STAND. COM. REP. NO. 505

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1454

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. 1454 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL FACILITIES SPECIAL FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to rename the Hospital and Medical Facilities Special Fund to the Office of Health Care Assurances Special Fund (Fund) to reflect the current name of the Office of Health Care Assurances (OHCA). 

     In addition, this measure requires that all moneys collected by the OHCA in the form of fees and fines be deposited into the Fund and allows the moneys deposited to be used to offset the OHCA's operational expenses. 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that there is a need to re-name the Hospital and Medical Facilities Special Fund to reflect the change in the office's name to the Office of Health Care Assurance in 1998.  Your Committee further finds that allowing fees and fines to be deposited into the fund and allowing the moneys to be used for OHCA's operational expenses will allow the OHCA to continue to carry out its functions by offsetting operational costs, in lieu of annual general fund budget requests.

     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. 1454 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