STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1174-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2496

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2496, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to facilitate the provision of certain behavioral services to adults receiving services under the Medicaid Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Home and Community Based Services Waiver, also known as a HCBS I/DD waiver, by:

(1) Exempting certain individuals who implement applied behavior analysis services or plans under the oversight or direction of others from the licensure requirements for behavior analysts; and

(2) Updating and standardizing the terminology used to refer to behavior analysts.

The Department of Health, Hawai‘i Psychological Association, The Arc in Hawaii, and a few individuals supported this measure. Hawai‘i Association for Behavior Analysis opposed this measure. Hawaii Medical Service Association and Aloha Behavioral Associates offered comments for this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Expanding the licensing exemption for individuals working within the scope of an overlapping licensed profession to include unlicensed individuals working under the supervision of licensed professionals; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to promote further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2496, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2496, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health & Human Services,

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair