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. 3114 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Health (DOH) to submit an annual report to the Legislature on initiatives and improvements at Kalaupapa Settlement and to separately track patient and non-patient costs.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the DOH, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Office of the Auditor.

Your Committee finds that patients with Hansen's disease were once forced into exile at Kalaupapa Settlement on the island of Molokai. Your Committee further finds that the State recognizes the injustice suffered by these individuals and has committed resources to allow these Hansen's disease patients to live out their lives in the Kalaupapa Settlement as long as they desire. Due to concerns that excessive or inappropriate expenditures were being made, the Legislature, in 2003, requested the Auditor to conduct an audit of the operations and expenditures of the Kalaupapa Settlement, pursuant to H.C.R. No. 165. Your Committee determines that, based upon the Auditor's findings, which revealed multiple areas of concern, actions must be taken to improve the quality of life of the remaining patients at Kalaupapa Settlement.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

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. 3114, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3114, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.