STAND. COM. REP. NO. 288

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 47
                                     




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 47
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is grant licensure to physician
assistants who are nationally certified. 

     The Legislative Auditor, the Board of Medical Examiners, and
the Hawaii Academy of Physician Assistants testified in support
of this measure. 

     The Hawaii Government Employees Association testified in
opposition to the measure pending the identification of pertinent
impacts of the proposed changes. 
 
     Concerns were raised by other professionals regarding the
consistency in which the State implements its prescriptive
authority policies. It is recommended that this issue be
considered by the subsequent Committee. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 47
and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the
Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.


 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 288
                                 Page 2

 
                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health,



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair