Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing and Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 233 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to clarify the scope of practice of chiropractic.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, Hawaii State Chiropractic Association, Massage Therapists Association, Hilo Accident & Industrial Injury Clinic, Keawe Chiropractic Center, Hilo Chiropractic Clinic, Young Chiropractic Center, Klein Chiropractic Center, and five private citizens. Testimony in opposition was received from the Board of Medical Examiners and Hawaii Insurers Council. The State's actuary submitted comments.

Your Committees are cautious about passing this measure in the interests of possibly impacting insurance reimbursement expenses. The State's actuary's testimony states, "Since the current premiums are substantially lower than those that were present in 1997, the percentage impact of any specific cost increases will be greater than the percentage savings was in 1997." The Insurance Division is currently undertaking an actuarial study of the cost impact of this measure. Your Committees believe that it is prudent to await the actuarial study before proceeding further. Your Committees request the Insurance Division to report to the appropriate committees of the Senate or House on the results of the actuarial study in time to consider this measure more fully before the end of this legislative session.

However, in the interests of keeping this measure alive and to ensure that this measure is revisited in this legislative session, your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing and Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 233, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 233, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.