STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1055

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 325

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 325, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to expand coverage under Medicaid and QUEST to include comprehensive dental care coverage for eligible individuals 21 years-of-age or older and to appropriate funds to provide the additional coverage.  This measure also appropriates funds for hospital dentistry for the developmentally disabled community in the County of Hawaii.

     The State Council on Developmental Disabilities, East and West Hawaii Developmental Disabilities Committees, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Kokua Council, Full Life, Center on Disability Studies, Hawaii Island Dental Task Force, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Human Services provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Leaving appropriation amounts blank to encourage further discussion;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 325, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 325, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair