HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                 THE TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE
                  REGULAR SESSION OF 1999

       COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION AND COMMERCE
                   Rep. Ron Menor, Chair
              Rep. Marilyn B. Lee, Vice Chair

  Rep. Romy M. Cachola          Rep. Jerry L. Chang
  Rep. Nestor R. Garcia         Rep. Robert N. Herkes
  Rep. Kenneth T. Hiraki        Rep. Sol P. Kaho'ohalahala
  Rep. Hermina M. Morita        Rep. Roy M. Takumi
  Rep. Terry Nui Yoshinaga      Rep. Chris Halford
  Rep. Jim Rath                 Rep. Cynthia H. Thielen
  Rep. Paul Whalen


                     NOTICE OF HEARING

        DATE:    Monday, February 15, 1999

        TIME:    9:00 A.M.

        PLACE:   Conference Room 325, State Capitol


                        A G E N D A


HB 169     RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE           HSH/HLT, CPC, FIN
HD 1       Requires long-term  care  insurance  policies  to meet
        specified standards; requires  employers  to offer LTC
        policies to  employees;  makes  appropriation  for LTC
        actuarial  study;  makes  appropriation  to  insurance
        division to hire LTC  actuary; extends sunset date and
        makes appropriation for JLC.

HB 170     RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE
        TAX BENEFITS                         HSH/HLT, CPC, FIN
        Creates an income tax  deduction for an individual for
        payment of long-term care insurance premiums.

HB 172     RELATING TO HOSPICE SERVICES             HLT, CPC, FIN
HD 1       Authorizes the department of health to license hospice
        service agencies.

HB 546     RELATING TO HOME HEALTH AGENCIES         HSH, CPC, FIN
        Makes referral to an  unlicensed  home health agency a
        petty misdemeanor.  If the  person knows the agency is
        unlicensed, makes the  referral  a misdemeanor.  Makes
        operating a home  health  agency  without  a license a
        class C felony.

 
HB 551     RELATING TO ADULT RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES
HD 1                                            HSH/HLT, CPC, FIN
        Requires inspections of  adult  residential care homes
        to be made at  specified  times  with prior notice for
        purposes of confirming  correction of deficiencies and
        for  investigation  of  complaints.    Requires  prior
        notice of annual inspections.

HB 552     RELATING TO ADULT RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES
HD 1                                            HSH/HLT, CPC, FIN
        Encourages   the   continued    operation   of   adult
        residential care homes (ARCHs)  by requiring the State
        to provide liability insurance to operators during the
        term of their license.

HB 644     RELATING TO ADULT RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES
HD 1                                            HSH/HLT, CPC, FIN
        Requires  DOH  to  stop  licensing  new  Type  I adult
        residential care homes (ARCH)  on  an island until the
        percentage of Type I ARCHs having 3 or fewer residents
        falls below 10% on that island but allows licensing on
        a  case-by-case   basis   on   neighbor  islands  that
        demonstrate  a  need  for  ARCHs.    Requires  DHS  to
        strongly encourage  public-pay  clients  to  use under
        utilized ARCHs.  Effective upon approval.

HB 813     RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITY BILLING PROCEDURES FOR
        BLIND OR VISUALLY-IMPAIRED CUSTOMERS     HSH, CPC, FIN
        Requires public or private  providers of sewer, water,
        electric, gas, telephone,  or  cable utility services,
        upon a blind  or visually-impaired customer's request,
        to provide billing in  braille,  large print, or audio
        format, at no additional charge to the customer.

HB 463     RELATING TO GENETIC INFORMATION          HSH, CPC, FIN
        Prohibits long-term care  insurers  from requesting or
        requiring genetic testing.  Prohibits the underwriting
        of  a  long-term  insurance  policy  based  on genetic
        information unless  a  certified genetics professional
        confirms the risks to the individual.

HB 512     RELATING TO EDUCATION                    EDN, CPC, FIN
        Repeals the  sunset  of  the  Hawaii Teacher Standards
        Board.

HB 790     RELATING TO DISASTER RELIEF              EDN, CPC, FIN
        Requires all  new  school  buildings  to  be  built in
        accordance with  hurricane  resistant shelter criteria
        adopted  by  the  adjutant   general.    Requires  the
        adjutant general to  adopt hurricane resistant shelter
        criteria   to    regulate    the   planning,   design,
        construction, and equipping  of  all new public school
        buildings.

 
HB 743     RELATING TO ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSES
HD 1                                                HLT, CPC, FIN
        Includes  advanced   practice   registered  nurses  as
        providers under  workers'  compensation, no-fault, and
        prepaid healthcare plans.

HB 894     RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENTS
HD 1                                                HLT, CPC, FIN
        Requires  health  insurance   coverages  to  equitably
        reimburse for aeromedical services.

HB 1074    RELATING TO REGULATION OF OSTEOPATHY     HLT, CPC, FIN
        Terminates  the  Board  of  Osteopathic  Examiners and
        assigns its duties to  the Board of Medical Examiners,
        adding to the medical  board  a  new  member who is an
        osteopathic physician.

HB 1136    RELATING TO THE DRUG FORMULARY                CPC, FIN
        Requires the Drug Product Selection Board to designate
        the  U.  S.  Food   and  Drug  Administration's  (FDA)
        publication, "Approved Drug  Products with Therapeutic
        Equivalence Evaluations",  including  its then current
        supplements, as the State generic drug formulary.

HB 1139    RELATING TO CLINICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL     CPC, FIN
        Clarifies  the  categories  of  licensure  of clinical
        laboratory personnel.

HB 751     RELATING TO ACTIVITY PROVIDERS AND
HD 1       ACTIVITY DESKS                                TSM, CPC
        Prohibits  activity  desks  from  receiving under-the-
        table compensation  for  selling  a  specific activity
        provider; requires activity desks to have both a trust
        account and a bond.


                 DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW


PERSONS WISHING TO TESTIFY ARE  REQUESTED  TO SUBMIT 45 COPIES OF
THEIR TESTIMONY 24 HOURS  PRIOR  TO  THE  HEARING  TO:   (1)  THE
COMMITTEE CHAIR'S ROOM  320,  STATE  CAPITOL;  OR  (2)  THE HOUSE
SGT.-AT-ARMS PERSONNEL  IN  THE  TURNAROUND  AREA  OF THE CAPITOL
BASEMENT PARKING LOT.  TESTIMONY MAY  BE FAXED TO THE HOUSE SGT.-
AT-ARMS OFFICE AT:   586-6501  (OAHU) OR 1-800-535-3859 (NEIGHBOR
ISLANDS).  WHEN FAXING, PLEASE  INDICATE TO WHOM THE TESTIMONY IS
BEING SUBMITTED,  THE  DATE  AND  TIME  OF  THE  HEARING, AND THE
REQUIRED NO. OF COPIES THAT IS NEEDED FOR SUBMITTAL.

 
 
 
 
 
IT IS ALSO REQUESTED THAT THE COPIES  BE ON ONE SIDE OF AN 8-1/2"
X 11" SHEET.  FOR  FURTHER  INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE CONSUMER
PROTECTION AND COMMERCE OFFICE 586-6150.

IF YOU  REQUIRE  SPECIAL  ASSISTANCE  OR  AUXILIARY  AIDS AND/OR
SERVICES TO PARTICIPATE  IN  THE  PUBLIC  HEARING  PROCESS OF THE
STATE  HOUSE   (I.E.,   SIGN   LANGUAGE  INTERPRETER,  WHEELCHAIR
ACCESSIBILITY, OR PARKING  DESIGNATED  FOR  THE DISABLED), PLEASE
CONTACT  THE  CPC  OFFICE  24  HOURS  PRIOR  TO  THE  HEARING  SO
ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MADE.




                               _______________________________
                               Rep. Ron Menor
                               Chair