STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2477

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2491

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. 2491 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NURSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to replace references to advanced practice registered nurse recognition in the Hawaii Revised Statutes with advanced practice registered nurse licensure.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Board of Nursing, Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses, Hawaii State Center for Nursing, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and six individuals.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii was one of the first states in the country to adopt the Consensus Model for advanced practice registered nurses, which provides guidance for states to adopt uniformity in the regulation of advanced practice registered nurse roles.  However, to fully align with the Consensus Model, references in the Hawaii Revised Statutes must be changed from advanced practice registered nurse recognition to advanced practice registered nurse licensure.

     Your Committee further finds that as long as regulatory requirements and language differ from state to state, each state border represents an obstacle to portability, potentially preventing access to professionals and access to care.  Your Committee additionally finds that this measure does not affect existing advanced practice registered nurse licensure or relicensure requirements.  Rather, this measure aligns Hawaii's statutes with national standards and is necessary to prevent obstacles to portability for Hawaii advanced practice registered nurses who choose to practice in another state.

     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. 2491 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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