STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1660

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1456

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1456, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure that individuals living in rural areas of the State have access to appropriate mental health care services by authorizing appropriately trained and supervised psychologists to prescribe psychotropic medications for the treatment of mental illness.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the American Psychological Association, the Hawaii Psychological Association, the Hawaii Medical Service Association, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, the Executive Director of the West Hawaii Community Health Center, the Board of the West Hawaii Community Health Center, Papa Ola Lokahi, Hamakua Health Center, Hoola Lahui Hawaii, the Waikiki Health Center, the Community Clinic of Maui, Kokua Kalihi Valley, Molokai Community Health Center, the Medical Director of the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, and four individuals.

 

     Written comments in opposition to this measure were received from the Board of Medical Examiners, the Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, the Oahu affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Hawaii Society of Addiction Medicine, and sixty individuals.

 

     The Board of Psychology submitted written comments.

 

     Your Committee finds that there is limited access to mental health care treatment services for those living in the rural areas of the State.

 

     Your Committee further finds that the delivery of comprehensive, accessible, and affordable mental health care may be enhanced by providing trained and supervised psychologists with limited prescriptive authority for the specific purpose of providing care in federally qualified health centers.  This measure will address the urgent need for timely, appropriate, and cost-effective mental health and pharmacological services for qualified health centers that are most in need of psychologists with prescriptive authority.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Placing the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs in charge of the advisory committee created by section 465-H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, rather than the Department of Health; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1456, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1456, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

 


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

 

 

 

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair