NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES ON GENERAL OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING FUNCTIONS AND FEES IN THE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, COMMUNITY, AND ECONMIC DEVELOPMENT BRIEF[...]

NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES ON GENERAL OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING FUNCTIONS AND FEES IN THE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, COMMUNITY, AND ECONMIC DEVELOPMENT

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing proposes to change regulations on general occupational licensing functions relating to fees for certain professions.

Summary of proposed changes: The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 12, Chapter 02 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with general occupational licensing functions and certain fees, including the following:

(1) 12 AAC 02.190. Board of Dental Examiners is proposed to change as follows: increase the application fee for initial licensure and the biennial license renewal fee for dental hygienists and dentists and increase the initial license fee for dentists.

(2) 12 AAC 02.195. Dietitians and Nutritionists is proposed to change as follows: increase the application fee for initial licensure and clarify that the fee is nonrefundable, increase the initial license fee, and increase the renewal fee for dietitians and nutritionists.

(3) 12 AAC 02.245. Mechanical Administrators is proposed to change as follows: increase the application fees, the initial license fee, and the renewal fees for mechanical administrators; add fees for continuing education course submittals and renewals.

(4) 12 AAC 02.270. Naturopaths is proposed to change as follows: reduce the fees for an initial license, renewals, and temporary licenses for naturopaths.

(5) 12 AAC 02.330. Board of Psychologist and Psychological Associate Examiners is proposed to change as follows: clarify that application fees are nonrefundable, increase the application fee for initial licensure and a courtesy psychologist license, increase the initial license fee for psychologists, increase the renewal fee for psychologists, increase the temporary license fee, increase the initial license fee for psychological associates, and increase the renewal fee for psychological associates. The proposal would also reduce the credential review and the state examination fees as these are no longer collected.

(6) 12 AAC 02.380. Pawnbrokers is proposed to change as follows: increase the initial license fee and the renewal fee for pawnbrokers.

(7) 12 AAC 02.396. Board of Massage Therapists is proposed to change as follows: increase the initial license fee for massage therapists, the renewal fee for massage therapists, the massage therapy establishment registration fee, and the massage therapy establishment renewal fee.

Written comments: 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 Stefanie Davis, 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) 465-2794 and by electronic mail at [email protected]. Comments may also be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System by accessing this notice on the system at http://notice.alaska.gov/225227 and using the comment link.

Written comment deadline: The written comments must be received not later than 4:30 p.m. on October 23, 2026.

Questions: You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806 or by e-mail at [email protected]. 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.

Public nature of comments and questions: Public comments and questions, once submitted, are public records and subject to disclosure under the Alaska Public Records Act. See AS 40.25.100 - 40.25.295. Do NOT include in your comments or questions any information that you do not want made public.

Accommodations: If you are a person with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Stefanie Davis at (907) 465-2537 or [email protected]not later than October 16, 2026, to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.

Obtaining copies of proposed regulations: A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by contacting Stefanie Davis at (907) 465-2537, [email protected], or at: https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/Regulations/CEN-Fees-1025.pdf.

Final version of regulations: 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.

Statutory authority: AS 08.01.010; AS 08.01.062; AS 08.01.065; AS 08.45.100; AS 08.61.090; AS 08.86.140
Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 08.01.062; AS 08.01.065; AS 08.45.100; AS 08.61.090; AS 08.86.140

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

How to receive further notices: For each occupation regulated under the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, the Division keeps a list of individuals and organizations interested in the regulations of that occupation. Those on the list will automatically be sent a copy of the notices of proposed regulation changes in that occupation's regulations. To be added to or removed from the list, send a request to the Division at P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806, giving your name, and either your e-mail address or mailing address, as you prefer for receiving notices, and the occupational area in which you are interested.

Individuals can also sign up to receive automated notifications of all State of Alaska notices, including public notice for regulation changes, by subscribing to the Alaska Online Public Notices System: https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Default.aspx.

Date: September 23, 2026
Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist
Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing

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: General occupational licensing functions - increases and reductions in fees
   
   
3. Citation of regulation (may be grouped): 12 AAC 02.190 - 12 AAC 02.396
   
   
4. Department of Law file number, if any: 2025200567
   
   
5. Reason for the proposed action:
   ( ) Compliance with federal law or action
   ( ) Compliance with new or changed state statute
   ( ) Compliance with federal or state court decision (identify):
   ( ) Development of program standards
   (X) Other (identify): Compliance with existing state statutes by updating licensing and renewal fees for certain professions, and clarifying existing regulations
   
   
6. Appropriation/Allocation: Licensing - #2360
   
   
7. Estimated annual cost to comply with the proposed action to:
   A private person: dental hygienists - $220 initial license application fee and $220 for renewal; dentists - $800 initial license application fee, $500 license fee, and $500 renewal; dietitians/nutritionists - $150 initial license application fee, $85 license fee, and $85 renewal; mechanical administrators - $350 application fee, $500 initial license fee, $500 for renewal, $25 for initial continuing education course submittal and $25 for renewal of continuing education course submittal; naturopaths - $800 license fee, $800 renewal fee, and $400 for a temporary license; psychologists - $400 initial license application fee, $200 application fee for courtesy license, $1,100 license fee, $1,100 for renewal, $250 for temporary license fee; psychological associates - $1,100 license fee, $1,100 renewal; pawnbrokers - $600 license fee, $600 renewal; massage therapists - $465 license fee, $465 renewal; massage therapy establishments - $600 registration fee, $600 registration renewal.
   Another state agency: None known
   A municipality: None known
   A school district: None known

8. Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding (in thousands of dollars):
   No costs are expected in FY 2027 or in subsequent years.

9. The name of the contact person for the regulation:
   Name: Melissa Dumas
   Title: CBPL, Administrative Operations Manager
   Address: PO Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806
   Telephone: (907) 465-2572
   E-mail address: [email protected]
   
   
10. The origin of the proposed action:
    __X__ Staff of state agency
    _____ Federal government
    _____ General public
    _____ Petition for regulation change
    _____ Other (identify):
    
    
11. Date: 9/23/2026
    Prepared by: Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist
    Telephone: (907) 465-2537

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