CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 175

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2009

RE:    H.B. No. 690

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 690, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE,"

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 ensure health insurance coverage by:

(1)  Requiring insurers to offer continuation of health insurance coverage to employees who lose coverage due to termination or reduction of employment hours;

(2)  Requiring insurers that offer health care coverage to the regular employees of any group or association to offer the same coverage to part-time employees working at least 15 hours per week; and

(3)  Providing that the Insurance Commissioner report to the Legislature on the cost-benefit of such an action prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2011.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

(1)  Deleting provisions requiring insurers to offer continuation of health insurance coverage to employees who lose coverage due to termination or reduction of employment hours;

(2)  Deleting provisions requiring fraternal benefit societies in this state to offer the same coverage to part-time employees working at least 15 hours per week as the coverage offered to full-time employees;

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2009;

(4)  Extending the sunset date by three years, from July 1, 2011, to July 1, 2014; and

(5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for 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 H.B. No. 690, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 690, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair	____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Co-Chair
____________________________ DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROBERT N. HERKES, Co-Chair
____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair	____________________________ SCOTT NISHIMOTO, Co-Chair