Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2953 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation for the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC), Hawaii Government Employees Association, and one Hawaii County Council Member.

According to testimony of the HHSC, this appropriation is necessary to offset the increase in the fringe benefit rate assessed to all state agencies for fiscal year 2003. It is an emergency only in the sense that this unexpected assessment was not part of HHSC's general fund support.

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 S.B. No. 2953 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.