STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1118

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 749
                                        H.D. 3
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which
was referred H.B. No. 749, H.D. 3, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DIETITIANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a certification
program for dietitians.  

     The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) and
two individuals presented testimony in support of the measure.
Numerous individuals, not present at the hearing, submitted
written testimony in support of the measure.  

     The Healthcare Association of Hawaii, the Kauai Rural Health
Association, the Queen's Medical Center, the American Dietetic
Association, and the Hawaii Society for Parenteral and Enteral
Nutrition, though not present at the hearing, submitted written
testimony in favor of licensure of dietitians.  Numerous
individuals also presented or submitted written testimony in
favor of licensing dietitians. 

     Your Committee finds that the certification program proposed
in this measure provides title protection for registered
dietitians and allows consumers to identify those professionals
who possess certain minimum qualifications in the field of
dietetics.


 
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     Your Committee notes that the DCCA stated that it is
currently in discussion with parties interested in establishing a
licensure program for dietitians.  Therefore, your Committee is
passing this measure to allow for continued discussion and for
further consideration of this issue by the Committee on Ways and
Means.   
     
     Your Committee has amended this measure by replacing its
contents with the contents of a similar measure, S.B. No. 509,
S.D. 1, except for the provisions relating to the director of
DCCA's powers and duties and the measure's effective date.  As
amended, this measure:

     (1)  Does not define the term "Commission on Accreditation";

     (2)  Authorizes the Director of the Department of Commerce
          and Consumer Affairs to allow a successful applicant
          for certification to use the title "dietitian",
          consistent with the measure's definition of "certified
          dietitian";

     (3)  Does not include public members on the dietitian
          advisory committee and does not exempt the initial
          dietitian members of the advisory committee from the
          certification requirements; 

     (4)  Establishes as minimum qualifications for certification
          evidence that an applicant is a current active
          registered dietitian whose credentials have been
          conferred by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of
          the Association, rather than specific education,
          supervised practice, examination, and reporting
          requirements;  

     (5)  Expressly provides that fees assessed against
          dietitians shall be used to support the operation of
          the dietitian certification program;

     (6)  Provides that each day's violation of the prohibited
          actions section shall be a separate offense; 

     (7)  Postpones the measure's effective date to January 1,
          2010; and

     (8)  Contains technical, nonsubstantive differences.

     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

 
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purpose of H.B. No. 749, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached
hereto as H.B. No. 749, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, and be referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

 
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