STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1393

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 884

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 884, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAVELING TEAM PHYSICIANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to exempt, under certain conditions, out-of-state traveling team physicians who accompany a sports team to Hawaii from state licensure requirements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii System and American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Regulated Industries Complaints Office of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Medical Board.

Your Committee finds that athletes who compete in intercollegiate or professional leagues often travel across state lines to attend tournaments, bowl and exhibition games, and other types of competitions. The athletes typically prefer that a team physician, along with other health care professionals, travel with the athletes, as team physicians have knowledge of the athletes' medical histories, current medical statuses, and specific medical skills pertaining to sports medicine. Despite the passage of federal legislation to address this issue, existing state law remains unclear regarding the out-of-state licensure of traveling team physicians. By granting out-of-state traveling team physicians temporary licensure, this measure provides out-of-state athletes competing in the State with access to their preferred medical provider while maintaining professional health standards.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting language authorizing physicians invited by an intercollegiate league or professional league to provide services to team members and coaching staff at an event or competition in the State that is sanctioned by the intercollegiate league or professional league, under certain circumstances.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 884, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 884, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair