STAND. COM. REP. NO.2947

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2056

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2056, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a three-tier licensure system for social work practice that recognizes educational and professional experience in the assignment of a license category.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the National Association of Social Workers, the Clinical Social Work Society of Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, nine licensed social workers and social work students. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by a social work student. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Hawai'i Nurses' Association submitted testimony with comments and suggested amendments.

Your Committee finds that the State's existing social work licensing law does not recognize the various educational and experiential distinctions between social work practitioners. Your Committee further finds that the three-tier model proposed in this measure reflects the current national model for social work licensure and will offer consumers more informed choices when seeking and retaining services of licensed social workers.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clearly delineating the three tier-system by linking each tier to their respective definitions in chapter 467E, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS);

(2) Deleting the qualifying term "psychiatric or mental health specialty or subspecialty" that is attached to all references to "advanced practice registered nurses";

(3) Changing the language in the definition of "qualified" on page 5 of the measure to clarify that the certification under chapter 321 applies to all physicians, psychologists, advanced practice registered nurses;

(4) Correcting a cross-reference in the new language in paragraph (8) added to section 467E-6, HRS, related to qualifications for a licensed clinical social worker;

(5) Inserting a conforming amendment to section 467E-15, HRS, related to privileged communication;

(6) Extending the deadline to June 30, 2005, to allow applicants for the "licensed clinical social worker" license who have passed the diplomate clinical assessment examination to file for licensure with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs;

(7) Removing the sunset provision from Act 229, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001; and

(8) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2056, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2056, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

____________________________

DAVID MATSUURA, Chair