STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1252

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 1421

      S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 1421, S.D. 2, 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 add a variety of new provisions to the licensing statute for doctors of osteopathy to provide for greater uniformity in licensing doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy.

Specifically, these new provisions involve educational teaching licenses, training replacement temporary licenses, duty to report wounds, postmortem examination consent, intentional termination of pregnancy, exemptions to licensure, limited and temporary licenses, continuing education, licensing examinations, and license censures and conditions.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Board of Medical Examiners and the Hawaii Medical Association.

     Your Committee finds that the Board of Medical Examiners regulates both doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy but under separate statutes.  Your Committee finds that both types of doctors are similar in many respects and the approach to their regulation should be as uniform and consistent as possible.  This measure will supplement the existing licensing statute for doctors of osteopathy by adding provisions presently found only in the licensing statute for doctors of medicine.

     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 S.B. No. 1421, S.D. 2, 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