STAND. COM. REP. NO. 414-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2321

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2321, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to clarify the qualifications for licensure as a mental health counselor in the State by:

(1) Clarifying that the practicum internship experience requirement is part of the coursework in counseling requirement rather than a standalone requirement; and

(2) Permitting applicants to fulfill their face-to-face clinical supervision requirement, in whole or in part, through a videoconference service.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Democratic Party of Hawaii, and eight individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Mental Health Counselors Licensing Program (Program) does not align to other jurisdictions with regard to the hours required of coursework in counseling. Under existing law, applicants for a mental health counselor license in Hawaii must provide fifty-four semester hours or eighty-two quarter hours of coursework training. However, under the national standard, applicants need only to provide forty-eight semester hours or seventy-two quarter hours of coursework training. This measure aligns the licensing requirement standards under state law to the national standard.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Modifying a statutory reference to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual categories; and

(2) Clarifying that the academic terms of supervised mental health practicum intern experience consists of a total of three hundred hours of supervised client contact.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2321, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2321, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair