STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2417

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3129

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3129 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Hui Hoʻomana Task Force within the State Health Planning and Development Agency to develop a comprehensive plan to provide universal access to equitable and affordable high-quality health care for state residents; and

(2) Require the Hui Hoʻomana to submit reports to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Department of Human Services, State Health Planning and Development Agency, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaiʻi - American Nurses Association, AARP Hawaiʻi, University of Hawaiʻi System, Hawaii Association of Health Plans, Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association, The Queen's Health System, Hawaii Medical Service Association, and six individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and Kaiser Permanente.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii residents deserve universal access and equity to quality health care at an affordable cost. However, the State faces daunting workforce shortages in health care; unacceptable gaps in access to primary and specialty care particularly in rural areas and neighbor islands; inequities among Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and low-income kupuna and keiki populations; unnecessary administrative complexity; and rapidly rising costs. This measure seeks to address these issues by establishing a task force to make recommendations to achieve universal access and equity to quality health care at an affordable cost for state residents.

Your Committee notes the testimony of Hawaii – American Nurses Association requesting that it's Executive Director, rather than its president, be invited as a voting member on the task force. Your Committee also notes the testimony of AARP Hawaii, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, requesting that the measure reflect its current name.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing the President of the Hawaii Nurses Association with the Executive Director of the Hawaii – American Nurses Association;

(2) Changing the name of the American Association of Retired Persons to AARP Hawaii;

(3) Requiring the task force to submit its final report to the Legislature before its dissolution date of July 1, 2025, rather than before the conclusion of the Regular Session of 2025;

(4) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(5) 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 Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3129, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3129, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair