STAND. COM. REP. NO. 434

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 103
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 103 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT THE KA`U
     RURAL HEALTH PLAN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to
implement the Ka`u Rural Health Plan.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Health (DOH), Hawaii State Primary Care
Association, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, ILWU Local 142, Bay
Clinic, and two private citizens.

     The DOH, in its 1996 study "Primary Care Needs Assessment",
found that the Kula area ranked second as the highest risk area
in terms of health and socio-economic risk, and has the highest
risk in maternal and child health risk indicators, such as infant
mortality, inadequate prenatal care, low birth weight, medically
risky births, and teen births.  This measure implements the DOH's
rural health plan for the Island of Hawaii, including the
districts of Puna and Ka`u, to ensure the improvement of health
facilities and to make available sufficient medical services to
all area residents.

     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

 
a                                                     SB103      
                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 434
                                   Page 2


of S.B. No. 103 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
a                                                     SB103