STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2570

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2717
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which
was referred S.B. No. 2717 entitled: 

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to continue the licensing of
social workers in this State and to streamline the licensing
process by authorizing licensure by endorsement.

     Testimony on the measure was submitted by the Department of
Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of Health, Department
of Human Services, National Association of Social Workers, Child
and Family Service, Tripler Army Medical Center, Sex Abuse
Treatment Center, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Sestak
Rehabilitation Services, Entrepreneurial Solutions LLC, Hawaii
Nurses' Association, Catholic Charities, and numerous
individuals.

     Currently, the law provides for the repeal of social worker
licensure at the end of this year.  If the law is allowed to
expire, Hawaii would be the only state in the nation that does
not license social workers.  Further, the State and private
agencies would be unable to utilize social workers to provide
needed child, adolescent, and adult mental health services
because licensure is a requirement for Medicaid and private
insurance reimbursement.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2570
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     This measure repeals the sunset of the social worker
licensing law, thereby assuring that Hawaii will continue to
maintain standards for individuals representing themselves as
social workers.  The measure also authorizes licensure by
endorsement for applicants who have been licensed in states with
requirements that are, at the minimum, equivalent to Hawaii's
requirements, an amendment consistent with the Auditor's 1999
recommendation to the legislature.

     Finally, this measure alters the examination requirement for
licensure in two ways.  First, it requires passage of the
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) examination only of
persons applying for licensure after July 1, 2000.  Currently,
all applicants, not seeking recognition of Academy of Certified
Social Workers (ACSW) examination results, must have passed the
ASWB examination.  Secondly, it extends the period up to which
applicants may pass the ACSW examination for recognition purposes
from June 30, 1995, to June 30, 2000.  Your Committee finds that
relaxing the examination requirements does not enhance the
State's standards for licensure.  Therefore, your Committee has
amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the July 2, 2000, effective date for the ASWB
          exam requirement;

     (2)  Not extending the date by which an applicant may pass
          the ACSW examination for recognition purposes, and
          establishing a drop-dead date of June 30, 2000, for the
          filing of applications coming in under the recognition
          provision; and

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

     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. 2717, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as
S.B. No. 2717, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third
Reading.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2570
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                                   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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