STAND. COM. REP. NO.  497-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1955

      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 Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1955 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERINARY TECHNICIANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve the level of care of animals in the State by:

     (1)  Establishing requirements for the regulation of veterinary technicians and the practice of veterinary technology;

     (2)  Establishing registration requirements; educational requirements; limitations on use of titles; grounds for refusal to grant, revoke, or suspend registration; hearing requirements; and criminal penalties for veterinary technicians; and

     (3)  Requiring the Board of Veterinary Examiners to issue certificates of registration to applicants beginning on July 1, 2018.

Windward Community College, Hawaii Veterinary Technician Association, and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Office of the Auditor, and Board of Veterinary Examiners provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its substantive provisions and inserting:

     (1)  A new chapter within the Hawaii Revised Statutes that requires a person to meet certain qualifications and register with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs before representing, announcing, or advertising oneself, publicly or privately, as a veterinary technician or registered veterinary technician, or appending the letters "RVT" or "VT" or affix any other words, letters, abbreviations, or insignia to the person's name indicating or implying that the person is a practitioner of veterinary technology;

     (2)  A $100 surcharge in addition to the registration and renewal fee for veterinary technicians under certain conditions;

     (3)  An unspecified appropriation for the implementation of registration requirements for veterinary technicians; and

     (4)  An effective date of July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1955, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1955, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair