STAND. COM. REP. NO. 581

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 1460
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which
was referred S.B. No. 1460 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CERTIFIED SUBSTANCE ABUSE
     STAFF,"

begs leave to report as follows:
     
     The purpose of this measure is to add to the definition of
"certified substance abuse staff" psychologists who hold a
current certification from the American Psychological Association
College of Professional Psychology in the treatment of alcohol
and other psychoactive substance use disorders.

     The Department of Health, Hawaii Psychological Association,
and one individual, while not present, submitted written
testimony in support of this measure. 

     Your Committee finds that under current law, a state
licensed psychologist must be certified as a substance abuse
counselor by the Department of Health to qualify for payments
under medical or health insurance.

     As amended, a psychologist who holds a current specialty
certificate in substance abuse treatment from the American
Psychological Association College of Professional Psychology
would also qualify for insurance payments for substance abuse
treatments.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 581
                                   Page 2


     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of S.B. No. 1460 and recommends that it pass Second
Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

 
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