STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1304

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 599

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 599, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize physician assistants to issue orders for respiratory therapy and plans of care; and

(2) Expand the types of health care providers under whom respiratory therapists may practice respiratory care to include physician assistants and advance practice registered nurses.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii Medical Board, Board of Nursing, Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing, Hawai‘i Pacific Health, Hawaii Society for Respiratory Care, Hawai‘i Academy of Physician Assistants, Hawai‘i Association of Professional Nurses, and Kūpuna Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i.

Your Committee finds that under existing law, respiratory therapists are only able to provide respiratory care when they are under the direction of a physician or an osteopathic physician. Your Committee further finds that physician assistants and advance practice registered nurses are qualified health care providers who possess the necessary skill and training to issue orders for respiratory therapy and oversee the provision of respiratory care by respiratory therapists. This measure will remove barriers to access to health care by expanding the class of health care providers who may order and supervise the provision of respiratory care to include physician assistants and advance practice registered nurses.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making it effective upon approval.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 599, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 599, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair