STAND. COM. REP. NO. 333

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 941

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 941 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION BACKGROUND CHECKS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure the highest level of health care for patients of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation by authorizing the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to conduct Federal Bureau of Investigations criminal history record checks through the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center on employees, applicants, current or prospective contractors, providers, or volunteers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation Corporate Board of Directors, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation Oahu Region, West Kauai Medical Center, and one individual.

     Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that, due to a shortage of health care workers, the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation has recruited heavily from out-of-state.  Your Committee further finds that in‑state checks have been conducted since the creation of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.  This measure will enable in-state and out-of-state criminal record checks to be done in an efficient and effective manner by allowing access to the Federal Bureau of Investigations databank where criminal history records for all states can be retrieved.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 941, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 941, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair