Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2586, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Board of Dental Examiners to issue a community service license for an eligible dentist or dental hygienist for the purpose of servicing low-income and uninsured communities within the State.

Specifically, this measure:

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Health, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Board of Dental Examiners, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, Kokua Council, Hamakua Health Center, Good Beginnings Alliance, and the Hawaii Medical Service Association. Comments on this measure were also submitted by the Hawaii Dental Hygienists Association.

Your Committee finds that access to dental care for low-income or uninsured individuals within the State is severely limited. Currently, there are a small handful of non-profit federally qualified health centers in Hawaii which offer dental clinic services. Unfortunately, in Hawaii, children suffer from triple the number of incidences of baby bottle tooth decay, double the number of dental caries, as well as more than double the number of decayed and filled teeth. Additionally, more than 270,000 of Hawaii's residents are individuals without any dental insurance with 80,000 MedQuest insured adults also being without dental benefits.

Your Committee believes that the failure to provide for basic and preventive dental care can result in more serious health problems in the future which will translate into increased costs to the State. Your Committee further find that the number of dental professionals to staff non-profit health center dental clinics is deficient for our current needs. Although there are qualified out-of-state professionals who are willing to assist in these communities, the current law precludes their utilization without proper licensure within the State. Your Committee determines that the need to service our needy communities requires the creation of an exception from normal licensing requirements in order to properly provide for the health and well-being of our residents. Your Committee also determines that the establishment of a community service license will facilitate the recruitment and retention of eligible dentists and dental hygienists from other states who may be willing to provide services to low-income or uninsured communities in our islands.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2586, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2586, S.D. 2.