STAND. COM. REP. NO. 567-04
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2004
RE: H.B. No. 2981
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2004
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2981 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NURSES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to increase consumer access to appropriate medical care by:
(1) Removing the sunset date of certain provisions of Act 192, Session Laws of Hawaii 2002 (Act 192), to make permanent the Board of Nursing's (Board's) power to grant prescriptive authority to qualified, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs);
(2) Authorizing the Board, rather than the Board of Medical Examiners (BME), to designate the applicable APRN formularies; and
(3) Establishing a committee to provide advice on the formularies.
Testimony in support of this bill was provided by an APRN with prescriptive authority. The Board supported the bill, but opposed Section 2 concerning establishment of the APRN formularies. BME commented.
Your Committee finds that Act 192 transferred the responsibility for granting prescriptive authority to qualified APRNs, from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to the Board. Your Committee heard testimony that this transfer of responsibility will help to remove unnecessarily cumbersome requirements for obtaining prescriptive authority, and will benefit consumers by increasing access to qualified APRNs who are able to prescribe appropriate medications.
Your Committee also finds that in 2002, Act 192 mandated the establishment of a Joint Formulary Advisory Committee (JFAC) composed of two APRNs, two physicians, three pharmacists, and a representative of a school of nursing with an APRN program. JFAC was to make recommendations on the APRN formulary, which were to be considered by BME in adopting the formulary. On September 30, 2003, JFAC submitted its final recommendations to BME.
Your Committee finds that, at least for now, the current system for establishing and amending the formularies should continue. Therefore, Section 2 of the bill was deleted.
Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, and style.
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 H.B. No. 2981, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2981, H.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce,
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____________________________ KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Chair |
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