STAND. COM. REP. NO. 19

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 810

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. 810 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish biennial requirements for forty credit hours in specified continuing medical education programs for renewal of physician assistant licenses, beginning with the renewal for the licensing biennium on February 1, 2020;

(2) Authorize the Hawaii Medical Board to conduct random document audits to enforce compliance; and

(3) Specify conditions for forfeiture and reinstatement of a physician assistant license.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Medical Board, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Academy of Physician Assistants, and thirteen individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Medical Board currently requires that physician assistants maintain certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants for license renewal. This is overly burdensome and has contributed to the shortage of quality health care workers in the State. Your Committee further finds that the trend amongst regulatory boards is to require physician assistants to obtain only continuing medical education for license renewal. This measure brings parity between the license renewal requirements for physician assistants and physicians and requires physician assistants to submit proof of forty hours of specified continuing medical education which will ensure that compliance and quality are maintained amongst licensees.

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. 810 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair