STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1034

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1495

      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. 1495, H.D. 1, 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 as a grant to Kokua Mau 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.

     The Hawaii Medical Service Association, Kokua Mau, Hawaii Long Term Care Association, Hawaii Family Forum, Roman Catholic Church in the State of Hawaii, Hawaiian Islands Hospice Organization, Hospice Maui, and many concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Healthcare Association of Hawaii supported the measure with amendments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriations to unspecified amounts to encourage further discussion;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; 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. 1495, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1495, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair