HB 629 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO THERAPY SERVICES.

Summary

Expands the scopes of practice for occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists employed by or contracted with the Department of Education to diagnose students with a medical condition in an educational setting and treat the students. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Issues: ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Feb 20, 2025

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What changed between versions

HB629 → HB629_HD1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill expands the scope of practice for occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists employed by or contracted with the Department of Education. It allows these licensed professionals to diagnose medical conditions in students and provide treatment without requiring a prior physician's prescription, which was previously required for the Department to receive reimbursement for these services.

Scope change

The bill applies specifically to licensed occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists working for or with the Department of Education in educational settings.

ELIGIBILITY

Licensed therapists and speech pathologists for the Department of Education can now diagnose medical conditions in students without a physician's prescription.

REQUIREMENT

Removes the previous requirement for a physician's prescription before providing therapeutic services to students for reimbursement purposes.

DEFINITION

Amends Hawaii Revised Statutes sections 457G-1.5, 461J-2, and 468E-3 to explicitly include diagnosis of treatable medical conditions within the defined scope of practice for each profession.

FISCAL

Enables the Department of Education to claim reimbursement for therapeutic services by removing the physician prescription barrier.

TECHNICAL

Added effective date of July 1, 3000 (likely a placeholder for future determination).

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 11, 2025

Committee

Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 343) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 11 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Garrett, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Sayama, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to EDN, CPC, referral sheet 2

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

19 primary · 0 co-sponsors