CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 92-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2012

RE:    S.B. No. 2816

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2816, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOSPITAL LICENSING,"

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 permit the Director of Health to adopt rules to provide that full accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations demonstrates a hospital's compliance with all state-mandated licensing inspections for the duration of the accreditation. 

     Your Committee on Conference finds that accreditation and certification by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is a nationally recognized symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting advanced performance standards.  This organization's accreditation survey is generally regarded as more thorough than a state's licensing survey, as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' standards are more regularly revised and updated to reflect the most current information, knowledge, and best practices regarding safe, effective, and quality care.  Your Committee on Conference also finds that recognizing the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' accreditation will allow staff and resources to be redeployed to attend to hospitals and health care facilities that do not have national accreditation. 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2012. 

     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. 2816, 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. 2816, 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

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Co-Chair	____________________________ JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair
____________________________ DEE MORIKAWA, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair