STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2405

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2452
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which
was referred S.B. No. 2452 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to extend health insurance
coverage to unmarried dependent children of public employees who
are full-time students up to age twenty-four and to unmarried
children, regardless of age who are incapable of self-support
because of a mental or physical incapacity that existed prior to
reaching the age of nineteen.

     The measure also limits dental plan benefits to the
unmarried children of public employees who are under the age of
nineteen.

     Testimony in support of the measure was received from the
Public Employees Health Fund.

     Your Committee finds that the health benefits plan offered
by the Public Employees Health Fund is the only major benefit
plan that does not provide coverage to dependents of employees
who are full-time students and under the age of twenty-four.

     Your Committee also finds that extending health insurance
coverage to public employee dependents who are unmarried
children, regardless of age, and who are incapable of self-
support because of a mental or physical incapacity that existed

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2405
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prior reaching the age of nineteen, will assist the parents of
such children with the sometimes staggering costs of health care
provision.

     Your Committee has amended the measure by making a technical
amendment proposed by the Public Employees Health Fund in the
interest of clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of S.B. No. 2452, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B.
No. 2452, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and
Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Commerce and
                                   Consumer Protection,



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

 
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