STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1519

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1377

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1377 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to enable the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to provide quality health care and pay for operational costs that will exceed the current expenditure ceiling.

     Specifically, this measure increases the expenditure ceiling on the health systems special fund and makes an emergency appropriation of $41,000,000 out of the health systems special fund for the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to pay for increased operational costs.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

     Your Committee finds that this measure does not request an appropriation from the general fund.  The increase in the expenditure ceiling of the health systems special fund and the appropriation out of that fund are necessary for the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to pay for unanticipated operational costs.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1377, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair