STAND. COM. REP. NO. 37-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2278
                                     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 Human Services and Housing and Health, to
which was referred H.B. No. 2278 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOCIAL WORKERS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure quality social work
services by retaining licensure for social workers in Hawaii.
Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Ensures the continuation of the State Social Work
          Licensing Program;

     (2)  Allows for reciprocity with other state licensing
          programs; and

     (3)  Establishes June 30, 2000, as the cutoff date after
          which the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW)
          exam will no longer be accepted for licensure.

     The U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of Human
Services and Health, the National Association of Social Workers,
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Honolulu, the Healthcare
Association of Hawaii, the Waianae Coast Community Mental Health
Center, Hawaii Nurses Association, Kahi Mohala, Easter Seals
Hawaii, the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, and numerous individuals
testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Commerce
and Consumer Affairs submitted comments.


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 37-00
                                 Page 2

 
     The Legislative Auditor recommended in its report, "Sunset
Evaluation Report: Social Workers," that the Legislature allow
the social worker regulatory law to be repealed on December 31,
2000, as currently scheduled by law.  Your Committees disagree
with this recommendation and finds that without licensure:

     (1)  Social workers would no longer be able to access
          private insurance and Medicaid reimbursement for mental
          health services, especially in child, adolescent, and
          adult mental health;

     (2)  Hawaii would become the only state in the union to not
          regulate the social work profession; even the District
          of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have
          provisions for licensing social workers;

     (3)  Hawaii would not be able to use a nationwide reporting
          network to share information about social workers whose
          license have been revoked or whose practice has been
          sanctioned; and

     (4)  Seventy percent of the social workers in the Department
          of Defense's (DOD) health care system in Hawaii would
          have to obtain a license in another state or seek
          employment elsewhere, as Title 10 of the United States
          Code, DOD Directives, and the Army, Navy, Air Force,
          and Marine Corps Regulations require all active duty
          and civil service social workers in the Military Health
          System to possess a professional license as a condition
          of employment in clinical or administrative positions.

     Your Committees further find that the licensing of social
workers offers needed protection for consumers of social work
services.  These consumers will continue to have the assurance
that those calling themselves social workers will have met the
requirements of an accredited masters program in social work, and
have passed the intermediate level of a nationally standardized
examination.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting a drop dead provision on accepting pre-June
          30, 1995, ACSW passing results;

     (2)  Effectuating this Act upon its approval; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of clarity and style.


 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 37-00
                                 Page 3

 
     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health that is
attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the
intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2278, as amended herein, and
recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto
as H.B. No. 2278, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on
Consumer Protection and Commerce.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Human Services
                                   and Housing and Health,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair       DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair