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