CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 144

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2009

RE:    S.B. No. 1142

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1142, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to improve patient access to medical care and ensure the public safety by clarifying the procedure and circumstances under which licensed physician assistants may provide services, including:

     (1)  Signing documents, such as medical certifications, forms, orders, applications, and verifications;

     (2)  Performing medical procedures or tests;

     (3)  Administering immunizations;

     (4)  Prescribing medications; and

     (5)  Providing care in the event of public emergencies and local disasters.

     This measure further improves access to medical care by limiting the liability of licensed physician assistants who render uncompensated emergency medical care to persons who are in immediate danger of loss of life, when that care is rendered in good faith and with the standard of care expected of similar physician assistants under similar circumstances.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that this measure is intended to authorize the unsupervised medical care by physician assistants only in the event of a public emergency or a state or local disaster.  In addition, this measure is intended to limit physician assistant liability only in specific situations pursuant to Good Samaritan laws.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by changing the effective date to "upon approval" and by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of consistency, clarity, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1142, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1142, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Co-Chair	____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair
____________________________ ROBERT N. HERKES, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair
____________________________ JON RIKI KARAMATSU, Co-Chair	____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair
____________________________ SCOTT NISHIMOTO, Co-Chair