STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1369

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1483

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1483, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a task force to study the feasibility of authorizing the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, or portions of it, to transition to public-private partnership status.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Department of Budget and Finance and one individual.  Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from United Public Workers and eight individuals.  Hawaii Health Systems Corporation East Hawaii Region and Hilo Medical Center submitted written comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that there is conflicting information on whether transition of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to public-private partnership status would be beneficial for the corporation and result in an improvement in services, reduction in costs, and increase in revenue.  Your Committee believes that establishing a task force to study and submit a report to the Legislature is the best approach to determine whether transitioning the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to a public-private partnership would yield the claimed benefits.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Identifying the task force as the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation Transition Task Force and establishing the task force within the Department of Health for administrative purposes;

 

(2)  Specifying that the Governor shall appoint the two task force members representing the public sector and shall appoint the task force chair from among the members;

 

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

(4)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for 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. 1483, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1483, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair