STAND. COM. REP. NO. 110

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1664
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No.
1664 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to implement the
recommendations of the Patient Rights and Responsibilities Task
Force in order to strengthen the Hawaii Patient Bill of Rights
and Responsibilities Act.

     Testimony in support of the measure was received by your
Committee from representatives of the Department of Commerce and
Consumer Affairs, the Department of Health, the Healthcare
Association of Hawaii, the Hawaii Health Information Corporation,
the Hawaii Medical Association, the Hawaii Nurses' Association,
the Hawaii Medical Service Association, the Legal Aid Society of
Hawaii, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Hawaii Federation
of Physicians & Dentists and the University Health Alliance.  A
representative of the Department of Labor submitted testimony
suggesting an amendment to the measure.

     Your Committee finds that this bill would serve to address
important issues to ensure the protection of consumer rights.
However, your Committee notes that the proposed addition of new
definitions to the workers' compensation law would be
inappropriate, as the terms defined do not appear in that
chapter.


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 110
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     Your Committee believes that this measure is still a work in
progress which will benefit from further discussion and possible
further revisions by the Committee on Consumer Protection and
Commerce.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the proposed new definitions for the workers'
          compensation law; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of style and clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
1664, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1664, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health,



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair