STAND. COM. REP. NO. 685

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 55

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 55 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DENTISTRY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to repeal the provision in section 448-9.4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, allowing the passing of a regional examination, in lieu of the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) examination, to meet the Board of Dental Examiner's examination requirements for licensing in the State.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by three individuals.  The Board of Dental Examiners (Board) submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

     Your Committee finds that during the 2005 Regular Session, the Legislature made various amendments to the dental licensing laws and some confusion has arisen as to the examination requirements for dental licensing.  This law will clarify that the ADEX examination, which, based upon the testimony of the Board, was approved in December 2005, is the examination that dentists seeking licensure must pass in order to meet the dental licensing requirements in this State.

     Your Committee has amended this measure to change the effective date to July 1, 2010, in order to allow those who are already in the process of applying for licensure based upon their passing of a regional examination to complete that process under the current law.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 55, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 55, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair