Report Title:

Community Health Centers; Oral Health Services

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to the Department of Health for oral health clinics and dentists. Authorizes general obligation bonds to be issued for the construction of new community health centers, that include oral health services, in underserved areas. (HB1420 HD1)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1420

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR community health centers.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the State's community health centers lack sufficient funding, particularly for oral health services, especially to the underserved areas on the neighbor islands. The State's medicaid program no longer includes oral health care because funding is not appropriated for basic oral health services. Medicaid-eligible individuals are only provided coverage for dental emergencies. The lack of state medicaid funding for oral health services necessitates that the State operate oral health clinics.

The purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds to plan and construct community health centers in underserved areas that also provide oral health clinics; and

(2) Appropriate funds to establish more oral health clinics and hire more dentists.

SECTION 2. The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $30,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for fiscal year 2003-2004 for the purpose of planning and constructing one or more community health centers in underserved areas of the State; provided that each health center shall include an oral health service; provided further that the appropriations under this Act shall be equally matched dollar-for-dollar by federal funding for the programs and services of the community health center to be constructed under this Act.

SECTION 3. The appropriation made for the capital improvement project authorized by this Act shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made; provided that all moneys from the appropriation unencumbered as of June 30, 2006, shall lapse as of that date.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003-2004 for the establishment of more state oral health clinics and the hiring of more state dentists and dental hygienists, with priority given to the neighbor islands and rural areas of Oahu, but excluding emergency oral health services.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.