STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3394
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.C.R. No. 23
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 23 entitled:
"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO AMEND THE HAWAII ADMINISTRATIVE RULES TO AUTHORIZE LICENSED DIETITIANS TO PRESCRIBE MODIFIED DIETS AND PLAN THERAPEUTIC DIETS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Health to amend the Hawaii Administrative Rules to authorize licensed dieticians to prescribe modified diets and plan therapeutic diets.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals.
Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Health Care Assurance of the Department of Health.
Your Committee
finds that the State has repeatedly and consistently been recognized by the
federal government as a health professional shortage area. Your
Committee also finds that registered dietitian nutritionists are recognized
widely by physicians as the most qualified health care professionals to help
patients with diet-related conditions; however, existing state regulations do
not allow them to independently prescribe or plan diets for patients. Your Committee further finds that, while the
federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a final rule
authorizing each individual hospital system to grant registered dietitian
nutritionists with privileges to independently write diet orders without the
supervision or approval of the physician, this authorization must be in
conformance with state regulations.
Accordingly, this measure urges critical amendments to the Hawaii
Administrative Rules to allow hospitals to authorize dietitians to
independently prescribe modified diets and plan therapeutic diets, thereby
eliminating the need for physicians to do so, so that the physicians may focus
on their respective areas of expertise.
Your
Committee has amended this measure by 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 23, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 23, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,
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________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair |
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