STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2652

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2344

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2344, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE HAWAII HEALTH AUTHORITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Office of the Governor for operational expenses relating to the Hawaii Health Authority.

     Written comments in support of this measure were submitted by a private citizen.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Health Authority was established in 2009 to develop a comprehensive plan to provide universal health care in Hawaii.  However, its members were not appointed until 2011, and the funding provided by this measure is necessary for the Hawaii Health Authority to undertake the mission for which it was created.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the specific amount to be appropriated to facilitate further discussion of the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2344, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2344, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair