STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1116

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 70

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 70 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO PLAN THE CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING PROCESS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO HELP ADDRESS THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF POOR HEALTH THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT LOW-INCOME, MINORITY POPULATIONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Human Services to convene a task force to plan the certification and training process for community health workers.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Primary Care Association; Kula no na Poe Hawaii o Papakolea, Kewalo, Kalawahine; Hawaii Public Health Institute, University of Hawaii System, Kau Rural Health Community Association, Inc.; and seven individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health.

 

     Your Committee finds that during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, many rural areas in the State were disconnected and unable to receive adequate health care services.  Your Committee also finds that when rural communities struggled with connectivity, transportation, and financial obligations, community health workers provided a critical lifeline to ensuring that residents' health care needs were met.  Your Committee further finds that families living in rural areas comprise diverse communities, including varying income, level of service availability, ethnicities, ages, living arrangements, and citizenship status, many of whom face language and cultural barriers that require specialized access to assistance and technology regarding health care issues.  Accordingly, your Committee finds that increasing the number of community health care workers and standardizing their certification and training will help address these issues.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the request to have the Department of Human Services convene a task force;

 

     (2)  Requesting the Auditor to conduct a sunrise analysis on the licensing and certification of community health workers;

 

     (3)  Changing the title to reflect its amended purpose; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 70, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 70, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair