NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to Hawaii Revised Statutes (“HRS”) section 461J-5 and chapter 91, notice is hereby given that the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. (HST), in the Queen Liliuokalani Conference Room, First Floor, King Kalakaua Building, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, 335 Merchant Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, to hear all persons interested in the proposed amendments to Hawaii Administrative Rules (“HAR”) chapter 16-110, Physical Therapy.
The purposes of the proposed amendments are to: (1) implement the new licensing requirements for physical therapist assistants (“PTA”) in HRS chapter 461J; (2) delete a subsection that required an applicant who was initially licensed before November 1994 to meet a different standard of test results. The removal of this subsection places those applicants on par with applicants who took the exam after November 1994; (3) add a subsection which would allow PTA applicants to waive the exam requirement if they can prove they worked for a least five years out of the last eight years as a PTA; and (4) allow PTAs to obtain a temporary license.
All interested persons shall be afforded the opportunity to submit data, views, or arguments, orally or in writing, at the time of hearing. All persons wishing to submit written testimony are requested to submit 12 copies of their written testimony by Tuesday, November 18, 2014, to the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division at the address printed below.
A copy of the proposed rules will be mailed to any person who requests a copy upon receipt of $6.15 for the copy and postage. Please submit your request to the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division at the address noted below or contact the Board’s office at (808) 586-2701.
Copies may be picked up at the following address between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays: Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, 335 Merchant Street, Room 329, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. The cost of a copy, $4.50, is due and payable at the time of pick up.
Further, the proposed rules may be reviewed in person free of charge at the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division at the address and hours of operation printed above. In addition, the full text of the proposed rules is available and can be downloaded free of charge from the web site of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs:
http://www.hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/har/pvl/proposed-pvl-har.
Individuals who require special needs accommodations are invited to call Alan Taniguchi at (808) 586-2701 at least four (4) working days prior to the hearing.

Neil Shimabukuro, Chairperson
Board of Physical Therapy
State of Hawaii
(SA676744 11/1/14)~