STAND. COM. REP. NO. 485

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 317

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 Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 317 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE AUDIOLOGY AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY INTERSTATE COMPACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to adopt the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the United States Department of Defense, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Hawai‘i Speech-Language Hearing Association, Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact Commission, The Council of State Governments National Center for Interstate Compacts, and Hawaii Association of Health Plans. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology, and Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that there is a shortage of health care service providers in the State, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Despite this shortage, administrative burdens often delay licensing of practitioners, such as in the fields of audiology and speech-language pathology, preventing qualified practitioners from providing care. To increase access to audiology and speech-language pathology services, this measure adopts the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact to facilitate the interstate practice of audiology and speech-language pathology.

Your Committee notes the concerns raised by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs that this measure, as currently written, lacks clarity with respect to the recoupment of licensing fees, privacy rights of practitioners and patients, nature and powers of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Compact Commission, and indemnification of state regulatory entities. Your Committee also notes the testimony submitted by the Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology, which recommends further discussion on the following topics: establishment of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Compact Commission, membership participation fees, authorization of unlicensed services, additional licensing requirements required by the Compact, telehealth feasibility, and economic repercussions. Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection consider these concerns, should it choose to deliberate on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to adopt rules to implement and administer the Compact;

(2) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 317, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 317, 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 and Human Services,

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair