CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. 133

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 512

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 512, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

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 bill is to:

(1) Allow a patient's next of kin to obtain copies of the patient's medical records;

(2) Allow mental health service providers to release records for billing purposes under certain circumstances;

(3) Appropriate funds from the Emergency Budget and Reserve Fund to various health-related agencies and organizations; and

(4) Make permanent the mental health parity law.

Your Committee on Conference finds that it is necessary to comply with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act by allowing a patient's next of kin access to the patient's records. The other portions of this bill have been addressed in other measures and have been deleted. Additionally, your Committee on Conference notes that it is essential to transfer the Executive Office on Aging (EOA) to an executive agency because it is a permanent entity.

Accordingly, your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

(1) Deleting all portions of the bill except those provisions that allow a patient's next of kin access to the patient's records;

(2) Inserting a provision transferring EOA from the Office of the Governor to the Department of Health; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

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. 512, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 512, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________

ROSALYN BAKER, Co-Chair

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Co-Chair

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

____________________________

ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Co-Chair

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Co-Chair