CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 94-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 847

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 847, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a three-year pilot program in the County of Kauai to allow qualified psychologists under the supervision of a supervising psychiatrist limited authority to prescribe certain psychotropic medications to patients between the ages of eighteen and sixty-five years under the care of the psychologist;

(2) Require employers to report adverse events, patient outcomes, and escalation protocols relating to services provided under the pilot program to the State Health Planning and Development Agency;

(3) Require the Board of Psychology to adopt rules; and

(4) Require the State Health Planning and Development Agency to report to the Legislature.

Your Committee on Conference finds that there is a shortage of psychiatrists throughout the State, particularly on neighbor islands, resulting in a lack of access to adequate mental health care. Your Committee on Conference further finds that expanding prescriptive authority to qualified and specially trained psychologists has been implemented safely in other jurisdictions and care settings, resulting in improved access to mental health care and positive patient outcomes, particularly for rural, underserved, and high-need populations. Your Committee on Conference notes that prescribing psychologists are subject to rigorous education and training requirements and practice within established standards of care. By allowing appropriately trained psychologists to provide prescriptive services under proper supervision, this measure supports improved access to behavioral health care while maintaining appropriate safeguards and oversight.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Reverting to the language of the S.D. 2 version of this measure, which:

(A) Includes legislative findings; and

(B) Requires licensed clinical psychologists to meet certain criteria;

(2) Clarifying that the supervision of psychologists participating in the pilot program may be provided by licensed physicians in addition to licensed psychiatrists;

(3) Inserting language to limit the pilot program to treatment of mental illness to patients between the ages of eighteen and sixty-five being treated by the psychologist at a Federally Qualified Health Center;

(4) Expanding the pilot program to Federally Qualified Health Centers located in the County of Hawaii;

(5) Inserting language clarifying that psychotropic medications prescribed under the pilot program shall be eligible for Medicaid reimbursement to the extent such prescriptions would otherwise be eligible if prescribed by a physician or psychiatrist;

(6) Deleting the definition of "supervising psychiatrist" and inserting a definition of "supervising physician or psychiatrist" to mean a medically trained and licensed physician or psychiatrist who accepts professional responsibility for the provision of psychopharmacology by a psychologist certified to prescribe;

(7) Requiring the State Health Planning and Development Agency to submit its report on the pilot program to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2029, rather than the Regular Session of 2030;

(8) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

(9) Making it effective upon its approval; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 847, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 847, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ GREGG TAKAYAMA Co-Chair	____________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA Chair
____________________________ SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI Co-Chair	____________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE Co-Chair