STAND. COM. REP. NO.  254

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 1064

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1064 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO ADDRESS THE BUDGET SHORTFALL,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation of $60,000,000 from the emergency and budget reserve fund to replace general funds appropriated for the health care payments program (HMS 401) of the Department of Human Services to address the budget shortfall in fiscal year 2008-2009.

     The Department of Budget and Finance submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Human Resources submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committees find that the health care payments program is essential to the public health, safety, and welfare of the people of the State.  Accordingly, your Committees find that this emergency appropriation will assist in maintaining the funding for the health care payments program for fiscal year 2008-2009.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose

of H.B. No. 1064 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health,

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair