STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2954

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 3161

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 3161, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure that the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation has the appropriate funding to ensure the continued operation and provision of current levels of service at its facilities.

 

     Specifically, this measure makes an emergency appropriation in the amount of $25,000,000, $11,000,000 of which is provisional for Maui Memorial Medical Center, to be used by the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to pay accounts payable within forty-five days from the date of the invoice for Hawaii Health Systems Corporation's facilities.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Hawaii Government Employees Association, Maui Memorial Medical Center, the Hawaii County Council, Kona Community Hospital, Hilo Medical Center, the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, the Kauai Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, the Oahu Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, the East Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Faith Action for Community Equity, and six individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation is in a financial crisis and unable to pay many of its vendors within a reasonable time frame.  Your Committee further finds that this emergency appropriation is necessary to ensure the protection of public health and the provision of essential health care services.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by including a severability clause and by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3161, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3161, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair