STAND. COM. REP. NO.  669

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1495

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1495 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR PALLIATIVE CARE RESOURCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve palliative care services by appropriating funds to the Executive Office on Aging to:

(1)  Integrate palliative care into long-term care settings;

(2)  Implement statewide physician orders for life-sustaining treatment;

(3)  Implement a hospice and palliative care resource center demonstration project; and

(4)  Implement statewide assessment of benchmark indicators.

     Kokua Mau, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Hawaii Long Term Care Association, Hawaii Family Forum, Roman Catholic Church in the State of Hawaii, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, Hospice of Hilo, Hawaiian Islands Hospice Organization, Hospice Hawaii, Inc., Eldercare Hawaii, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Healthcare Association of Hawaii supported this measure with amendments.  The Department of Health supported the intent of this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Appropriating the funds to Kokua Mau as a grant pursuant to Chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

     (2)  Increasing the funding by 20 percent; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for 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. 1495, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1495, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair