STAND. COM. REP. NO. 484

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 668

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. 668 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PHYSICAL THERAPY COMPACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to adopt the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the United States Department of Defense, Hawaii Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, and Hawaii Medical Service Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Board of Physical Therapy, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, and Hawaii Association for Justice.

Your Committee finds that there has been a chronic shortage of physical therapists in the State, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Despite this shortage, the Board of Physical Therapy only meets once every other month to review licensing applications, delaying qualified practitioners from providing care. To increase access to physical therapy services, this measure adopts the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact to facilitate interstate practice of physical therapy. In addition, your Committee notes concerns raised by the Hawaii Association for Justice that this measure, as currently written, grants broad immunity to officers or employees under the Physical Therapy Compact and leaves no legal recourse for individuals who may be harmed. Your Committee therefore respectfully requests your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection consider these concerns, should it choose to deliberate on this measure.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the definition of "practice of physical therapy";

(2) Removing language that would have provided that an assessment levied against the State is effective only to the extent that moneys necessary to pay the assessment have been deposited into the Compliance Resolution Fund;

(3) Inserting language requiring the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to adopt rules to implement and administer the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact;

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

(5) 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 and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 668, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 668, 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