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HB0335b -1- CSHB 335(L&C)
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CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 335(L&C)
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
BY THE HOUSE LABOR AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE
Offered: 4/24/26
Referred: Finance
Sponsor(s): REPRESENTATIVE EISCHEID
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act relating to veterinarians and veterinarian technicians; establishing an animal 1
disaster emergency plan; relating to the Alaska State Emergency Response Commission; 2
and relating to local emergency planning committees." 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 4
* Section 1. AS 08.98.125 is amended to read: 5
Sec. 08.98.125. Exemptions. This chapter does not apply to the following: 6
(1) a veterinary medical officer in the military service in the discharge 7
of official duties or as an employee in the federal or state government performing 8
veterinary medical services within the scope of the person's official duties; 9
(2) a veterinarian who is licensed in another state or country, or a 10
person whose expertise a veterinarian licensed in this state believes would benefit an 11
animal, and who provides only consultation to a veterinarian licensed in this state; in 12
this paragraph, "consultation" means advice or assistance provided in person, 13
telephonically, electronically, or by any other method of communication from a 14
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CSHB 335(L&C) -2- HB0335b
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veterinarian or other person whose expertise, in the opinion of the veterinarian, would 1
benefit the animal; [AND] 2
(3) a veterinarian licensed and residing in another state who provides 3
assistance, as requested by and under the supervision of a veterinarian licensed in this 4
state, for the purpose of providing skills not otherwise available in this state in 5
conducting research or other practice of veterinary medicine on captive or free-ranging 6
wildlife; however, that assistance is limited to not more than three events in a calendar 7
year for not more than a total of 60 days in the year and may not be on a regular or 8
recurring basis, as defined by the board; and 9
(4) a veterinarian or veterinary technician licensed and residing in 10
another state who provides assistance under the animal disaster emergency plan 11
established under AS 26.23.040(h). 12
* Sec. 2. AS 26.23.040 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 13
(h) As part of the state emergency plan required under (a) of this section, the 14
Alaska division of homeland security and emergency management shall prepare and 15
maintain an animal disaster emergency plan. The plan must 16
(1) establish a process for the evacuation, transportation, and 17
temporary sheltering of animals during a disaster emergency; 18
(2) identify evacuation shelters designed to accept and temporarily 19
house animals during a disaster emergency; 20
(3) establish an identification system to ensure that an owner of an 21
animal who is separated from the animal during an evacuation is provided with all 22
information necessary to locate and reclaim the animal; 23
(4) implement a public information program that informs owners of 24
animals about disaster emergency resources relating to animals; 25
(5) allow the transport of animals on public transportation during a 26
disaster emergency if the animal is in a cage or carrier that safely and securely 27
confines the animal; if an animal is unable to be transported in accordance with this 28
paragraph, the commission may arrange for transportation for the animal; and 29
(6) establish procedures for a veterinarian or veterinary technician, 30
including a veterinarian or veterinary technician licensed and residing in another state, 31
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HB0335b -3- CSHB 335(L&C)
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to provide assistance with animals during a disaster emergency. 1
(i) In (h) of this section, 2
(1) "animal" means a pet, service animal, or working animal; 3
(2) "working animal" means 4
(A) a dog primarily owned for participation in a generally 5
accepted mushing or pulling contest or practice; or 6
(B) a horse primarily owned and used for business purposes. 7
* Sec. 3. AS 26.23.071(b) is amended to read: 8
(b) The commission consists of the commissioners of commerce, community, 9
and economic development, environmental conservation, fish and game, health, labor 10
and workforce development, natural resources, public safety, and transportation and 11
public facilities, or the designees of the commissioners, the adjutant general of the 12
Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs or a designee, and eight [SEVEN] 13
members of the public appointed by the governor, two of whom must be members of a 14
local emergency planning committee for an emergency planning district that is 15
predominantly rural in character and two of whom must be members of a local 16
emergency planning committee for an emergency planning district that is 17
predominantly urban in character. Two of the other four [THREE] members of the 18
public who are appointed to the commission must be members of the governing body 19
of, or the mayor of, a political subdivision that has a local emergency planning 20
committee or a person who, in the opinion of the governor, is otherwise appropriate to 21
represent the political subdivision. One of the other two members of the public who 22
are appointed to the commission must be a member of a statewide association of 23
animal control officers, animal shelter staff, and animal welfare professionals 24
that operates in the state. The United States Department of Defense - Alaska 25
Command, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the United States 26
Environmental Protection Agency, and the United States Coast Guard may each 27
appoint a representative to serve on the commission in an ex-officio, nonvoting 28
capacity. To the extent practicable, the commission must include members with 29
expertise in the emergency response field. 30
* Sec. 4. AS 26.23.073(d) is amended to read: 31
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CSHB 335(L&C) -4- HB0335b
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(d) The commission shall appoint the members of a local emergency planning 1
committee for each emergency planning district established under (a) and (b) of this 2
section. In making appointments for a district that contains only one political 3
subdivision, the commission shall follow the recommendations of the political 4
subdivision if those recommendations would constitute a committee that meets the 5
requirements of this subsection. In making appointments for a district that contains 6
more than one political subdivision, the commission shall consider the 7
recommendations of each political subdivision and follow the recommendations to the 8
extent that the political subdivisions are in agreement and their recommendations 9
would constitute a committee that meets the requirements of this subsection. To the 10
extent required under regulations that may be adopted by the commission, the political 11
subdivisions in a district that includes more than one political subdivision shall follow 12
a process under which they develop coordinated recommendations to submit to the 13
commission under this subsection. In making appointments for a district that includes 14
some area that is not contained within a political subdivision, the commission shall 15
consider the recommendations of emergency response organizations in the district. In 16
making appointments for the district formed under (b) of this section, the commission 17
shall attempt to achieve equitable geographical representation on the committee. 18
Except as provided in (e) of this section, each committee must include, at a minimum, 19
representatives of each of the following eight [SEVEN] categories: 20
(1) elected local officials; 21
(2) law enforcement, civil defense, fire fighting, first aid, health, local 22
environmental, hospital, and transportation personnel; 23
(3) broadcast or print media; 24
(4) community groups; 25
(5) owners and operators of facilities subject to the requirements of 42 26
U.S.C. 11001 - 11005; 27
(6) representatives of a local or interjurisdictional disaster planning 28
and service area if one has been established that includes part of the district; 29
(7) animal care and control personnel; and 30
(8) [(7)] members of the public that are not described in (1) - (7) [(1) - 31
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HB0335b -5- CSHB 335(L&C)
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(6)] of this subsection. 1
* Sec. 5. AS 26.23.073(e) is amended to read: 2
(e) If advertisement and the commission's own initiative do not result in the 3
acceptance of appointment to a committee by at least one person from a category 4
under (d)(1) - (8) [(d)(1) - (7)] of this section, the requirement of (d) of this section 5
that there be representation of that category on that committee is suspended until 6
sufficient willing appointees become available. 7