CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 134-10

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2010

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2600

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam and Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2600, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTHCARE,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure the quality of practice of respiratory care in Hawaii by establishing licensure requirements and regulatory standards for respiratory therapists who practice respiratory care.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure establishes a regulatory scheme for respiratory therapists, who often treat the most critically ill patients in Hawaii.  Your Committee further finds that Hawaii is one of only two states that does not regulate respiratory therapy, and this increases the probability that Hawaii may become a desirable destination for therapists with disciplinary problems in more tightly regulated states.  By regulating the practice of respiratory care, your Committee finds that this measure will protect the public from the unqualified practice of respiratory care and from unprofessional conduct by persons licensed to practice respiratory care.  This will ensure the continued high quality of respiratory care for which Hawaii is known.  

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Setting a fee of $304 for respiratory therapist license issuance and renewal;

 

     (2)  Clarifying the exemption from respiratory therapist licensure requirements for sleep technologists and including a definition of "sleep technologist";

 

     (3)  Requiring respiratory therapist license applicants to have passed the Certified Respiratory Therapist Examination of the National Board for Respiratory Care, or its successor, within ninety days of submitting an application for licensure;

 

     (4)  Removing the continuing education requirement of six credit hours per year for license renewal;

 

     (5)  Clarifying language pertaining to the failure to restore a forfeited license within one year;

 

     (6)  Repealing the respiratory therapist licensure provisions enacted by the measure on June 30, 2016;

 

     (7)  Appropriating $137,000 for fiscal year 2011-2012 out of the compliance resolution fund to implement the respiratory therapists licensure program; and

 

     (8)  Changing the effective date of the measure to July 1, 2011; provided that the provisions relating to the powers and duties of the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to establish and maintain this program shall take effect upon approval; and provided further that the appropriation section shall take effect on July 1, 2010.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2600, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2600, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

____________________________

ROBERT N. HERKES, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Co-Chair