STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2235

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2826

       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 Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2826 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOLUNTEER MEDICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide pharmacists with immunity from liability while performing volunteer medical assistance services.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Catholic Charities Hawaii, and The Queen's Health Systems.

     Your Committee finds that the lack of coverage for professional liability may discourage valuable medical professionals, such as pharmacists, from participating as volunteers of the State, thereby limiting the ability of the State to draw upon pharmacists' skills as a critical public health resource. 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to allow for further discussion.

     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. 2826, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2826, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

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

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair