STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1500

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.R. No. 34

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.R. No. 34, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII STATE CENTER FOR NURSING TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP COMPOSED OF VARIOUS STATE AGENCIES TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSES TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE NURSES' EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE STATE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Hawaii State Center for Nursing to convene a working group of state agencies to review relevant statutes and administrative rules and identify barriers that may impede practice by advanced practice registered nurses in Hawaii.  

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association and the Hawaii Long Term Care Association.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from Department of Human Services and the Legislative Reference Bureau.

 

     Your Committee finds that there is a growing shortage of medical practitioners in Hawaii.  Allowing advanced practice registered nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training may reduce this shortage of providers, particularly in rural areas of the State.  However, your Committee believes that a determination should be made on whether existing statutes and departmental rules contain provisions that may serve as barriers to practice by advanced practice registered nurses.  Your Committee also believes that a working group of state agencies will be able to identify these impediments and propose amendments that will enable advanced practice registered nurses to provide care to the full extent of their education and training.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by requesting a copy of the working group's report also be submitted to the Governor.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 34, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 34, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair