STAND. COM. REP. NO. 968

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1802

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 1802 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to amend provisions on confidentiality of records in chapter 334, Hawaii Revised Statutes, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Drug Addiction, and Alcoholism, to authorize a health care provider to disclose information to another health care provider for the purpose of continued care or treatment.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Hawaii Pacific Health, the Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association, the Health Association of Hawaii, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Phoenix Health Systems, and the Queens Medical Center.  The Hawaii Association of Health Plans offered comments.

     Your Committee finds that the language in this bill, patterned after Hawaii law that allows providers to transfer information on HIV/AIDS for purposes of continued care and treatment, will enable providers to share necessary and relevant medical information while respecting the patient's dignity and privacy.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1802 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair