STAND. COM. REP. NO. 671

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 44

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 44, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to assist the financial operations of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

 

     Specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Transfers back to the Department of Health the amount of the liabilities that the community hospitals had accrued while operating within the Division of Community Hospitals of the Department of Health prior to the establishment of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation on July 1, 1996;

 

     (2)  Requires the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to assume all liabilities or debts or other obligations accrued by the community hospitals beginning on July 1, 1996, and thereafter; and

 

     (3)  Clarifies the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation's responsibility for making payments into the Employees' Retirement System funds for its employees.

 

     Your Committee received one comment on this measure.  Copies of written comments submitted are available for review on the Legislature's website.

 

Your Committee supports the remedial steps provided under this measure to ensure the financial integrity of the State's community hospitals and their ability to provide essential healthcare services to Hawaii's residents.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

 

     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 S.B. No. 44, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 44, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair