CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 91

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  , 2023

 

RE:     S.B. No. 759

        S.D. 2

        H.D. 2

        C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sirs:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 759, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require the Office of Primary Care and Rural Health to oversee and support community efforts to collaboratively address the health and wellness needs of the State's most underserved rural residents and develop plans that align with appropriate providers' goals and objectives; and

 

     (2)  Appropriate funds for the establishment of permanent full-time equivalent positions within the Department of Health's Family Health Services Division.

 

     Your Committee on Conference finds that rural residents often face barriers to accessing health care.  To address these barriers, comprehensive health care coordination across preventative and primary health care, specialty care, and urgent and emergency care is necessary in medically underserved areas.  To facilitate this coordination and the development of a strong health network, this measure provides governmental support to existing community efforts to respond to the health care needs of rural residents.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing language that would have appropriated funds for an unspecified number of permanent full-time equivalent Program Specialist IV positions within the Department of Health's Family Health Services Division;

 

     (2)  Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

 

     (3)  Making it effective upon its approval; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 759, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 759, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI

Co-Chair

 

____________________________

MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO

Chair

____________________________

JENNA TAKENOUCHI

Co-Chair

 

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE

Co-Chair