Hawaii about to be 3rd state to pass RxP

[edieb]

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I read today that a bill authorizing psychologists to prescribe passed the HI senate on 4/10 and is expected to pass the HI house Friday. I wonder if the governor will sign it into law?

 

[positivepsych]

If you want the most accurate news, you can read the status of both bills first-hand:
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/docs/getstatus2.asp?billno=HB1456
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/docs/getstatus2.asp?billno=SB1004

Last I read, the senate disagreed with the house amendments, and so it needs to be conferenced.


It's kind of a moot point because the governor will veto it anyway, according to the article you posted earlier...
(American Psychiatric Association's *Psychiatric News* (vol. 42, #7, April 6))

 

[positivepsych]

New Mexico and Louisiana. There are several states trying to push legislation this year (but some have been trying to do so unsuccessfully for years, including Hawaii).

Maybe it'll happen in the next few years for some of the smaller states that have a substantial need in the rural areas, but I don't think it'll happen in the big states anytime soon. I wouldn't go into Clinical Psychology with the expectation that you will ever prescribe.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

MO, CA, and OR have very active legislation, though it is still very up in the air if they will make it through.

I'm somewhat perplexed by the HI bill....it seems very restrictive (which i'm not totally against, but from my understanding they LOWERED the req. stated in the bill since the last time?! I'd think that you'd at least want them the same or to raise them a bit to get more support, no?) Frankly, I think if they are going to do this, they should try and keep to the same standards that LA and/or NM set. I know they vary slightly, but the relationship is a bit different....depending on which model the state preferred.

-t

 

[positivepsych]

Yeah, I don't know what's going on with the requirements. But the bill is so crippled (last I read, you could only work in certain community mental health centers, under the supervision of a physician, prescribing not much besides SSRIs), it doesn't really mean much in the end.

Some people feel it's a foot in the door, and the freedom will expand in the future. I'm not so sure. I think it might effectively end efforts to prescribe in other settings, because they'll say "we already passed a bill, what more do you want?" It's an upward battle.

 

[doctorpsych]

For those politically savy folks, can someone explain how a bill becomes a law? I know the basics but the movement of the Hawaii bill is puzzeling me. Also, what happened to the Illinois bill? what does re-referred to rules means? Thanks.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

For those politically savy folks, can someone explain how a bill becomes a law?

http://www.vote-smart.org/resource_govt101_02.php

This was too cool to not include: http://clerkkids.house.gov/laws/bill_begin.html

-t