STAND. COM. REP. NO. 839

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 251

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 251 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SPORTS MEDICINE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide a limited exemption from state licensure requirements to out-of-state physicians who accompany a sports team to a specific sporting event in Hawaii or are invited to provide services at a national sport training center, event, or competition in Hawaii, if certain conditions are met.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Regulated Industries Complaints Office of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Medical Board.

 

     Your Committee finds that amateur, collegiate, and professional sports teams regularly have an affiliated physician who travels with the team to provide ongoing and emergency medical care.  However, existing law does not provide a narrowly-tailored exemption from licensure requirements for physicians traveling with a sports team for a sporting event of limited duration.  This measure therefore provides a licensed out-of-state physician a limited exemption from licensure requirements, which will enable the out-of-state physician to provide medical services to a sports team while traveling within the State for sports-related events.

 

     Your Committee notes that the Hawaii Medical Board has not yet convened to discuss this measure but will do so on March 14, 2019.  Accordingly, this measure is a vehicle for further consideration and discussion as it advances through the legislative process.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring an out-of-state physician who is traveling with a sports team to provide written notice to the Hawaii Medical Board describing the event, the dates, the teams, and the services to be provided, thirty days prior to the event;

 

     (2)  Clarifying that the licensure exemption shall remain in force for two days prior to the sporting event, the duration of the sporting event, and two days after the sporting event; provided that the exemption shall be for no more than ten days per individual sporting event;

 

     (3)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 251, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 251, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 


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

 

 

 

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair