STAND. COM. REP. NO. 885

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 178

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 178, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONTINUING EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require social workers to meet the following continuing education requirements as a condition of any license renewal occurring after the first license renewal:

 

     (1)  A minimum of fifteen credit hours of continuing education courses for the licensing renewal period beginning July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2016; and

 

     (2)  A minimum of forty-five credit hours of continuing education courses during each licensing renewal period beginning July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2019, and every triennial renewal thereafter.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; Hawaii Psychological Association; Hawaii Youth Services Network; National Association of Social Workers, Hawaii Chapter; and eight individuals.

 

Your Committee finds that licensed social workers provide necessary services in prevention, intervention, and treatment to a broad spectrum of clients, many of whom are vulnerable or in crisis.  However, unlike many other licensed professionals, social workers are not required to complete continuing education courses in order to renew their licenses.  Hawaii is one of only three jurisdictions that do not require continuing education for social workers.

 

Your Committee further finds that requiring licensed social workers to complete continuing education courses will ensure that licensed social workers in Hawaii maintain their professional competency and keep current with new developments in the practice of their profession.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to upon approval.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 178, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 178, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

		____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair