STAND. COM. REP. NO. 996

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 819

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 819, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRESCRIPTIVE AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize and establish procedures and criteria for prescriptive authority for clinical psychologists who meet specific education, training, and registration requirements.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Psychological Association, Board of Psychology, American Psychological Association, Mental Health America of Hawaii, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and fifty-two individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the American Psychiatric Association, Hawaii Medical Association, and twelve individuals.

Your Committees find that a critical need exists in Hawaii for improved access to safe, effective, and comprehensive mental health care service due to a shortage of psychiatrists, particularly on the neighbor islands. Your Committees further find that some individuals who are in need of medication to treat mental health disorders choose to forego treatment because of the difficulty or expense involved in seeing a psychiatrist. This measure is intended to provide the necessary safeguards to ensure that only those psychologists with appropriate education, clinical training, and registration will be authorized to prescribe from a limited formulary of psychiatric medications to meet the needs of patients who otherwise might fall into a gap in service. Your Committees note that it would be better if there were enough psychiatrists to meet the need for services, but in the absence of sufficient numbers of psychiatrists, especially on neighbor islands, a temporary measure like this one is justified to help Hawai‘i residents get the care that they need.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing specifically enumerated penalties for violating procedures and criteria for prescriptive authority with a reference to an existing section of the Hawaii Revised Statutes that provides identical penalties; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 819, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 819, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair