STAND. COM. REP. NO.  53

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 1098

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1098 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Auditor to conduct a sunrise analysis of the regulation of health educators.

     More specifically, the Auditor would be required to analyze the probable effects of regulating health educators and whether those regulations would be consistent with the policies set forth in section 26H-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and to assess alternate forms of regulation.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc., Society for Public Health Education, and four concerned individuals.

     Health educators are a rapidly growing sector of the public health workforce and are employed in a wide variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, community organizations, and health clinics.  Your Committee finds that the regulation of health educators will ensure that:

     (1)  Health educators meet minimum competency requirements in the profession, similar to requirements for other health care and educational professionals;

     (2)  Recipients of their specialized work receive quality services at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of health care; and

     (3)  Quality standards in the health educator profession are maintained by enforcing ethics requirements and taking disciplinary action against violators.

Accordingly, your Committee finds that a sunrise review of the regulation of health educators is necessary and appropriate.

     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. 1098 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,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair