Makes appropriation to hire full-time registered nurses in public schools; makes appropriation for grant-in-aid to St. Francis renal dialysis; makes appropriation to raise medically needy income standard. (SD2)

A BILL FOR AN ACT

PART I.

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that it is imperative that Hawaii's public school students receive adequate health care services. Currently, children in Hawaii's public schools who have varying degrees of health challenges are cared for by school health aides. Given the growing complexity of student health needs, the public school health aides may not be prepared to meet these complex health challenges. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to begin the process of reintroducing school health nurses into Hawaii's public schools.

Currently, there are thirty-six public school complexes throughout the State. These complexes include high schools, intermediate or middle schools, and elementary schools.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to hire full-time registered nurses for each of Hawaii's public school complexes.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002, to hire thirty-seven full-time registered nurses within the department of health; provided that each registered nurse shall be assigned to a public school complex, except for one unassigned nurse who shall provide for vacation and sick leave coverage of the other registered nurses. These registered nurses shall also be included as part of the department of education's comprehensive student support system.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this section.

PART II.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the Hawaii organ and tissue education special fund, established by section 3 of Act 88, Session Laws of Hawaii 1999, the sum of $250,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002, and the sum of $250,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2002-2003, for a grant to the Organ Donor Center of Hawaii.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance of any appropriation made by this Act as of the close of business on June 30, 2002, and on June 30, 2003, respectively, shall lapse into the Hawaii organ and tissue education special fund.

PART III.

SECTION 4. The legislature finds that a significant number of individuals in the State are unable to receive necessary health care services due to overly restrictive federal and state regulations. Many of these individuals are persons who derive their income solely or largely from Social Security and have terminal, debilitating, or life-threatening illnesses. Due to these unwieldy regulations, some persons must spend nearly half of their monthly income to qualify for Medicaid, while others cannot afford to "spend-down" and therefore must do without critical health care, including necessary treatment and services for sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, and family health services.

Under the Medicaid program, there is a provision that allows a state to expand coverage to persons who are above the Medicaid income level but are low income and deemed "medically needy". Section 346-14(16), Hawaii Revised Statutes, authorizes the department of human services to establish the income eligibility level for the medically needy program at one hundred thirty-three per cent of the assistance allowance, subject to the appropriation of state funds and availability of federal matching assistance. The legislature finds that if the income eligibility level for the medically needy program were raised, then health care services could be expanded to assist those who are deemed medically and financially needy.

The legislature further finds that the federal share of matching Medicaid funds, currently at 51.01 per cent, will be increasing to 53.85 per cent. This 2.84 per cent increase in the federal matching share is a source of funding that can be applied directly to assist the medically needy program.

The purpose of this Part is to provide necessary funds to enable the department of human services to raise the income eligibility level for the medically needy program.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $550,016, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002, to be matched by $641,785, in federal funds, and the sum of $520,567, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2002-2003, to be matched by $671,753, in federal funds, to fund raising the income eligibility of the medically needy program to one hundred thirty-three per cent of the assistance allowance.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.