STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1093-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: S.B. No. 2281

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2281, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIOR ANALYSTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make permanent the regulation of behavior analysts.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Together For Our Keiki, Hawaii Association for Behavior Analysis, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that behavior analysis means the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional and environmental modifications to produce socially significant improvements in human behavior. The practice of behavior analysis includes the empirical identification of functional relations between behavior and environmental factors, known as functional assessment and analysis, including the use of motivating operations, positive reinforcement, and other methods to help people develop positive behaviors. Act 199, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015 (Act 199), established the licensing requirements for behavior analysts in the State. Since the enactment of Act 199, hundreds of behavior analysts have become licensed and thousands of children with autism are now receiving access to applied behavior analysis. This measure will continue the licensure program for behavior analysts to protect the public from the unqualified practice of behavior analysis and from unprofessional conduct by behavior analysts.

Your Committee amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2281, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2281, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair