STAND. COM. REP. NO. 502

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1258

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. 1258 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to increase access to health care and improve the detection, prevention, treatment, and education of chronic kidney disease.

     This measure accomplishes this goal by appropriating funds to support the modified home care and community health demonstration project for chronic kidney disease patients.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the National Kidney Foundation, and St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii.  The Department of Health submitted comments on the measure.

     Your Committee finds that there is an increasing need for kidney dialysis services, especially on the neighbor islands and rural areas of the State.  Your Committee further finds that establishing full-scale dialysis facilities within each of the communities is not cost-effective.  The demonstration project to be supported by this measure will implement a modified home care and community health approach; whereby patients can place their personal dialysis machines in a common facility.  Initially, two facilities will be operated, one in Kahuku on Oahu and the other in Hana on Maui.  Additionally, patients living in remote areas who have available space in their homes for hemodialysis will have the opportunity to have a trained caregiver work with them.

     Your Committee further finds that a recommended appropriation in the amount of $1.9 million will support both the Kahuku facility and the Hana facility, provided that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs matches the appropriation for a total funding amount of $3.8 million.

     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. 1258 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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