Report Title:

Community Health Centers Special Fund; Cigarette Tax; Liquor Tax; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes the community health centers special fund to provide for the operating expenses of community health centers. Requires that a portion of the liquor and cigarette tax revenues be deposited into the community health centers special fund.

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1519

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that community health centers and clinics provide much-needed, high quality primary health care services to Hawaii's rural communities. Such facilities include the Hana Community Health Center and Community Clinic of Maui; the Hamakua Health Center and Bay Clinic on the island of Hawaii; and Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, Queen Emma Clinics, and the Kalihi-Palama, Waikiki, Waimanalo, and Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Centers on Oahu. Residents, neighbor island visitors, and tourists statewide rely on community health centers to provide a wide array of medical services in rural communities.

Importantly, community health centers are safety net providers of quality primary care services, on a sliding fee scale, to all, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. To cover the operational costs of providing quality care, community health centers generally rely on funding from a number of sources, including the federal Bureau of Primary Health Care and other federal agencies, the State, and private grants.

The purpose of this Act is to establish permanent and adequate funding for community health centers and clinics, by establishing the community health centers special fund under the department of health and dedicating an unspecified portion of the liquor and cigarette taxes to the fund.

SECTION 2. Part V of chapter 323, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by designating sections 323-1 to 323-73 as subpart A, entitled "Public Health Facilities."

SECTION 3. Chapter 323, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding subpart B to part V and to read as follows:

"SUBPART B

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

§323-A Definitions. The following terms, whenever used or referred to in this part, shall have the following meaning, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

"Director" means the director of the department of health.

"Community health center" means an entity that provides quality primary care services on a sliding fee scale to all, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

§323-B Establishment of special fund. (a) There is established within the department of health a special fund to be known as the community health centers special fund, into which shall be deposited:

(1)       per cent of the revenues from the liquor tax established by section 244D-4;

(2)       per cent of the revenues from the tobacco tax established by section 245-3;

(3) Any federal funds, legislative appropriations, grants from any source, and private contributions made to the fund; and

(4) All interest and earnings accruing from the investment of moneys in the fund.

(b) Moneys in the community health centers special fund shall be used to provide dedicated funding for required lawful operating expenditures of community health centers, including contingencies for correcting any deficiencies cited by agencies that monitor and evaluate the community health centers, and to defray general costs of the department associated with the administration of the community health centers special fund.

(c) All unexpended and unencumbered moneys remaining in the community health centers special fund at the close of each fiscal year which are deemed by the director to be in excess of the moneys necessary to carry out the purposes of this section over the next following fiscal year shall lapse to the credit of the state general fund.

(d) Nothing in this chapter shall preclude the making of appropriations to the community health centers special fund, or the use of funds derived from the sale of stocks, bonds, or other assets, to pay all or part of the costs of construction or maintenance, or both, of any or all facilities, services, and projects of the community health centers."

SECTION 4. Section 244D-17, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§244D-17[]] Disposition of revenues. All moneys collected pursuant to this chapter shall be paid into the state treasury as state realizations, to be kept and accounted for as provided by law[.]; provided that       per cent of all revenues collected under this chapter shall be paid into the community health centers special fund established by section 343-B."

SECTION 5. Section 245-15, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§245-15 Disposition of revenues. All moneys collected pursuant to this chapter shall be paid into the state treasury as state realizations to be kept and accounted for as provided by law[.]; provided that       per cent of all revenues collected under this chapter shall be paid into the community health centers special fund established by section 343-B."

SECTION 6. 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, to provide for transitional operating costs of the community health centers, and for the director of the department of health to effectuate the provisions of this Act, including the hiring of necessary staff.

SECTION 7. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 8. In codifying the new sections added to chapter 343, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by section 2 of this Act, and referred to in this Act, the revisor of statutes shall substitute appropriate section numbers for the letters used in designating the new sections in this Act.

SECTION 9. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

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