STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2637

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2535

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2535, S.D. 1, 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 establish additional funding mechanisms for the trauma system special fund to help ensure that trauma patients in the State receive quality care.

     Specifically, this measure expands the resources available for trauma care by:

     (1)  Establishing surcharges for traffic violations, use of intoxicants while operating a vehicle, crimes of violence, and drug-related offenses;

     (2)  Establishing surcharges for accidents involving death or serious bodily injury, accidents involving substantial bodily injury, accidents involving bodily injury, and statewide traffic code penalties;

     (3)  Clarifying that moneys in the trauma system special fund include, among other things, trauma system surcharges and cigarette tax revenues;

     (4)  Providing guidelines for the methodology used to calculate costs incurred by hospitals providing care to trauma patients; and

     (5)  Appropriating an unspecified amount of general funds into the trauma system special fund for fiscal year 2008-2009.

     Testimony in support of the measure was received from The Queen's Medical Center, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and

Hawaii Pacific Health.  Comments on the measure were submitted by the Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that the additional sources of funding for the trauma system special fund are needed to ensure the availability of care for trauma patients in the State.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2535, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair