STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2984

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 44

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 44 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A SUNRISE ANALYSIS OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct a sunrise analysis on the regulation of school psychologists.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education and Hawaii Association of School Psychologists.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

     Your Committees find that school psychologists employed in the public sector are currently exempt from licensure in Hawaii.  This exemption has enabled individuals to practice psychology within a public educational setting even if they lack graduate training in school psychology or have not met the nationally accepted certification standard.  According to testimony received by your Committees, Hawaii is the only state in the nation that permits this.

     Your Committees further find that this measure requests the Auditor to conduct a sunrise analysis on the regulation of school psychologists, as proposed by Senate Bill No. 2612, Regular Session of 2016.  The Auditor's analysis would set forth the probable effects of the proposed regulatory measure, assess whether its enactment is consistent with section 26H-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and assess alternative forms of regulation.  Your Committees additionally find that a sunrise analysis is the necessary next step toward the licensing and regulation of school psychologists in the public sector, which will ensure that all students in public and private educational settings have access to school psychologists who meet specific training and expertise requirements.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 44, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 44, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair