STAND. COM. REP. NO.  488

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 843

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 843, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHYSICAL THERAPY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to require the licensing of physical therapist assistants.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Tripler Army Medical Center, the Hawaii Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, the Board of Physical Therapy, the Queen's Medical Center, the Occupational Therapy Association of Hawaii, Hookahi Leo: Physical Therapist Assistants of Hawaii, and thirty-one individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii is the only state that does not regulate physical therapy assistants by means of licensure or certification.  Your Committee notes that Medicare requires licensed personnel to perform all physical therapy treatment.  Consequently, physical therapy assistants trained and residing in the State must travel to another jurisdiction to obtain a license necessary for employment in Hawaii facilities that treat Medicare patients.  This unnecessary burden causes some properly trained physical therapy assistants to forgo obtaining a license or remain on the mainland after obtaining a license, causing a drain on skilled physical therapy assistants in Hawaii and compounding the current shortage of skilled physical therapy assistants.  Your Committee finds that licensure of physical therapy assistants will help to address the personnel shortage while also protecting the public by providing definite guidelines for regulation, increasing accountability, and providing a framework for disciplinary action by the Board of Physical Therapy.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 843, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair