STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1500-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2050

S.D. 1

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 Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2050, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHIROPRACTIC,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to, beginning July 1, 2028, allow chiropractic students enrolled in a qualified chiropractic college to engage in clinical practice as part of the college instruction if directly supervised by a qualified licensed chiropractor.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Chiropractic Association and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Chiropractic.

Your Committee finds that supervised clinical education is a standard part of health care training in many areas; however existing state law prohibits a person from practicing chiropractic care without a license, restricting chiropractic students from engaging in clinical practice as part of their training. While this measure will align chiropractic education in the State with long-standing training models used in other health care disciplines, your Committee believes that further guidelines are necessary.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its substantive contents and inserting language that:

(1) Establishes minimum qualifications for chiropractic students seeking to engage in supervised clinical practice and for licensed chiropractors who are supervising the clinical practice;

(2) Requires a chiropractic student to inform a patient that the patient will be receiving services from the student and obtaining written consent from the patient prior to providing those services;

(3) Requires the Board of Chiropractic to adopt rules to establish the qualifications for supervising chiropractors, permissible scope of practice of supervised chiropractic students, supervision requirements, and documentation and reporting requirements; and

(4) Requires the Board of Chiropractic to submit a report to the Legislature prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2050, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2050, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

____________________________

ANDREW TAKUYA GARRETT, Chair