CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 99

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2009

RE:    S.B. No. 695

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

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. 695, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION,"

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 measure is to require an employer to continue paying for medical services for an injured employee despite disputes over whether treatment should be continued, until the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations determines whether medical services should be continued.

     Your Committee finds that continuing medical treatments for an injured employee, until a decision is rendered by the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations on the appropriateness of the treatment, provides appropriate protections for injured employees while also allowing employers and insurers to recover benefits paid past the deadline for allowed treatment.

     Your Committee, upon further consideration, has amended this measure by changing the effective date from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2009.

     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. 695, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 695, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Co-Chair	____________________________ DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair
____________________________ MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Co-Chair