STAND. COM. REP. NO.  515

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1446

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1446 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to support the continued operations of Wahiawa General Hospital in Wahiawa, Oahu, to avoid the disruption of services in a severely medically underserved community while the hospital undergoes financial and operational restructuring.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Wahiawa General Hospital; International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; North Shore Chamber of Commerce; Hawaii Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; Hawai‘i Construction Alliance; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1260, AFL-CIO; Wahiawa Nursing and Rehabilitation Center/ WGH LTC; Pacific Resource Partnership; Dole Food Co. Hawaii; Wahiawa Center for Community Health; The Queen's Health Systems; Lanakila Pacific; Haleiwa Family Health Center; and numerous individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance, Department of Health, and Department of the Attorney General submitted comments.  

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that the appropriation is a grant made pursuant to chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, in compliance with Article VII, section 4 of the Hawaii State Constitution;

     (2)  Inserting an unspecified appropriation amount;

     (3)  Changing the defective date to July 1, 2090, to facilitate further discussion; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity and consistency.

     Your Committee notes that this measure originally contained a one-time appropriation amount of $3,900,000.  Should the Committee on Finance consider this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider an appropriation in that amount.

     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. 1446, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1446, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair