STAND. COM. REP. NO. 272

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 196
                                     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. 196
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOSPITALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide adequate health care
for the residents of Lahaina, Maui, by building a community
hospital in Lahaina.

     The Department of Health (DOH) submitted testimony in
support of the intent of this measure.  The Hawaii Health Systems
Corporation testified in support of improving and expanding
health services to West Maui, but not in support of creating new
hospital.

     Your Committee finds that, while Lahaina has a warranted
need for an additional health care facility, the cost of building
a community hospital is exorbitant.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the provisions:

          (A)  Establishing a community hospital; and 

          (B)  Authorizing the funds needed to build this
               facility;


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 272
                                 Page 2

 
     (2)  Requiring DOH to conduct a needs assessment of the
          medical needs of the Lahaina and West Maui communities;
          and

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

     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.
196, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 196, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair