THE SENATE
                 THE TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE
                  REGULAR SESSION OF 1999

          COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
            Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, Chair
             Senator Randall Iwase, Vice Chair
                  Senator Carol Fukunaga
                   Senator Andrew Levin
                 Senator Whitney Anderson

                     NOTICE OF HEARING

        DATE:    Wednesday, February 17, 1999

        TIME:    2:00 p.m.

        PLACE:   Conference Room 229
                 State Capitol
                 415 South Beretania Street


                        A G E N D A

SB 849   RELATING TO LIVING AND DYING WITH DIGNITY   HHS,WAM

        Designates the department of health as the agency
        responsible for monitoring issues related to living
        and dying with dignity.

SB 692   RELATING TO DEATH WITH DIGNITY              HHS,JDC

        Allows persons suffering irremediable conditions,
        including incurable physical illness or impairment, to
        have death administered with dignity upon the
        execution of a valid declaration by the person
        requesting it.

SB 1037  RELATING TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTED DEATH WITH   HHS,JDC
        DIGNITY

        Enables an individual who suffers from a terminal or
        intractable and unbearable illness to receive
        assistance from a physician to end the individual's
        life.

SB 981   RELATING TO DEATH WITH COMPASSION           HHS,JDC


 
 
 
        Allows physicians to prescribe terminal sedation to
        adults suffering from a terminal carcinomatous
        condition.

SB 846   RELATING TO END OF LIFE CARE                HHS,WAM

        Encourages use of physician orders for life-sustaining
        treatment; clarifies law regarding patient's wishes;
        requires long-term care facilities to provide hospice
        care if requested; adds standard relating to quality
        of care at the end of life; requires schools of
        medicine and nursing to include pain management in
        curriculum.  Appropriates $      to DOH to review,
        collate, and rewrite state law on final care
        decisions.  Effective upon approval; appropriation
        effective 7/1/99.

SB 847   RELATING TO HOSPICE CARE REIMBURSEMENT      HHS,CPN

        Beginning January 1, 2000, requires all health
        insurers and HMOs to reimburse to hospice care
        providers a minimum set by the Health Care Financing
        Administration per day for hospice care and an
        additional $     per day for room and board expenses
        of hospice care providers in excess of the Health Care
        Financing Administration rate.  Makes a hospice
        referral visit a reimbursable benefit regardless of
        whether or not a patient is admitted to hospice care.

SB 850   RELATING TO MEDICAID HOSPICE CARE BENEFITS   HHS,WAM

        Requires DHS to submit a request for a waiver from the
        Health Care Financing Administration to allow Hawaii
        Medicaid benefits for hospice care to any person with
        a life expectancy of one year or less.  Appropriates $
        in both FY 1999-2000 and FY 2000-2001.  Effective upon
        approval except for appropriations which are effective
        7/1/99.

SB 851   RELATING TO HEALTH CARE                     HHS,JDC

        Provides legislation recommended by the Governor's
        Blue Ribbon Panel on Living and Dying With Dignity
        with respect to health care facilities.

SB 938   RELATING TO MEDICAL DECISIONS               HHS,JDC

        Provides for the display of advance health care
        directives on drivers' licenses and on state (civil)
        identification cards.

 
 
 


 
SB 862   RELATING TO MEDICAL USE OF MARIJUANA        HHS,JDC

        Allows for the acquisition, possession, cultivation,
        distribution, transportation, administration, and use
        of marijuana for medical purposes.

SB 1038  RELATING TO THE MEDICAL USE OF MARIJUANA    HHS,JDC

        Ensures that severely ill and terminally ill patients
        are not penalized by the State for obtaining and using
        marijuana strictly for medical purposes when
        physicians licensed in the practice of medicine and
        registered to prescribe controlled substances provide
        written professional opinions stating that marijuana
        is medically beneficial to the patient.


        DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW, IF TIME PERMITS.


Persons wishing to testify should submit 35 copies of their
testimony with two holes punched at the top to the committee
clerk, Room 228, State Capitol, 24 hours prior to the hearing.
Testimony may also be faxed if less than 5 pages in length, to
the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Office at 586-6659 or 1-800-586-6659
(toll free for neighbor islands), at least 24 hours prior to the
hearing.  When faxing, please indicate to whom the testimony is
being submitted, the date and time of the hearing, and the
required number of copies needed for submittal.

If you require special assistance or auxiliary aids or services
to participate in the public hearing process (i.e., sign language
interpreter, wheelchair accessibility, or parking designated for
the disabled), please contact the committee clerk 24 hours prior
to the hearing so arrangements can be made.

Public Folder.  A folder labeled "Public Folder" containing the
measures and testimonies for the hearing will be available for
shared use by members of the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 586-
6130.



____________________________
Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland
Chair