STAND. COM. REP. NO.  67-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1756

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1756 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NURSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure safe and quality nursing services for patients statewide by:

(1)  Requiring all nurse licensure applicants and nurse license renewal applicants to comply with state and federal criminal history record checks; and

(2)  Authorizing the Board of Nursing to develop and adopt rules to implement the required criminal history record checks.

The Department of Public Safety, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing, Hawai‘i Pacific Health, Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses, and a few individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Board of Nursing and an individual commented on this measure.  An individual opposed this measure.

     Your Committee respectfully requests the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce to consider the concerns raised by the Board of Nursing with respect to the fingerprinting requirements specified in this measure, including the impact of these requirements on the timely processing of nurse license applications and renewals.  Your Committee notes that based on the Board of Nursing's testimony, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' Professional and Vocational Licensing Division will need the authority to establish three office assistant positions to timely process criminal background checks for nurses.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Commencing application of criminal history record check requirements with the nursing renewal licensing biennium that commences in 2019, rather than in 2017; and

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2070, to facilitate further discussion.

     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 H.B. No. 1756, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1756, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair