considered by the Department.

You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Sher Zinn, 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/AudiologistsandSpeech-LanguagePathologists.aspx. The Department may, but is not required to, answer written questions received after the 10-day cut-off date and before the end of the comment period.

If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Sher Zinn at (907) 465-1049 or RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov not later than June 13, 2018 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 Sher Zinn at (907) 465-1049 or RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov, or go to https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/AUD-Fees-2018.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. Written comments and questions received are public records and are subject to public inspection.

Statutory Authority: AS 08.01.065; AS 08.11.010; AS 08.11.015; AS 08.11.020; AS 08.11.025; AS 08.11.030; AS 08.11.043; AS 08.11.050; AS 08.55.010; AS 08.55.020; AS 08.55.040

Statutes Being Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific:  AS 08.01.065; AS 08.11.010; AS 08.11.015; AS 08.11.020; AS 08.11.025; AS 08.11.030; AS 08.11.043; AS 08.11.050; AS 08.55.010; AS 08.55.020; AS 08.55.040

Fiscal Information:  The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.

DATE:          5/15/18                                                                            /s/                                                                                                                           Sher Zinn, Regulations Specialist                                                                                                            Division of Corporations, Business and
                                                                                    Professional Licensing

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.

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 02.130.

4.   Department of Law file number:  To be assigned.

5.   Reason for the proposed action:  Compliance with state statute.

6.   Appropriation/Allocation:  Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing – #2360.

7.   Estimated annual cost to comply with the proposed action to:

      A private person:  $100 increase for initial application; $125 increase for temporary license; $75 – $125 increase for initial biennial license or registration; $75 – $125 increase for biennial license or registration renewal.

      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 2018 or in subsequent years.

9.   The name of the contact person for the regulation:

      Sher Zinn, Regulations Specialist
      Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing      
      Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development      
      Telephone: (907) 465-1049
      E-mail: sher.zinn@alaska.gov

10.  The origin of the proposed action:  Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.

11.  Date:             5/15/18                                               Prepared by:                   /s/                                                                                                                                          Sher Zinn
                                                                                                                          Regulations Specialist