STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1265-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 2159

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2159 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROFESSIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to protect consumers of mental health services by continuing the regulation of mental health counselors.  Specifically, this bill repeals the sunset date of the licensing program for mental health counselors in Chapter 453D, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     The Office of the Auditor, Kaiser Permanente, Hawaii Rehabilitation Counseling Association, Alliance for Professional Counselor Licensure, and many concerned individuals supported this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Adding licensed mental health counselors to the list of practitioners who may provide mental health services that must be covered under health insurance policies under chapter 431M, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 2159, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2159, 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