STAND. COM. REP. NO. 520-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1553

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1553 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF HEALTH CARE ASSURANCE SPECIAL FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to remove the ceiling of the Office of Health Care Assurance Special Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased need for public and health care facility education and outreach to ensure appropriate and high-quality health care facility access. Increased expenditure authorization and use of the Office of Health Care Assurance Special Fund will reduce dependence on the general fund and allow the Legislature to allocate limited general revenues for other critically important programs and services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting most of the preamble;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1553, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1553, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair