STAND. COM. REP. NO.707

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.B. No. 945

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 945 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOCIAL WORK,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Recognize clinical social workers (CSWs) in the social worker law, as a subset of licensed social workers (LSWs) whose scope of practice includes clinical diagnosis, psychotherapy, or both;

(2) Condition use of the title "clinical social worker" or "C.S.W." on registration with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) and proof of current certification by either:

(A) The National Association of Social Workers as either a qualified clinical social worker or diplomate in clinical social work; or

(B) The American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work as a board certified diplomate;

and

(3) Prohibit persons from performing clinical diagnosis or psychotherapy unless they are an LSW who is registered with DCCA as a CSW.

Testimony in support of this bill was received from DCCA, Department of Human Services, National Association of Social Workers, Sex Abuse Treatment Center, and numerous individuals. The Clinical Social Work Federation and a private individual supported the intent of the bill. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Clinical Social Work Society of Hawaii and numerous individuals, including social workers.

Your Committee finds that this bill will:

(1) Establish, through state registration of qualified CSWs, a mechanism to allow Medicaid reimbursement of services provided by those registered as CSWs;

(2) Provide, through express authorization in the social worker law, the authority for social workers who possess the qualifications to provide psychotherapy, to practice psychotherapy and advertise this service to the public; and

(3) Protect the public by restricting use of the title "C.S.W." or "clinical social worker," and the practice of psychotherapy and clinical diagnosis, to qualified, registered, LSWs.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) As suggested by DCCA, providing that CSWs must register "initially and trienially" with DCCA;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage discussion and resolution of the differences between this bill and H.B. No. 917, H.D. 1, and S.B. No. 839, S.D.1, two other bills providing for recognition of clinical social workers; and

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

 

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 945, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 945, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce,

____________________________

KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Chair