STAND. COM. REP. NO 200

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 725

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 725 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DENTISTRY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to grant the Board of Dental Examiners the power to issue cease and desist orders for the unlicensed practice of dentistry and for any other act or practice in violation of the dental licensing laws.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Dental Association and one individual.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Board of Dental Examiners.

     Your Committees find that there is a clear and present danger to the health and welfare of the public when violations of Hawaii dental laws occur in the State.  The State Board of Dental Examiners needs the ability to address these situations quickly, as the current length of time it takes to suspend or revoke a license puts the public in danger while that individual continues to provide dental services, sometimes even after arrest and indictment.  With the ability to act quickly in these cases, the Board can better protect the public and pressure a licensee to come into compliance.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting language that would have allowed the Board of Dental Examiners to issue cease and desist orders for the unlicensed practice of dentistry and for any other act or practice in violation of the dental licensing laws; and

     (2)  Upon the recommendation of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, inserting language to allow the Board of Dental Examiners to establish procedures for an order of summary suspension of a license and to summarily suspend a license.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 725, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 725, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair