Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Consumer Protection and Commerce and Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1510 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to update the State's chiropractor licensing law.

More specifically, this bill:

(1) Expands the scope of chiropractic practice;

The Board of Chiropractic Examiners, Hawaii State Chiropractic Association, Massage Therapists Association of Hawaii, and an individual supported the bill. The Hawaii Insurers Council, Hawaii Medical Association, ILWU Local 142, Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and State Farm Insurance Companies testified in opposition to the bill. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) provided comments.

Your Committees find that the practice of chiropractic has advanced and that existing laws must be updated to reflect the current training and expertise of chiropractors. However, your Committees are concerned that passage of this measure may result in additional automobile and health insurance costs, and indirectly in workers' compensation cost increases.

Your Committees have been notified that the Insurance Division of DCCA is performing an economic impact analysis of this bill that upon completion will be provided to the members of both Committees. Accordingly, your Committees have amended this bill to allow consideration of the results of DCCA's analysis by changing the bill's effective date to July 1, 2050.

Technical, nonsubstantive amendments have also been made to this bill for clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Consumer Protection and Commerce and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1510, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1510, H.D. 1.