STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2807

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2829

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2829, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish provisional or associate level licensure requirements for marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and psychologists, and authorize insurance reimbursement in certain circumstances; and

(2) Allow psychologist license applicants to sit for the licensing examination before completing other requirements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Psychological Association; Hawaiian Islands Association for Marriage and Family Therapy; National Association of Social Workers, Hawai‘i Chapter; Center for Healing & Transformation; and six individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Board of Psychology.

Your Committee finds that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has had immeasurable impacts on public behavioral health and has further intensified the critical shortage of mental health professionals in the State, particularly in rural areas. Over twenty other states provide associate-level licensure for mental health care providers, which not only expands patient access to providers, but also creates a viable career path for those working toward full licensure. This measure will expand access to much-needed, high-quality mental health services provided by local practitioners and will significantly increase the speed with which trained, qualified, credentialed, and culturally-competent practitioners can enter the workforce to meet the increasing needs of the State's residents.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Board of Psychology, rather than the Director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, is authorized to approve organized health service training programs;

(2) Clarifying that a licensed associate psychologist may only practice psychology under the direct supervision of a licensed psychologist; provided that:

(A) The supervising licensed psychologist holds a current, active, and unencumbered license with the Board of Psychology; and

(B) The supervising licensed psychologist shall notify the Board within ten days of the termination or completion of the supervision;

(3) Clarifying that a provisional license shall be valid for one year to fulfill the requirements for full licensure as a psychologist under section 465-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(4) 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 Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2829, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2829, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair