STAND. COM. REP. NO.  208

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 698

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 698 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to make health insurance temporarily available to certain unemployed individuals by establishing a three-year pilot program to provide health insurance to individuals who have been uninsured for at least six months due to the loss of a job for reasons other than voluntary separation, discharge for work-related misconduct, or work stoppage caused by a labor dispute.  This bill also appropriates funds for this program.

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, ILWU Local 142, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Human Services and the Hawaii Medical Service Association provided comments. 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 698 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Labor & Public Employment.

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

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair