STAND. COM. REP. NO. 22

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 463
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was
referred H.B. No. 463 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GENETIC INFORMATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to build upon current law, which
prohibits genetic information discrimination in health insurance
coverage, by prohibiting long-term care insurers from requiring
genetic testing as a precondition for coverage and underwriting
policy.

     A concerned individual submitted testimony in support of
this measure.  The Department of Health, the Executive Office on
Aging, and the Hawaii Medical Association submitted testimony in
support of the intent of this measure.  The American Council of
Life Insurance submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.
State Farm Insurance Companies submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that prohibiting long-term care
insurers from requiring an applicant to undergo genetic testing
or from using test results, unconfirmed as accurate by a board-
certified geneticist, to underwrite a long-term care policy,
would protect individuals and allow long-term care insurers to
underwrite policies based on accurate genetic information.

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 22
                                 Page 2

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 463 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be
referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Human Services
                                   and Housing,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair