STAND. COM. REP. NO. 240-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2966
                                     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 Human Services and Housing and Health, to
which was referred H.B. No. 2966 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure access to primary and
preventive health care to all of Hawaii's residents by
appropriating funds to the Departments of Health (DOH) and Human
Services (DHS) to support primary health care for medically
underserved populations.

     The Hawaii State Primary Care Association, Ke Ola Mamo
Native Hawaiian Health Care System, the Waikiki Health Center,
the Hana Community Health Center, and the Waianae Coast
Comprehensive Health Center testified in support of this measure.
DOH and DHS testified in support of the intent of this measure,
provided that its passage does not replace or adversely impact
priorities as indicated in the Executive Supplemental Budget
Request.

     Your Committees find that the number of uninsured patients
served by health centers increased by 74 percent between 1997 and
1999, and currently 41 percent of all community health center
patients are uninsured.  This measure will ensure the viability
of community health centers to provide health care for uninsured
individuals and their families.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 240-00
                                 Page 2

 
     (1)  Deleting the appropriation to DOH to support primary
          health care for children in medically underserved
          populations, since this provision is duplicative of
          another measure that passed out of your Committee on
          Health; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health that are
attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the
intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2966, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached
hereto as H.B. No. 2966, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee
on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Human Services
                                   and Housing and Health,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair       DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair