CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 157-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2653

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2653, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHAPTER 453, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish requirements for licensure by endorsement for physicians, surgeons, and osteopathic physicians; and

(2) Appropriate an unspecified sum from the compliance resolution fund to implement the licensure by endorsement process.

Your Committee on Conference finds that Hawaii is facing a critical shortage of health care providers in almost every field of practice. Your Committee on Conference further finds that the Hawaii Medical Board (Board) currently lacks the ability to grant licensure by endorsement to physicians, surgeons, and osteopathic physicians who are fully qualified and licensed in another jurisdiction. This measure establishes licensure by endorsement requirements for physicians, surgeons, and osteopathic physicians, which will provide greater access to medical care in Hawaii and address the high volume of applications received from out-of-state physicians in a more streamlined manner.

Your Committee on Conference notes that this measure clearly ensures that the Board may only license physicians, surgeons, and osteopathic physicians who meet specific licensing requirements and who have not been previously disciplined by another medical or osteopathic medical board.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an appropriation amount of $104,000 out of the compliance resolution fund to implement the licensure by endorsement requirements;

(2) Inserting a purpose section;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2018; provided that the licensure by endorsement requirements shall take effect on December 31, 2018; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2653, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2653, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ TAKASHI OHNO Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER Chair
____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO Co-Chair	____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH Co-Chair
____________________________ ROY M. TAKUMI Co-Chair
____________________________ TY J.K. CULLEN Co-Chair