STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1431

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 18

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. 18 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT OF PROPOSED MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR VARIOUS SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct a social and financial assessment of proposed mandatory health insurance coverage for various sexual and reproductive health care services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Medical Service Association, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates – Hawai‘i, Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Rainbow Family 808, and one individual. 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." House Bill No. 1179, introduced in the Regular Session of 2023, proposes to expand existing health insurance coverage, without cost-sharing, to cover various sexual and reproductive health care services. Additionally, House Bill No. 1180, introduced in the Regular Session of 2023, proposes to expand existing health insurance coverage and allows cost-sharing to cover various sexual and reproductive health care services. This measure requests the Auditor to conduct a social and financial assessment of the proposed mandatory health insurance coverage, with and without cost-sharing, for various sexual and reproductive health care services proposed by House Bill No. 1179 (2023) and House Bill No. 1180 (2023), respectively, in accordance with section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting references to House Bill No. 1179 and House Bill No. 1180, 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. 18, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 18, 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