STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2454

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2492

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.B. No. 2492 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE NURSE LICENSURE COMPACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Allow the Governor to enter the State into the multi-state Nurse Licensure Compact, which will allow a nurse who is licensed by a home state to practice under a multi-state licensure privilege in each party state, effective January 1, 2026; and

(2) Beginning January 1, 2026, allows the State Board of Nursing to charge different fees for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who hold a multi-state license issued by the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the United States Department of Defense, University of Hawaiʻi System, Hawaiʻi State Center for Nursing, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, The Queen's Health System, Hawaii Medical Services Association, Kaiser Permanente, Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association, Adventist Health Castle, Hawaii Military Affairs Council, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, Hawaii Association of Health Plans, Hawaiʻi Care Choices, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and two individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaiʻi Association of Professional Nurses and two individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Nursing, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and Hawaii Association for Justice.

Your Committee finds that the Nurse Licensure Compact facilitates the State's responsibilities to protect public's health and safety by ensuring and encouraging the cooperation of party states in the areas of nurse licensure and regulation. Additionally, this compact facilitates the exchange of information between party states, promotes compliance with the laws governing the practice of nursing, and holds a nurse accountable for meeting all state practice laws in the state in which the patient is located at the time care is rendered through mutual recognition of party state licenses. Your Committee further finds that the Nurse Licensure Compact decreases redundancies in consideration of the issuance of nurse licenses and provides opportunities for interstate practice by nurses who meet uniform licensure requirements. Your Committee additionally finds that adopting the Nurse Licensure Compact will open job opportunities for military spouses and ease nursing shortages in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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. 2492, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2492, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair