STAND. COM. REP. NO. 474-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2290
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Consumer
Protection and Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2290
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to establish a medical fee
advisory council to advise the director of labor and industrial
relations in adjusting the medical fee schedule and to increase
fees prescribed in the medicare resources based relative value
scale to 130 percent.

     The Hawaii State Chiropractic Association submitted
testimony in support of this bill. The Department of Labor and
Industrial Relations, HEMIC, HAPTA submitted testimony generally
in support of the bill with various suggested amendments.  The
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, ILWU Local 142,
Argonaut Insurance Company, and the Hawaii Medical Association
submitted testimony providing comments on this bill.  The Hawaii
Insurers Council submitted testimony in opposition to this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill to incorporate the
recommendations of the Department of Labor and Industrial
Relations regarding the composition of the medical fee schedule
advisory council. The number of Committee members was reduced
from thirteen voting members and no more than ten nonvoting
members to nine voting members and four nonvoting members.


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 474-00
                                 Page 2

 
     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Consumer Protection
and Commerce that are attached to this report, your Committees
are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2290, as
amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the
form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2290, H.D. 1, and be referred to
the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Labor and Public
                                   Employment and Consumer
                                   Protection and Commerce,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
RON MENOR, Chair                   TERRY NUI YOSHINAGA, Chair