STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1215-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 3122

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 3122, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC HEALTH STANDING ORDERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Director of Health to issue public health standing orders for evidence-based health care screenings that have received the highest recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Hawai‘i Public Health Institute; Hawaii Association of Health Plans; Hawai‘i Public Health Institute; Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from AlohaCare and Hawaii Medical Service Association.

Your Committee finds that standing orders are protocols that authorize designated members of a health care team, such as nurses or medical assistants, to complete certain clinical tasks without having to first obtain a physician order. Your Committee further finds that several studies have demonstrated that standing orders can increase the delivery of routine preventive care services, including immunizations. This measure is intended to improve public health by creating quicker and easier patient access to preventive care, which can in turn move routine care out of the exam room and create more time for health care providers to address individualized patient care.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring public health standing orders to include language informing patients that there may be out-of-pocket costs associated with accessing services;

(2) Requiring an entity providing items or services pursuant to a public health standing order to provide the items or services to a patient after certain requirements have been met;

(3) Establishing a Public Health Standing Orders Working Group;

(4) Inserting a repeal date of June 30, 2027;

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3122, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3122, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health & Homelessness,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair