STAND. COM. REP. NO.  43-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2567

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2567 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure that our sick, elderly, and disabled population will have secure facilities in which to seek shelter during times of emergency by providing $2,000,000 to the Department of Health (DOH) to fund a study to assess the structural integrity of each hospital and nursing home facility to determine their ability to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes.

     The Healthcare Association of Hawaii supported this bill.  The Department of Defense (DOD) supported the intent of this measure.  DOH and Hawaii Centers for Independent Living submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Making DOD the agency responsible for coordinating and implementing the assessment;

(2)  Changing the appropriation to a blank amount; and

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for 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 H.B. No. 2567, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2567, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs.

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

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair