STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1054

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   S.B. No. 797

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 797, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve patient care throughout the State through the use of health information technology to provide complete, accurate, and searchable health information at the point of diagnosis and care.  Specifically, this measure appropriates funds to the Department of Health (DOH) to participate in federal matching grant programs associated with the design or development of health information technologies.

     DOH, the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and The Salvation Army testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Human Services testified in support of the intent of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring DOH to submit an annual report to the Legislature detailing DOH's expenditures, proposals, and planning outcomes with respect to the design or development of health information technology systems; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, 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. 797, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 797, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair