STAND. COM. REP. NO. 148

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 599

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 599 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MASSAGE THERAPISTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require massage therapy licensees to complete twelve hours of continuing education every two years between the massage therapist's license renewals, beginning July 1, 2022. Two hours of the continuing education shall include first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or emergency-related courses.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Board of Massage Therapy, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; American Massage Therapy Association; and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that requiring continuing education for licensed massage therapists will elevate the massage therapy profession to the highest standards of quality and safety. Your Committee also finds that twelve continuing education hours is a reasonable requirement for license renewal. Finally, your Committee finds that changing the implementation date from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2024 would allow the Board of Massage Therapy ample time to notify all affected licensed massage therapists of the new continuing education requirement and for licensees to meet the requirements. As such, your Committee has amended this measure by amending the implementation date of the new requirements from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2024.

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. 599, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 599, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

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

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair