STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1249-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: S.B. No. 2877

S.D. 1

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 Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2877, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, 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 course work in counseling requirement, rather than a standalone requirement;

(2) Clarifying that the supervised mental health practicum intern experience requirement is a total of three hundred hours of supervised client contact across two academic terms; and

(3) 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 Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Democratic Party of Hawaii. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the University of Hawaii at Hilo and three individuals.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2877, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair