STAND. COM. REP. NO. 556-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2305

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2305 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHYSICIAN CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the continuing medical education requirements for physicians to include at least one hour of nutrition and metabolic health education.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor; State Health Planning and Development Agency; and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Medical Board and Hawaii Academy of Family Physicians. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Medical Association.

Your Committee finds that nutrition education provides essential knowledge about the relationship between dietary habits and overall well-being. Your Committee further finds that a physician with a strong foundational understanding of proper nutrition can provide patients with higher quality recommendations and counseling that support the prevention, treatment, and management of chronic diseases. This measure seeks to strengthen preventive care in the State by ensuring physicians receive and maintain education in nutrition and metabolic health.

Your Committee notes the concerns raised in testimony by the Hawaii Medical Board and Hawaii Medical Association that statutorily requiring a specific continuing medical education topic may result in additional topic-specific mandates that reduce flexibility and supplant the specialty-specific continuing medical education that physicians rely on to maintain competence in their respective fields of practice. Your Committee recognizes that physicians' educational needs vary significantly by specialty and physicians whose practices do not focus on nutrition-related conditions have different educational priorities than primary care physicians. However, your Committee believes that this measure warrants additional discussion.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2305, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2305, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair