STAND. COM. REP. NO. 433-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2165
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Consumer Protection and
Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2165 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to enact licensing laws for
professional mental health and rehabilitation counselors.

     Child & Family Service, Lynn C. Fox & Associates, the Hawaii
Mental Health Counselors Association, and a number of concerned
individuals and counselors testified in support of this bill.
The Hawaii Counseling Association, the Hawaii Rehabilitation
Counseling Association, and an individual testified in support of
this bill with proposed amendments.  The Department of Commerce
and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) commented on this bill and
recommended amendments.

     Your Committees have adopted the recommendations of the DCCA
and has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Eliminating reference to vocational rehabilitation
          counselors so that their certification process can be
          treated comprehensively in a future bill;

     (2)  Replacing the licensure program with a certification
          program; and


 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 433-00
                                 Page 2

 
     (3)  Eliminating the "grandfathering" clause providing a
          perpetual exemption from certification for members of
          the National Board for Certified Counselors.
 
     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Health and Consumer Protection and Commerce that
are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with
the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2165, as amended herein, and
recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto
as H.B. No. 2165, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on
Finance.

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

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
RON MENOR, Chair                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair