JUNEAU – Governor Bill Walker signed four bills into law Tuesday to boost streamlining and budget efficiency efforts across multiple state agencies. The bills address a number of regulatory and eligibility measures within state government, saving departments money and allowing for greater flexibility in the private sector.

“These bills help to maximize state dollars,” said Governor Walker. “I applaud Senator Bill Stoltze, Senator Peter Micciche, Senator Mia Costello, Representative Dave Talerico, Representative Kurt Olson, and the many dedicated state employees who worked on these bills. At a time when we need to be watching every penny the state spends, these are the kind of good, common-sense measures we can work on together.”

SB 69 – Sponsored by Senator Stoltze of Wasilla, SB 69 allows licensed chiropractors to perform physical examinations for school and sports programs, and allows chiropractors to employ nationally certified chiropractic assistants, interns, and preceptors. Additionally, the bill requires the Board of Chiropractic Examiners to adopt regulations related to qualification, training, and program standards, and increases the penalty for unlicensed chiropractic practice in Alaska.

SB 148 – Sponsored by Governor Walker and managed by Senator Costello of Anchorage and Representative Olson of Soldotna, this bill brings Alaska’s workplace accident reporting guidelines up to federal standards, bringing the state’s occupational safety and health standards in compliance with federal law. SB 148 will ensure Department of Labor and Workforce Development receives timely notification of workplace injuries, and that future federal funding related to occupational safety is not jeopardized.

SB 145 – Sponsored by Governor Walker and managed by Senator Micciche of Soldotna and Representative Talerico of Healy, this bill allows the Department of Health and Social Services to recover overpayments of public assistance through garnishment of Permanent Fund Dividends. This bill strengthens the integrity of DHSS programs, and allows PFD garnishment to be applied consistently across all existing and future public assistance programs.

SB 147 – Sponsored by Governor Walker and managed by Senator Micciche and Representative Talerico, SB 147 requires recipients of Alaska’s senior benefits program be United States citizens or qualified residents. These requirements are consistent with all other state public assistance programs, and will streamline the administration of these programs while providing continued aid to eligible seniors.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]

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