STAND. COM. REP. NO. 909

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1411
                                     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 H.B. No. 1411 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ACUPUNCTURE PRACTITIONERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to allow students of acupuncture
to sit for the acupuncture licensing examination if they have
graduated from an institution that is in the process of applying
for candidacy for accreditation.

     Your Committee received testimony supporting this measure
from the the Oriental Medical Institute of Hawaii, the Institute
of Clinical Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ICAOM), the
Student Body of ICAOM, and the Hawaii College of Health Sciences,
Inc.  The Board of Acupuncture of the Department of Commerce and
Consumer Affairs, supported the intent of this bill, suggesting
an amendment.

     Your Committee finds that this bill will allow acupuncture
students who have graduated from an unaccredited institution, to
be eligible to take the acupuncture licensing examination if the
student applies to take the examination on or after September 1,
2000, and at the time they apply, the institution is in the
process of applying for candidacy for accreditation.  Upon
examination of the testimony submitted, your Committee notes that
this bill is not intended to establish a deadline by which
acupuncture schools must achieve candidacy status, and is not

 
 
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                                 Page 2

 
intended to prevent or allow the future establishment of
acupuncture programs in this state.

     Your Committee has made technical, nonsubstantive amendments
to this bill for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     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 H.B. No. 1411, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No.
1411, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   RON MENOR, Chair