HB917 HD1 HSCR512

STAND. COM. REP. NO.512

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.B. No. 917

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Consumer Protection and Commerce and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 917 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to enact a new chapter to license and regulate independent clinical social workers (ICSWs). Among other things, this measure:

(1) Sets out qualifications for an ICSW license;

(2) Exempts certain groups from required qualifications for an ICSW license;

(2) Prohibits unlicensed individuals from practicing in the area of ICSW, or using the title, acronym, or variants of the title or acronym;

(3) Establishes a Board of Independent Clinical Social Work to license and discipline ICSWs;

(4) Provides for and prohibits disclosure, without patient consent, of privileged communications between ICSWs and patients; and

(5) Exempts from the chapter, those working for the government as clinical social workers.

Your Committees received testimony supporting this bill from the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work Federation, Clinical Social Work Society of Hawaii, and many private individuals including licensed social workers and clinical social workers. The Department of Human Services commented. Testimony in opposition to the measure was submitted by the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, National Association of Social Workers, Sex Abuse Treatment Center, and many private individuals, including licensed social workers and clinical social workers.

Your Committees find that those testifying about this bill disagreed on a number of different levels about the approach to be taken in regulating clinical social workers. Your Committees also understand that another bill, H.B. No. 945, will be making its way through the legislative process and is preferred by many who testified in opposition to this bill. To allow further discussion and resolution of the issues raised by this measure, your Committees have amended its effective date from effective upon approval, to July 1, 2050.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Consumer Protection and Commerce and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 917, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 917, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Consumer Protection and Commerce and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________ ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair		____________________________ KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Chair