STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1488

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.C.R. No. 97

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 97, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ANALYZE A MEASURE TO REGULATE RESPIRATORY CARE PRACTITIONERS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the Auditor, pursuant to section 26H-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, perform an analysis of the proposed regulation of respiratory care practitioners, including the establishment of a board of respiratory care, as proposed in Senate Bill No. 1332, S.D. 2 (2009).

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Society for Respiratory Care.

     Written testimony presented to your Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees find that this measure is necessary in order to enact legislation to regulate respiratory therapy.  The licensure of respiratory therapists is important to the protection of public health and safety.  Respiratory therapists serve a critical role in the health care delivery system.  Your Committees further find that certain health professions need licensure to participate in federal programs.

     Your Committees have amended this measure and its title by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of consistency, clarity, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 97, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 97, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair