STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1170-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2655

S.D. 2

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 Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2655, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the present and critical need for ensuring that individuals requiring the services of school psychologists receive appropriate services by highly qualified and licensed professionals, by:

(1) Requiring school psychologists to be licensed by the Board of Psychology;

(2) Establishing standards for the licensing of school psychologists; and

(3) Increasing the membership of the Board of Psychology by adding two members who are licensed to practice school psychology.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association, Hawai‘i Association of School Psychologists, Hawaii Children's Action Network, Family Programs Hawaii, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and several individuals testified in support of this measure. The Board of Psychology, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' Regulated Industries Complaints Office, and Department of Education provided comments on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the continuing education requirements for school psychologists from 18 credit hours to 25 credit hours annually; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

Should your Committees on Intrastate Commerce and Consumer Protection and Commerce hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests the joint Committee to consider, pursuant to section 26H-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, a measure requiring the Auditor to conduct a sunrise study that analyzes the probable effects of licensing school psychologists and assesses alternative forms of regulation.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2655, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2655, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Intrastate Commerce and Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair