STAND. COM. REP. NO. 922

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 759

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 759, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate the provision of health care for rural residents in the County of Hawaii.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Requires the Department of Health's Office of Primary Care and Rural Health to establish and administer a pilot program to address the health and wellness needs of the County of Hawaii's most underserved residents and develop a 2030 one shared health vision plan for the County of Hawaii; and

(2) Appropriates moneys for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) program specialist IV position within the Department of Health's Family Health Services Division.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Youth Commission, Hawaii Island Community Health Center, and one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and West Hawaii Community Health Center.

Your Committee finds that residents in rural areas of the State face barriers in obtaining access to health care. Your Committee therefore believes that the State should take steps to oversee and support community efforts to address the health and wellness needs of these residents.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing the proposed pilot program a requirement that the Office of Primary Care and Rural Health oversee and support community efforts to collaboratively address the health and wellness needs of the State's most underserved rural residents to develop plans that align with appropriate providers' goals and objectives;

(2) Replacing the measure's legislative report requirement with a requirement that the Office of Primary Care and Rural Health include a one-time summary of community plans with the report that is to be submitted to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2024, pursuant to section 321-1.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 759, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 759, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair