STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3463

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1575

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1575, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Expand the scope of practice for physician assistants; and

(2) Require a sampling of medical records, rather than all medical records, to be reviewed when physician assistants prescribe controlled substances.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Disability and Communication Access Board, Hawaii Medical Board, Hawai‘i Pacific Health, Hawai‘i Academy of Physician Assistants, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, The Queen's Health System, Hawai‘i Public Health Association, and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the State has a severe shortage of doctors, particularly on the neighbor islands. Utilizing physician assistants is a viable option to manage this physician shortage. Your Committee also finds that physician assistants are skilled medical providers and are authorized to serve as primary care providers. Expanding physician assistants' scope of practice would provide access to health care workers in areas where they are most needed while maintaining a high standard of care for patients. This measure expands the scope of practice for physician assistants.

Your Committee acknowledges the testimony of several stakeholders proposing amendments clarifying the Hawaii Medical Board's authority to require when a physician assistant's medical records must be reviewed.

Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the Hawaii Medical Board's authority to require when a physician assistant's medical records must be reviewed;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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 H.B. No. 1575, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1575, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair