Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 9 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to study the social and financial impact of mandatory health insurance coverage for examination for sexually transmitted diseases.

Your Committee finds that the adoption of this concurrent resolution is necessary in order to consider the enactment of H.B. No. 120, introduced during this session, relating to mandatory health coverage for examination for sexually transmitted diseases.

Your Committee finds that section 23-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires that before the legislature can consider any measure that mandates health insurance coverage for specific health services, the legislature must pass concurrent resolutions that request an impact assessment report from the Auditor on the social and financial effects of the proposed mandated coverage.

Specifically, your Committee finds that the request to the Auditor is being made through this concurrent resolution, with regard to the mandated coverage proposed in H.B. No. 120. The bill amends the health insurance and related statutes by requiring policy coverage after December 31, 2003 for examination for sexually transmitted diseases. Coverage for this specific health service is currently not required under those statutes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 9 and recommends its adoption.