STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1964

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.C.R. No. 141

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 141 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION AUTHORIZING THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO NEGOTIATE LOWER DRUG PRICES ON BEHALF OF MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to alleviate drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries by urging the United States Congress to support legislation authorizing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower drug prices.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from AARP Hawaii and the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

     Your Committees find that it is important to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for Hawaii's enrolled Medicare beneficiaries.  To this end, it is the intent of your Committees to support federal legislation authorizing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to use the Secretary's bargaining power to help make prescription drugs more affordable under Medicare.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 141, and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair