STAND. COM. REP. NO. 844-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2501

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2501, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require:

(1) Hospitals and hospital systems to submit annual reports certified by the Auditor regarding costs associated with Medicare and uninsured patients to the Department of Health, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and State Health Planning and Development Agency;

(2) The Department of Health, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and State Health Planning and Development Agency to review the reports, establish standards and procedures, and adopt rules;

(3) The Department of Health to consider the reports when determining the Department's budget request and designate financial assistance requests in an equitable way; and

(4) The Office of the Auditor to conduct periodic audits of the financial assistance distributed to hospitals and hospital systems.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Health Planning and Development Agency. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Auditor; Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; and The Queen's Health Systems.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2501, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

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CHRIS TODD, Chair