STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3395
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.R. No. 15
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.R. No. 15 entitled:
"SENATE 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 no testimony on this measure.
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.R. No. 15, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 15, 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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