STAND. COM. REP. NO.407

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 93

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 93 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF "MEDICAL CARE" UNDER WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the definition of "medical care", "medical services", or "medical supplies" under the workers' compensation law to include services provided by occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants.

This measure also replaces references to "masseur" with the term "licensed massage therapist."

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Massage Therapists Association of Hawaii and nineteen private citizens; testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by four private citizens.

Your Committee finds that occupational therapists and occupational therapists assistants have been providing care to injured workers, but have not been reimbursed for such services. Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants undergo training, examination, and licensing, akin to their physical therapist counterparts who are included in the definition of "medical care" under workers' compensation law.

Your Committee further finds that occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants provide valued rehabilitative treatment, and that their inclusion in the definition of "medical care" will provide increased access to those injured workers in need of occupational therapy.

Additionally, your Committee determines that "masseur" is an outdated term and that the language of the statute should be updated to reflect current appropriate terminology.

Your Committee has made a technical, nonsubstantive amendment to clarify that occupational therapy assistants are those recognized under Chapter 457G, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 93, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 93, 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 Labor,

____________________________

BRIAN KANNO, Chair