STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2387

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 3176
                                        S.D. 1




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

Sir:

     Your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and
Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 3176 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to extend the right to
medical and other insurance benefits to reciprocal beneficiaries.

     Testimony on the measure was received from the Hawaii Public
Employees Health Fund, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, League of
Women Voters of Hawaii, American Civil Liberties Union, Na Loio,
Friends of Marriage Project Hawaii, Na Mamo O Hawaii, Partington
and Foley, and several individuals. 

     This measure extends coverage under the laws governing
health insurers, mutual benefit societies, health maintenance
organizations, motor vehicle insurers, and life insurers to
reciprocal beneficiaries of insured or covered individuals.  The
measure also requires the Public Employees Health Fund to
establish a reciprocal beneficiary family coverage health
benefits plan.  Your Committees find that this measure recognizes
the importance of health and insurance coverage for all
individuals in the State, regardless of their marital status, and
provides for equal access to health care and other benefits.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2387
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     (1)  Making the requirement that health maintenance
          organizations provide the same coverage to spouses and
          reciprocal beneficiaries apply to policies issued after
          July 1, 2000, rather than June 30, 1999; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the
          purposes of clarity, consistency, and style, and to
          correctly reflect language in the Hawaii Revised
          Statutes.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary that
are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with
the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3176, as amended herein, and
recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto
as S.B. No. 3176, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on
Ways and Means.

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



____________________________       ______________________________
AVERY B. CHUMBLEY, Co-Chair        BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair



____________________________       ______________________________
MATTHEW M. MATSUNAGA, Co-Chair     BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair

 
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