STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Honolulu, Hawaii
MAR 2 8 2024
RE: S.R. No. 15
S. D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.R. No. 15 entitled:
"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO AMEND
THE HAWAII ADMINISTRATIVE RULES TO AUTHORIZE LICENSED
DIETITIANS TO PRESCRIBE MODIFIED DIETS AND PLAN THERAPEUTIC
DIETS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the
Department of Health to amend the Hawaii Administrative Rules to
authorize licensed dieticians to prescribe modified diets and plan
therapeutic diets.
Your Committee received no testimony on this measure.
Your Committee finds that the State has repeatedly and
consistently been recognized by the federal government as a health
professional shortage area. Your Committee also finds that
registered dietitian nutritionists are recognized widely by
physicians as the most qualified health care professionals to help
patients with diet-related conditions; however, existing state
regulations do not allow them to independently prescribe or plan
diets for patients. Your Committee further finds that, while the
federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a
final rule authorizing each individual hospital system to grant
registered dietitian nutritionists with privileges to
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 STAND, COM. REP. NO.
Page 2
independently write diet orders without the supervision or
approval of the physician, this authorization must be in
conformance with state regulations. Accordingly, this measure
urges critical amendments to the Hawaii Administrative Rules to
allow hospitals to authorize dietitians to independently prescribe
modified diets and plan therapeutic diets, thereby eliminating the
need for physicians to do so, so that the physicians may focus on
their respective areas of expertise.
Your Committee has amended this measure by making a
technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity
and consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R.
No. 15, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form
attached hereto as S.R. No. 15, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committee on Health and Human
Services,
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 The Senate
Thirty-Second Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Health and Human Services
HHS
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Referral: Date:
The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to:________________________________________________
The Recommendation is:
__ Pass, unamended t/'^Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 2311 2310 2313
Members Aye^ Aye (WR) Nay Excused
SAN BUENAVENTURA, Joy A. (C)
AQUINO, Henry J.C. (VC)
KEOHOKALOLE, Jarrett
SHIMABUKURO, Maile S.L.
AWA, Brenton
TOTAL
Recommendation: __ . ‘
Adopted __ Not Adopted
Chair’s or Designee’s Signature: ____________________
Distribution: Original Yellow Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report Clerk's Office Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one measure per Record of Votes
Revised: 12/27/23