STAND. COM. REP. NO. 507

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1804

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1804 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE TRAUMA SYSTEM SPECIAL FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide quality health care to trauma patients by ensuring the viability of trauma centers in the State.

     The measure accomplishes this purpose by:

     (1)  Establishing surcharges for traffic violations, use of intoxicants while operating a vehicle, crimes of violence, and offenses related to drugs and intoxicating compounds;

     (2)  Establishing surcharges for violations that result in accidents involving death or any degree of bodily injury;

     (3)  Clarifying that the Trauma System Special Fund established under section 321-22.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, consists of, among other things, trauma system surcharges, and cigarette tax revenues;

     (4)  Providing the methodology used in calculating costs incurred by hospitals providing care to trauma patients takes into account:

         (A)  Physician on-call coverage that is demonstrated to be essential for trauma services within the hospital;

         (B)  Equipment that is demonstrated to be essential for trauma services within the hospital; and

         (C)  The creation of overflow or surge capacity to allow a trauma center to respond to mass casualties resulting from an act of terrorism or natural disaster;

     (5)  Defining "trauma center"; and

     (6)  Making appropriations to and out of the Trauma System Special Fund.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Kaiser Permanente, The Queen's Medical Center, and Hawaii Pacific Health.  The Judiciary of the State of Hawaii, the Department of Health, and the Department of Budget and Finance submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committee finds that trauma is one of the most serious public health problems we face.  Trauma is the leading cause of death of people between the ages of one and forty-four years.  A comprehensive statewide trauma system built on public health principles can reduce death and disability from injuries.  Therefore, your Committee finds that providing alternative funding mechanisms that will increase the trauma system special fund is necessary to ensure the viability of the State's trauma system.

     Your Committee amended this measure by enabling the Department of Health to use the American College of Surgeons recommendations for guidelines in determining the levels of the trauma centers; provided that a yearly on-site verification visit is conducted by the department and for level I or level II trauma centers, an on-site verification by the American College of Surgeons every three years.

     Your Committee adopted the recommendations of the Judiciary and amended this measure by implementing the surcharges as of January 1, 2008.

     Your Committee further amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of 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 S.B. No. 1804, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1804, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair