STAND. COM. REP. NO. 656

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1074

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1074, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHYSICAL THERAPY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to regulate the practice of physical therapist assistants.

     More specifically, this measure:

(1)  Requires a physical therapist assistants to obtain a license to practice from the Board of Physical Therapy;

(2)  Adds a licensed physical therapist assistant as a member of the Board of Physical Therapy; and

(3)  Appropriates funds out of the compliance resolution fund for fiscal year 2014-2015 to implement the licensure of physical therapist assistants by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Board of Physical Therapy, Physical Therapist of Hawaii, the Occupational Therapy Association of Hawaii, and twenty-seven concerned individuals.

     Your Committee finds that this measure regulates the practice of and requires physical therapist assistants to receive appropriate education and training to practice in the State.  Your Committee further finds that physical therapist assistants provide medical services to the residents of the State and that it is in the interest of the State to regulate these providers to ensure the quality of medical services provided.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Clarifying that a physical therapist assistant means a person who is licensed as a physical therapist assistant in the State and assists the physical therapist in selected components of treatment or intervention;

(2)  Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(3)  Changing the effective date for section 8 of the measure to July 1, 2051, and to July 1, 2050, for the rest of the measure to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(4)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1074, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1074, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair