STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1695

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 15

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 Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 15 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS BOTH THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF PROPOSED MANDATED HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR A PERCENTAGE OF THE COSTS OF KETAMINE THERAPY TO TREAT DEPRESSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Auditor to assess both the social and financial effects of proposed mandated health insurance coverage for a percentage of the costs of ketamine therapy to treat depression.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Beyond Mental Health and five individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Auditor.

Your Committee finds that section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires that "[b]efore any legislative measure that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services, specific diseases, or certain providers of health care services as part of individual or group health insurance policies, can be considered, there shall be concurrent resolutions passed requesting the auditor to prepare and submit to the legislature a report that assesses both the social and financial effects of the proposed mandated coverage." Senate Bill No. 279, introduced in the Regular Session of 2023, mandates that private and public health plans in the State provide coverage for ketamine therapy to treat depression. Accordingly, this measure requests the Auditor to conduct a social and financial assessment of the proposed mandatory health insurance coverage as set forth in Senate Bill No. 279, in accordance with the requirements of State law.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting references to Senate Bill No. 279, Regular Session of 2023, where necessary; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 15, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 15, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair