Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 548 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to repeal the sunset date imposed on the Organ and Tissue Education Fee and the Hawaii Organ and Tissue Education Special Fund (Special Fund), as provided for in Act 88, Session Laws of Hawaii 1999 (Act 88).

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Coalition on Donation, Hawaii Donor Family Council, Surgical Associates, Inc., Oahu Filipino Community Council, Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Congress of Visayan Organizations, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Lions Eye Bank and Makana Foundation, and Transplant Association of Hawaii. The Department of Health supported the intent of this measure. A concerned citizen opposed this bill.

Your Committee notes that the Special Fund serves an essential function in promoting education and public awareness of organ donation. However, your Committee realizes that some concern exists regarding accounting of monies already received and whether the beneficiaries of the Special Fund monies, such as the Organ Donor Center of Hawaii, should be responsible for funding its own promotional activities.

In light of these concerns, your Committee believes an extension of the Special Fund, instead of an outright repeal of the sunset provision, is a more prudent course of action at this time.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 548, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 548, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.