STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1370

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: S.B. No. 1136
                                     S.D. 2
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which
was referred S.B. No. 1136, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REGULATION OF OSTEOPATHY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to repeal the Board of
Osteopathic Examiners and transfer the function of that board to
the Board of Medical Examiners.

     The bill also adds two osteopaths to the Board of Medical
Examiners and deletes references to osteopathic surgeons in the
statutes.

     The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the
Hawaii Medical Association testified in support of the bill.  The
Board of Osteopathic Examiners testified in opposition.

     Your Committee finds that abolition of the board and
transfer of its functions is consistent with past sunset reports
of the Auditor.  The Board of Osteopathy has historically had
minimal activity and received few complaints.  Additionally, the
two fields, osteopathy and medicine, have converged in recent
years, making regulation by one board not only logical and
feasible, but also more efficient.  Indeed, the Auditor, in its

 
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                                 Page 2

 
1992 study, found that twenty-one states use a single board to
regulate both professions.  Furthermore, your Committee notes
that the Board of Medical Examiners already regulates
podiatrists, physician assistants, and emergency ambulance
personnel, in addition to medical doctors.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of S.B. No. 1136, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it
be referred to the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Consumer
                                   Protection and Commerce,



                                   ______________________________
                                   RON MENOR, Chair

 
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