STAND. COM. REP. 2663

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2595

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2595, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit persons from engaging in mental health counseling or holding themselves out as mental health counselors unless they are licensed as mental health counselors by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Furthermore, this bill exempts professionals whose practice overlaps with mental health counseling, the clergy, students and interns, and government counselors from the licensure law. This bill also establishes educational, experiential, and examination requirements for persons to obtain a license.

Additionally, this measure appropriates general funds to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to implement the licensing program.

Your Committee finds that a greater supply of qualified mental health professionals is needed to enable the State to meet the demands imposed by the Felix consent decree on the present capacity of the mental health delivery system serving children in Hawaii. The licensing of mental health counselors will assist the State in meeting those demands.

Your Committee has made technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2595, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2595, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair