STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1706

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.C.R. No. 161

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 161 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO PROPOSE REGULATIONS AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR HEALTH EDUCATORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request that the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs convene a working group to propose regulations and licensing requirements for health educators.

The Coalition of National Health Education Organizations and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc., provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending the title to read: "REQUESTING THE STATE AUDITOR TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE AND SPECIFIC DUTIES OF THE HEALTH EDUCATOR PROFESSION";

     (2)  Specifying that pursuant to section 26H-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, any measure that if enacted, would subject unregulated professions and vocations to licensing or other regulatory controls shall be referred to the auditor for analysis;

     (3)  Specifying that H.B. No. 1098, Regular Session of 2013, contains language that requires the State Auditor to conduct a sunrise analysis on the regulation of health educators;

     (4)  Requesting that the State Auditor convene a working group to determine the scope and specific duties of the health educator profession;

     (5)  Specifying that the State Auditor is encouraged to include representatives from the following entities as members of the working group:

          (A)  Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs;

          (B)  Department of Health;

          (C)  University of Hawaii System;

          (D)  Hawaii Pacific University;

          (E)  Hawaii Pacific Health; and

          (F)  Any other organization the State Auditor deems appropriate to contribute to the working group, including health educators;

     (6)  Specifying that certified copies of the measure be transmitted to the State Auditor, Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Director of Health, Chair of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, President of Hawaii Pacific University, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Hawaii Pacific Health; and

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 161, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 161, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair