CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO.60
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2001
H.D. 1
S.D. 2
C.D. 1
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
President of the Senate
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 945, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:
having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.
The purpose of this bill is to amend the social work law to recognize additional levels of licensure for social workers that recognize persons with bachelor's degrees in social work and certifications in clinical social work. Among other things this bill:
(1) Specifies licensure requirements for licensed bachelor social workers, licensed social workers, and licensed independent clinical social workers;
(2) Provides title and practice protection for licensed social workers; and
(3) Provides that communication between licensed independent clinical social workers and their clients are to be treated in the same manner as psychologist-client communications under Rule 504.1 of the Hawaii Rules of Evidence.
Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by removing its substance other than the privileged communications provisions of the bill, and has inserted the substance of H.B. No. 945, H.D. 1.
In addition to protecting communications between licensed independent clinical social workers and their clients, the amended measure:
(1) Expands the definition of "practice of social work" to recognize clinical diagnosis or psychotherapy by licensed social workers who are certified as clinical social workers by the National Association of Social Workers or the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work, and are registered with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA);
(2) Prohibits persons from performing clinical diagnosis or psychotherapy unless they are duly registered with (DCCA); and
(3) Changes the effective date to adding a repeal date of January 1, 2003.
Your Committee on Conference realizes that both houses of the legislature attempted to pass a measure that created a three-tiered licensure system for social workers. However, all parties concerned could not come to an amicable agreement on this issue. Your Committee on Conference notes that this measure is still a work in progress and hopes that the groups concerned with this issue resolve their differences during the interim, work to draft a new bill on a licensure system for social workers, and present that bill during the next legislative session. In drafting this bill, the parties shall consider public safety, appropriate work experience, and education requirements.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 945, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 945, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:
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ON THE PART OF THE SENATE |
ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE |
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____________________________ DAVID M. MATSUURA, Chair |
____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Co-Chair |
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____________________________ RON MENOR, Co-Chair |
____________________________ KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Co-Chair |