STAND. COM. REP. NO.  543

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 811

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 811, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REGISTERED NURSES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to ease Hawaii's registered nurse licensure requirements for graduates of foreign nursing schools (Foreign Graduates) by requiring the Board of Nursing (Board) to have Foreign Graduates applying for licensure in Hawaii arrange for the applicant's school to send to the Board:

 

(1)  The "Breakdown of Educational Program for International Nursing Programs" form; and

 

(2)  A certified school transcript for the applicant, translated to English, if necessary.

 

This bill also removes the requirement that a Foreign Graduate's transcripts be evaluated by professional evaluators designated by the Board.

 

     The National Federation of Filipino American Associations Region XII, the Filipino American Citizens League, the Oahu Filipino Community Council, the Filipino Coalition for Solidarity, the United Filipino Council of Hawaii, Nursing Advocates & Mentors, Inc., and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Board, the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, and several concerned individuals opposed this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing the effective date to January 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion.

 

     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. 811, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 811, H.D. 2.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair