CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 165-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2837

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2837, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE OAHU REGIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Temporarily authorize the Oahu Regional Health Care System to oversee the operations and management of the proposed Maui State Veterans Home; and

(2) Establish a timeline and process whereby permanent oversight of the proposed Maui State Veterans Home will be reassigned to the Maui Regional Health Care System.

Your Committee on Conference finds that although the state Department of Defense is currently planning for the construction of the Maui State Veterans Home, the management, operation, and staffing of the Maui State Veterans Home should be placed with a state agency that is able to manage a long-term care facility.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting provisions that would have:

(A) Temporarily placed ownership and oversight of the Maui State Veterans Home with the Oahu Regional Health Care System;

(B) Required the Maui Regional Health Care System to secure ownership of the land of, and assume permanent oversight over, the Maui State Veterans Home; and

(C) Required reports to the Legislature;

(2) Statutorily authorizing the Oahu Regional Health Care System to include the Maui State Veterans Home;

(3) Requiring that no later than June 30, 2027, the Maui State Veterans Home shall be assimilated into a state agency having a Maui affiliation, in a manner and to an extent that may be negotiated between the Oahu Regional Health Care System or a state agency having a Maui affiliation and the state Department of Defense;

(4) Clarifying that no liabilities of the Maui State Veterans Home that exist at the time the Maui State Veterans Home is assimilated shall become liabilities of the agency into which the Maui State Veterans Home is assimilated;

(5) Clarifying that the assimilation shall not be affected by the amendments made to section 323F-2(b), Hawaii Revised Statutes, by Act 212, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021;

(6) Changing the effective date to make the measure effective upon its approval; and

(7) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2837, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2837, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ JENNA TAKENOUCHI Co-Chair	____________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA Chair
____________________________ MARK M. NAKASHIMA Co-Chair	____________________________ TROY N. HASHIMOTO Co-Chair
____________________________ LISA KITAGAWA Co-Chair