Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1532 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to merge the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) on January 1, 2003. This measure also directs the governor to establish a management team to work out the details and to report to the 2002 regular session.

Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the DOH and the DHS.

Your Committee finds that both the DOH and the DOH are among the largest in the State. However, your Committee believes that there are many areas that are overlapped or duplicative in the nature of the service.

Your Committee has amended this measure by creating a new office that will take over the duplicative services which may be provided by both departments. This measure will assist them, as well as provide for government efficiency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1532, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1532, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.