STAND. COM. REP. NO.  220

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1335

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. 1335 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHAPTER 460, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES, OSTEOPATHY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to conform the osteopathy licensing laws to the physician and surgeon licensing laws.

     Specifically, this measure adds provisions to the osteopathy licensing laws that are presently found only in the physician and surgeon licensing laws.  These provisions relate to educational teaching licenses, training replacement temporary licenses, duty to report wounds, consent to a postmortem examination, intentional termination of pregnancy, exemptions from licensure, limited and temporary licenses, continuing education, and denials of licenses.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this administration measure from the Board of Medical Examiners, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

     Your Committee finds that the same board, specifically, the Board of Medical Examiners, regulates both doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy despite the fact that the two types of doctors are regulated under two separate licensing statutes that are administered by two boards that are separate on paper, specifically, the "Board of Medical Examiners" and the "Board of Osteopathic Examiners".  Your Committee finds that doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy are similar in many respects, including their scope of practice, and therefore, the approach to the regulation of these two professions should be accomplished in as uniform a manner as possible.

     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. 1335 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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