STAND. COM. REP. NO.  301-10

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

RE:   H.B. No. 2467

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2467 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAL ASSISTANCE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to assist those who do not qualify for medical coverage under federal medical assistance programs by requiring the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide specified medical assistance to certain legal, permanent residents.

     The Hawaii Primary Care Association; Lawyers for Equal Justice; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific, Inc.; Catholic Charities Hawaii; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Consul General of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Micronesians United-Big Island, and a concerned individual supported this measure with amendments.  DHS opposed this bill.  The Department of the Attorney General provided comments.

     Your Committees emphasize that the intent of this bill is to provide a level of coverage for legal residents and nonimmigrants that is equivalent to that received by United States citizens.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

     (1)  Removing language requiring DHS to provide the indicated services free of charge;

     (2)  Including additional cancer treatments under the covered services;

     (3)  Clarifying the definition of "covered noncitizen";

     (4)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 2467, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2467, H.D. 1, 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