STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1174

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1368

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1368 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL FACILITIES SPECIAL FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the Office of Health Care Assurance to offset operating costs and ensure the provision of quality health care to residents.

     This measure endeavors to accomplish this purpose by renaming the Hospital and Medical Facilities Special Fund to be consistent with the Office of Health Care Assurance, allowing the deposit of administrative fines into the special fund, and permitting the use of the moneys collected to offset program expenses and for educational purposes.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will provide additional funding for the Office of Health Care Assurance to carry out its duties in lieu of annual budget requests.  Your Committee further finds that naming the fund the "Office of Health Care Assurance Special Fund", though not necessary, will provide consistency with its purpose.

     Your Committee amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, 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 H.B. No. 1368, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1368, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair