STAND. COM. REP. NO.160

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1612

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1612 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE HANA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for Hana Community Health Center to continue its current level of operations.

Testimony supporting this measure was received from the Department of Health, Mayor of Maui County; Hana Community Health Center; Papa Ola Lokahi; Hawaii Primary Care Association, AlohaCare; the principal, and numerous teachers, administrators, and students of Hana High and Elementary School; and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Hana Community Health Center provides needed primary care and emergency care to the residents of Hana and the eastern region of Maui, Hawaii. The center is simply the only primary care and emergency care service provider in the area. Consequently, the community is largely dependent on its services and any reduction would certainly threaten the health and welfare of the residents of Hana and the surrounding areas. Hana Community Health Center relies on subsidies to cover operational expenses. However, those amounts have steadily declined while the needs of the community have increased. Your Committee also finds that the appropriation made by this measure is necessary to allow Hana Community Health Center to maintain its level of services and to secure the public health and welfare.

Your Committee further notes that it has also recommended passage of and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means S.B. No. 1519, S.D. 1, which provides a dedicated funding source for Hawaii's community health centers. Therefore, the need for this measure may need to be reevaluated if a dedicated funding source framework is subsequently adopted.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1612 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,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair