Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 2498, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to repeal the sunset date of the statute providing for licensing of clinical social workers.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of Health, National Association of Social Workers, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Clinical Social Work Society of Hawaii, two social workers, and two students in the University of Hawaii's Masters of Social Work program.

Your Committee finds that Act 108, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001, includes psychotherapy and clinical diagnosis in the scope of practice for clinical social workers. The Act is scheduled to sunset on January 1, 2003.

Your Committee further finds that the stringent clinical social worker license requirements protect clients by ensuring that they receive quality services. In addition, without licensing, clinical social workers would be in violation of the psychologist licensing law if they practiced psychotherapy, would not qualify for Medicaid reimbursements, and could not offer their services as a cost-effective alternative to other mental health service providers.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2498, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.