Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 942 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to enable children whose family income is at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level to be eligible for benefits under the State's Children's Health Insurance Program.

The Healthcare Association of Hawaii and Hawaii Primary Care Association submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Human Services (DHS) submitted comments.

Your Committees find that thousands of children in Hawaii are uninsured. In 1998, there were an estimated 3,054 uninsured children in families with incomes between 201 and 300 percent of the federal poverty level. Federal funding is available provided that state funds are appropriated.

Your Committees have amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for 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. 942, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 942, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.