CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 81-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

RE:    S.B. No. 2670

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2670, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIOR ANALYSTS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Reduce the surcharge on the license fee and renewal fee for behavior analysts from $100 to $50; and

     (2)  Temporarily exempt from the licensing requirements for the practice of behavior analysis direct support workers who provide Medicaid home and community-based services pursuant to the Social Security Act through January 1, 2019.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the initial costs for behavior analyst licensure and the annual fees to maintain this license can total over $1,000, which can be significant to behavior analysts, many of whom are paid hourly with minimal benefits.  This measure reduces the surcharge on the license and renewal fee for behavior analysts, which will ease the financial burden of behavior analyst licensing, encourage the licensure of behavior analysts, and increase the number of licensed behavior analysts available to the public.

     Your Committee on Conference further finds that this measure temporarily exempts direct support workers who provide necessary behavioral interventions for individuals in the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services waiver program.  This exemption prevents a disruption in services for individuals currently receiving behavioral services while also facilitating efforts to build an adequate workforce of credentialed paraprofessionals and licensed professionals in Hawaii.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending its effective date to upon approval, with the exemption for direct support workers applicable from January 1, 2016; and

     (2)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2670, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2670, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair
____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Co-Chair	____________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Co-Chair
____________________________ JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA, Co-Chair