STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2571

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2825

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2825 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII IMMUNIZATION REGISTRY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Department of Health to:

     (1)  Allow limited access by authorized health organizations to registry information in the Hawaii Immunization Registry to produce immunization assessment reports; and

     (2)  Store minimal demographic information for individuals who have elected to refuse inclusion in the Hawaii Immunization Registry.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, the Hawaii Medical Service Association, AlohaCare, and one private individual.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by one private individual.

     Your Committee finds that this measure enables health insurers access to the Hawaii Immunization Registry for the limited purpose of producing immunization assessment reports.  The Department of Health's ability to share immunization data with health insurers can assist in the formulation of strategies to improve immunization rates.

     Your Committee further finds that authorizing the Department of Health to store minimal patient demographic information in the Hawaii Immunization Registry enables the system to automatically identify patients who have elected to opt out of the system.  This measure will prevent the inadvertent data entry or data transfer of restricted patient information into the registry and thereby ensure further privacy protections for these individuals.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to ensure further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2825, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2825, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair