STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2499

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2468

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2468 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PODIATRISTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to adopt the national standard of a minimum of twenty-four months in an accredited podiatric residency prior to licensure as a podiatrist, beginning on January 1, 2015.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Podiatric Medical Association; Maui Medical Group, Inc.; Board of Directors of Maui Medical Group, Inc.; Podiatry Advisory Committee for the Hawaii Medical Board; and twelve individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Medical Board and The Legislative Center.

     Your Committee finds that forty-four states mandate residency requirements of either twelve or twenty-four months prior to an applicant obtaining a license to practice podiatric medicine.  This measure requires a minimum of twenty-four months in an accredited podiatric residency prior to obtaining a license to practice podiatric medicine in Hawaii.

     Your Committee further finds that in the past, podiatry residencies varied from one to three years in length.  However, in 2011, the Council on Podiatric Medical Education formally increased the national residency standard for podiatrists to a thirty-six month residency program to provide uniform and consistent training amongst all graduating podiatric surgeons.  The twenty-four month residency requirement in this measure will cover podiatrists who completed a shorter podiatry residency prior to the uniform adoption of the thirty-six month residency requirement.

     However, your Committee has heard concerns that the residency requirements in this measure may not account for doctors of podiatric medicine who have been in active practice for a number of years but may have only been required to complete twelve months of a podiatric residency at the time of their initial licensure.  Amendments to this measure are therefore necessary to clarify requirements for licensure of out-of-state podiatrists who completed less than twenty-four months of podiatric residency and seek to be licensed in Hawaii after the effective date of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that an applicant for a license to practice podiatric medicine in Hawaii who graduated from an approved college before January 1, 2004, shall:

          (A)  Have completed at least twelve months in an accredited podiatric residency;

          (B)  Have at least ten years of active licensed experience in podiatric medicine in another state; and

          (C)  Hold a current, unencumbered license in podiatric medicine in another state; and

     (2)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     Your Committee notes that this amended measure is intended to clarify licensure requirements for out-of-state podiatrists seeking initial licensure in Hawaii.  This amended measure will not affect podiatrists currently licensed and practicing podiatric medicine in Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2468, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2468, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair