STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2800

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2375

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2375, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEMPORARY DISABILITY INSURANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to include advanced practice registered nurses among the healthcare providers that certify an employee's disability for the purposes of receiving temporary disability benefits.

The measure also updates other statutory provisions relating to temporary disability insurance, such as increasing the penalty for employers who fail to submit timely wage and employment information, and modernizing provisions authorizing manners in which hearing notices may be sent.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses, Hawaii State Center for Nursing, and five individuals.

ILWU Local 142 submitted written comments on the measure.

Your Committee finds that the inclusion of advanced practice registered nurses in the temporary disability insurance claims process will allow claimants to receive timely and quality care by the provider from which they already receive care.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2375, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2375, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair