STAND. COM. REP. NO. 133

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1018

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1018 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY POWERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Governor to ensure continued operation of medical facilities upon declaration of a state of emergency and during times of health or pandemic emergencies; and

(2) Allow hospitals to suspend elective surgeries during the period of emergency to address the facility's bed capacity.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and The Queen's Health System.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's geographic isolation imposes high demands on the local health care system when an emergency occurs. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic illustrated the importance of maintaining adequate capacity in Hawaii's health care system during an emergency, whether the emergency is a pandemic or some other incident with the potential to cause casualties who need medical care. Your Committee believes that additional regulations are necessary to ensure continuation of critical health care services during an emergency. This measure will streamline emergency management response and recovery capabilities by requiring the Governor to ensure continued operation of medical facilities upon declaration of a state of emergency and during times of health or pandemic emergencies and allowing hospitals to suspend elective surgeries during the period of emergency to address the facility's bed capacity.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1018, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1018, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________

GLENN WAKAI, Chair