STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 793-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 3116

H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 3116, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure health care for all of Hawaii's children by:

(1) Establishing a temporary, three-year pilot program to be known as the Hawaii Children's Health Care Program (Program);

(2) Providing that the Program provide health care coverage for uninsured children through a public-private partnership between the Department of Human Services (DHS) and a mutual benefit society operating in Hawaii that offers accident and health or sickness insurance plans;

(3) Requiring that DHS and the selected mutual benefit society share equally in the cost of the premium for each child enrolled in the Program;

(4) Allowing other private organizations to partner with the State to offer coverage to Hawaii's uninsured children under the Program so far as the plan benefits provided are equal to or better than those offered by the Program; and

(5) Providing funds for the establishment of the Program.

The Good Beginnings Alliance, Hawaii Medical Services Association, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. DHS supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3116, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3116, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

		____________________________ DWIGHT TAKAMINE, Chair