CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. -19989-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2018

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2208

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sirs:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2208, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ASSOCIATION HEALTH PLANS,"

 

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)  Require that association health plan policies comply with the laws of the State regardless of the sponsoring association's domicile; and

 

(2)  Enable certain voluntary employer associations and sponsoring associations to qualify for authorization to transact insurance in the State.

 


     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Clarifying that all association health plans issued by a voluntary association of employers authorized to do so by the United States Department of Labor and operative in the State shall comply with all applicable state laws regardless of the characteristics and tax status of the voluntary association or employers;

 

(2)  Clarifying that all voluntary associations of employers that issue health plans operative within the State shall be eligible for and required to hold a certificate of authority from the Insurance Division;

 

(3)  Requiring the Insurance Commissioner to adopt or amend any forms as necessary for implementation of this measure by no later than January 1, 2019;

 

(4)  Specifying that the compliance requirements for association health plans and voluntary associations of employers shall become effective on January 1, 2019; and

 

(5)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity and consistency. 

 

     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 H.B. No. 2208, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2208, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER

Chair

 

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO

Co-Chair

 

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI

Co-Chair