STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1100

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1300

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1300, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish provisional or associate-level licensure requirements for marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and psychologists and authorize insurance reimbursements in certain circumstances;

(2) Allow psychologist license applicants to sit for the licensing examination before completing supervised experience requirements;

(3) Allow the Board of Psychology to grant licensure waivers in certain circumstances for psychologists;

(4) Authorize insurance reimbursements for services provided by a supervised social work intern in certain circumstances; and

(5) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Catholic Charities Hawai‘i; Xplor Counseling, LLC; A Family Tree/Pono Roots Counseling Center; Kauhale Healing LLC; Ho‘oulu Counseling; Anuhea St. Laurent – Marriage and Family Therapy LLC; Hawaii Psychological Association; AlohaCare; Pau Hana Counseling, LLC; The Hawaiian Islands Association for Marriage and Family Therapy; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Board of Psychology, National Association of Social Workers – Hawai‘i, and Hawaii Medical Service Association.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the means of financing of the appropriation from general fund revenues to the Compliance Resolution Fund under the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs;

(2) Changing the appropriation and allocations to unspecified amounts; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1300, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1300, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair