STAND. COM. REP. 2388

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2586

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2586 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL LICENSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide for renewable special purpose licensing of dentists and dental hygienists working at federally qualified health centers or Native Hawaiian Health System sites.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Health, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Board of Dental Examiners, Hawaii Dental Association, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Dental Hygienists' Association, Good Beginnings Alliance, Hawaii Dental Task Force, and Hawaii Islands Oral Health Task Force.

Your Committee finds that there is a shortage of dental care providers who are willing to work in non-profit health centers that serve low income and uninsured communities in the State. Over 270,000 Hawaii residents are without dental insurance while 80,000 MedQUEST insured adults have no basic dental benefits. Your Committee further finds that increasing the pool of qualified dentists and dental hygienists increases access to basic dental services by the poor and uninsured.

Your Committee has amended this measure by incorporating technical amendments from the Board of Dental Examiners.

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. 2586, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2586, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair