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 S.B. No. 2497 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure, as received, is to license hypnotherapists and establish a board of hypnotherapy in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association and a private citizen. Comments on this measure was submitted by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Hawaii Nurses' Association.

Your Committee finds that hypnotherapy can have a considerable impact on the overall mental health of consumers utilizing the services of a hypnotherapist. Your Committee finds that some protection should be provided regarding the services of a hypnotherapist, but there is little, if any, reason to regulate the practice of hypnotherapy at this time.

Thus, your Committee is deleting the contents of this measure and replacing it with a new chapter that requires certification of hypnotherapists by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. The director of the office of consumer protection is provided with the power to enjoin and levy fines for violations of the chapter. Your Committee finds that this will protect consumers without licensing and regulating hypnotherapists.

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 S.B. No. 2497, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2497, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing.