STAND. COM. REP. NO. 373

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 307

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 307 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SPEECH PATHOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a provisional license for speech pathologists.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawai‘i Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Hale Ho‘ola Hamakua Critical Access Hospital, Oahu Speech Language Pathology Consultants, and over forty individuals.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii is one of the few states that do not provide a provisional license to clinical fellows who are transitioning from a speech-language pathology student to a provider. When clinical fellows are not licensed, they are often not recognized as qualified clinicians for the purposes of reimbursement and are therefore unable to bill Medicare and most insurance companies. This results in a shortage of speech pathologists, delaying needed services, and a lack of job opportunities in the State for clinical fellows after graduating from accredited universities. Of particular concern is that Hawaii is losing talented graduates, who wish to stay in the State and provide service to the community, but who must relocate to the mainland to seek job opportunities not available in Hawaii. This measure establishes a provisional license for clinical fellows to practice under the guidance of an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association certified supervisor while they pursue their permanent licensure requirements, which will provide more employment opportunities for recent graduates and help to alleviate Hawaii's speech pathologist shortage.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 307 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair