STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2615

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2472

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2472, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTICE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require licensure, rather than registration, of occupational therapists and to also require licensure for occupational therapy assistants.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of the measure from the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific, the Occupational Therapy Association of Hawaii, the outpatient staff at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that licensure of occupational therapists and their assistants will provide the highest form of government regulation to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the penalty amount for violations of the occupational therapy law to an unspecified figure;

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate discussion on the measure; and

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

     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. 2472, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2472, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair