STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1200-16
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2016
RE: S.B. No. 2862
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 S.B. No. 2862 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NURSING,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The Board of Nursing; The American Organization of Nurse Executives, Hawaii Chapter; Hawaii State Center for Nursing; Hawaii Pacific Health; Bradley Kuo, LLC; Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses; and two individuals provided testimony in support of this measure.
Your Committee finds that Nursys is a national database that includes information about nurse licenses and disciplinary action. Hawaii is one of four states that does not fully participate in Nursys. While Hawaii does report disciplinary action to Nursys, license information is not reported. Your Committee also finds that there have been recent incidents of individuals using false verifications of inactive or non-existent Hawaii nurse licenses to fraudulently obtain nursing license verifications in other states.
Your Committee believes that allowing the Board of Nursing to fully participate in Nursys will lessen incidents of fraud, ensure that the Board is notified when a Hawaii licensee is disciplined in another jurisdiction, and improve patient safety. Additionally, allowing the Board of Nursing to fully participate in Nursys will streamline the Board's process of verifying nurse licenses.
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 S.B. No. 2862 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,
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____________________________ ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair |
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