Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 3142 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to sustain currently available trauma care resources by requiring the Department of Human Services (DHS) to distribute Disproportionate Share Hospital payments to The Queen's Medical Center (Center), under the condition that the amount of the Disproportionate Share Hospital payments represent 50 percent of the amount of funds provided to the Center for fiscal year 2005-2006.

The Center supported this bill. DHS, Department of Health, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and Hawaii Pacific Health opposed this bill.

Although your Committee fully recognizes the importance of providing adequate financial resources for trauma centers in Hawaii, your Committee notes that serious concerns were raised regarding the funding mechanism contained in this bill.

In light of these concerns, your Committee has amended this bill by deleting its contents and inserting provisions that:

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. 3142, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3142, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.