STAND. COM. REP. NO.  914-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2467

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2467 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PODIATRISTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase access to medical care by conforming the definition of "podiatric medicine" to national standards regarding diagnosis and treatment of the foot and ankle.

The American Podiatric Medical Association, the Board of Directors of Maui Medical Group, Maui Medical Group, Inc., and numerous individuals supported this measure.  The Hawaii Medical Board, Hawaii Podiatric Medical Association, Hawaii Medical Association, and several individuals commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Including a provision that will allow qualified podiatric physicians who have completed a 36-month podiatric surgical residency to perform ankle fracture surgery; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2467, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2467, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair