CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 34

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2013

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1381

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir and Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1381, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

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

 

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 assist Hawaii's servicemen and servicewomen, and their spouses, when determining qualifications for an occupational license.  Specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Allows professional and vocational licensing authorities to license nonresident spouses of service members by endorsement or reciprocity if the nonresident military spouse is the spouse of a military member who is a member in good standing in the active or a reserve component of any of the armed forces of the United States and has orders issued by the United States Department of Defense to be stationed in Hawaii for a duration of at least one year;

 

     (2)  Specifies that professional and vocational licensing authorities that consider relevant education, training, or service of a military veteran applicant and determine whether the applicant meets or exceeds the requirements for licensure in Hawaii shall accept the results of the passage of a national or regional exam accepted by statute or rule in the specific licensing area or the equivalent as determined by the licensing authority; and

 

     (3)  Requires a military spouse seeking licensure to provide a certificate or evidence satisfactory to the professional and vocational licensing authority of having passed a national or regional exam or the equivalent to the licensing authority.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Expanding the ability of the professional and vocational licensing authority to issue licenses by endorsement or reciprocity, as well as temporary licenses, to any military spouse meeting certain specified requirements rather than limiting this provision to nonresident military spouses;

 

     (2)  Specifying that licenses issued to a military spouse by endorsement or reciprocity shall be valid for the same period of time as licenses issued pursuant to Hawaii's laws for the particular profession for which licensure by endorsement or reciprocity is being sought;

 

     (3)  Specifying that a military spouse shall not hold a license by endorsement or reciprocity for a period exceeding five years in the aggregate; and

 

     (4)  Deleting language that:

 

          (A)  Specified that professional and vocational licensing authorities that consider relevant education, training, or service of a military veteran applicant and determine whether the applicant meets or exceeds the requirements for licensure in Hawaii shall accept the results of the passage of a national or regional exam accepted by statute or rule in the specific licensing area or the equivalent as determined by the licensing authority; and

 

          (B)  Required a military spouse seeking licensure to provide a certificate or evidence satisfactory to the professional and vocational licensing authority of having passed a national or regional exam or the equivalent to the licensing authority.

 

     Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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 H.B. No. 1381, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1381, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair

 

____________________________

K. MARK TAKAI, Co-Chair

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Co-Chair