STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2129

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2442

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2442 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 streamline the records review process for physician assistants by including review of physician assistants' prescriptions for controlled substances.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Hawai‘i Academy of Physician Assistants, Hawaii Medical Board, and twelve individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that the State faces a critical physician shortage, with Maui and Hawaii counties having the most severe shortages. The physician shortage has resulted in an increase in physician assistant practice throughout the State. However, Hawaii has some of the most restrictive physician assistant practice in the country. Under existing law, a supervising physician must review all medical records of a physician assistant that contain written orders or prescriptions for controlled substances. Your Committee finds that this is an overly burdensome administrative requirement that can be alleviated without compromising patient care. This measure streamlines the records review process for physician assistants by including review of physician assistants' prescriptions for controlled substances.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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. 2442, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2442, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary.

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

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair