STAND. COM. REP. NO. 774

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 970

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 970 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHIROPRACTIC,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize chiropractic students to engage in clinical practice as part of their college instruction if directly supervised by a licensed chiropractor.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Chiropractic Association and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Board of Chiropractic.

Your Committee finds that allowing students to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned in the classroom in real‑world settings through clinical practice will allow these students to gain additional essential skills that they will need after graduation.

Your Committee notes that the Hawaii Board of Chiropractic requested in its testimony to defer implementation of this measure until July 2027 to allow sufficient time for the Board to promulgate rules that set out the requirements for students enrolled in a qualified chiropractic college to engage in clinical practice as part of their college instruction under the direct supervision of a qualified licensed chiropractor.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that students enrolled in a qualified chiropractic college are authorized to engage in clinical practice as part of their college instruction if directly supervised by a qualified licensed chiropractor;

(2) Requiring the Hawaii Board of Chiropractic to adopt rules to:

(A) Specify the requirements for a qualified chiropractic college;

(B) Specify the requirements for a student enrolled in a qualified chiropractic college to engage in clinical practice under the direct supervision of a qualified licensed chiropractor; and

(C) Define clinical practice;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) 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 Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 970, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 970, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

____________________________

ANDREW TAKUYA GARRETT, Chair