CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 157-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2008

RE:    S.B. No. 69

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 3

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 69, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to make health care insurance available to children of recently unemployed employees of an inter‑island air carrier by:

     (1)  Expanding the Hawaii Children's Health Care Program to include children of employees who were employed on March 29, 2008, by a Hawaii inter-island air carrier that was in bankruptcy proceedings on that date; and

     (2)  Making this health insurance available until December 31, 2008, at the latest.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the intent of this bill is to utilize the funds that have already been appropriated for the Hawaii children's health care program and the provisions of this bill can only be implemented to the extent of availability of those funds.  Your Committee on Conference further intends for this bill to be a temporary measure to assist children, of workers in Hawaii who have recently and abruptly been displaced from their jobs, in retaining health care coverage.

     Your Committee on Conference upon further consideration has made the following amendments to S.B. No. 69, S.D. 2, H.D. 3:

     (1)  Amended language relating to a child's qualification to provide that the child's parent or guardian was employed by a Hawaii employer that was subject to and in compliance with chapter 393, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and that filed for bankruptcy and ceased doing business in Hawaii or simply ceased doing business in Hawaii, between February 29, 2008 and September 30, 2008; either

     (2)  Amended the effective date of the bill to ensure that the underlying provisions of Act 236, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, are re-enacted upon the repeal of this bill; and

     (3)  Made technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 69, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 69, S.D. 2, H.D. 3, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Co-Chair	____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair
____________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Co-Chair	____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Co-Chair
____________________________ MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair