STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1164

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1120

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1120, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DENTAL HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure quality dental health services to low-income adults and children, individuals with developmental disabilities, and the uninsured.

     The measure accomplishes this purpose by appropriating funds to the Department of Health to contract with federally qualified health centers for community-based dental health clinics.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; the Disability and Communication Access Board; the Moloka‘i Community Health Center; the West Hawaii Community Health Center, Inc.; the Community Clinic of Maui; Hawaii Primary Care Association; Kalihi-Palama Health Center; Waikiki Health Center; Hamakua Health Center; the Kokua Council; the Bay Clinic, Inc.; and one individual.  The Arc in Hawaii submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure.  The Department of Health submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

     Your Committees find that more accessible dental health care services need to be available on all of the islands, particularly for persons with disabilities.  Your Committees believe that including Medicaid fee-for-service eligible children and adults in this measure will ensure dental health services are provided to all eligible individuals in need, not just those with developmental disabilities.

     Accordingly, your Committees amended this measure to include both QUEST and Medicaid fee-for-service eligible children and adults.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1120, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1120, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair