STAND. COM. REP. NO.  663

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 214

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. 214 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to clarify the requirements for mental health counselor licensure by establishing that those persons who applied to the department after July 1, 2005, and graduated from an accredited program before July 1, 2007, may be eligible for licensure.

     Hawaii Rehabilitation Counseling Association, Alliance for Professional Counselor Licensure, Sestak Rehabilitation Services, several faculty members of Chaminade University of Honolulu, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs opposed this measure.

     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. 214 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