STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2230

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2490

       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 Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2490 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONTINUING COMPETENCY FOR NURSES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require licensed registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to submit evidence of continuing competency at each renewal period, beginning with the June 30, 2015, licensing biennium;

     (2)  Set requirements for continuing competency for licensed registered nurses and licensed practical nurses; and

     (3)  Require each licensee to keep and maintain records showing that continuing competency has been completed.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Pacific Health, Hawaii State Center for Nursing, Pali Momi Medical Center, and seven individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Nursing.

     Your Committee finds that nurses are critical to health care reform.  Your Committee further finds that continuing education plays a significant role in nursing professionals' ongoing development.  This measure encourages nurses to embrace lifelong learning as an essential key to delivering safe, high quality patient care.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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. 2490, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2490, S.D. 1, 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