STAND. COM. REP. NO.  811-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 1880

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1880, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PODIATRISTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase access to medical care by conforming the definition of "podiatric medicine" to national standards regarding diagnosis and treatment of the foot and ankle thereby broadening the allowable scope of practice for podiatrists.

The Hawaii Podiatric Medical Association, American Podiatric Medical Association, and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Medical Association testified in support of this measure with amendments.  The Hawaii Medical Board provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Allowing a podiatric physician to perform ankle fracture surgery if the podiatric physician is board qualified or board certified in reconstructive rearfoot ankle surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and has completed a 36-month podiatric surgical residency; and

     (2)  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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1880, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1880, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair