STAND. COM. REP. NO.879-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2784

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2784, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to streamline the workers compensation process by:

(1) Providing employers more time to file their year-end workers' compensation payment reports with the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations (Director); and

(2) Allowing medical services support or auxiliary personnel under certain chapters of Hawaii's licensing law to treat patients under the workers' compensation law.

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Hawaii Insurers Council testified in support of this measure. The Hawaii Chapter American Physical Therapy Association supported the intent of this bill.

Currently, employers are required to file year-end workers' compensation reports with the Director on December 31st of each year. This bill will allow an employer to file this report with the Director by January 31st of the subsequent year, thus streamlining the reporting process and making the reports more accurate and complete.

Concerns were raised regarding the authorization of medical services auxiliary or support personnel to treat patients. Your Committee feels that authorization is inappropriate without amending the respective regulatory statutes governing specific professions.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting provisions allowing providers of medical services to have treatment in their profession carried out by support or auxiliary personnel; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, conformity, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2784, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2784, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor and Public Employment,

 

____________________________

SCOTT K. SAIKI, Chair