STAND. COM. REP. NO.  94

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1047

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1047 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to include marriage and family therapy among the mental illness, alcohol, and drug dependence benefits required within the hospital and medical coverage offered under accident and sickness insurance policies and similar insurance products.

     The Hawaii Psychological Association, the Bobby Benson Center, and a voluminous number of concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Mental Health America of Hawaii, and a concerned individual provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by requiring DCCA to submit reports to the 2010, 2013, and 2016 Legislatures on the economic impacts of providing insurance coverage for marriage and family therapists, as required by this bill.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1047, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1047, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair