STAND. COM. REP. NO.  235-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2174

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2174 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve long-term outcomes for persons with autism spectrum disorders by requiring health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for autism spectrum disorder treatment.

The Department of Health; Hawaii Medical Association; Special Education Advisory Council; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; Mental Health America of Hawaii; UNITE HERE, Local 5; and several individuals provided testimony in support of this measure.  The State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Easter Seals Hawaii, and Family Voices of Hawaii provided testimony in support of the intent of this measure.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of Human Services, State Auditor, Office of Information Practices, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Hawaii Medical Service Association, American Council of Life Insurers, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and a few individuals provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, for the purpose of facilitating further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2174, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2174, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair