STAND. COM. REP. NO. 14

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 198

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 198 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend section 457-8.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to recognize and adopt the National Council of State Boards of Nursing's consensus model by clarifying language relating to advanced practice registered nurse educational requirements.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, the University of Hawaii at Hilo School of Nursing, Hawai‘i Pacific Health, Hawaii Long Term Care Association, The Queen's Health Systems, Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing, Blood Bank of Hawaii, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, the American Organization of Nurse Executives Hawaii Chapter, the Hawai‘i Association of Professional Nurses, the Board of Nursing, and nine individuals.

     Your Committee finds that under existing state law, advanced practice registered nurses may only be recognized if they receive a master's degree in certain nursing fields.  This precludes recognition of nurses who earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and other nationally recognized clinical doctorates in nursing, which directly impacts Doctor of Nursing Practice graduates of the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and the University of Hawaii at Hilo School of Nursing.  Your Committee further finds that it is necessary to expand the State's recognition of nurses who complete an accredited graduate-level education program preparing the nurse for one of the recognized advanced practice registered nurse roles ‒ certified registered nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist, and nurse ‒ regardless of whether the program leads to a master's degree.

     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 S.B. No. 198 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair