STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1445

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   S.B. No. 1079

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 1079 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1)  Amend the definition of "small employer" in the Insurance Code; and

(2)  Apply producer licensing requirements to insurance producers selling health insurance products offered by health maintenance organizations and mutual benefit societies to conform with the requirements of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Health Connector supported this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting the provision that would have amended the definition of "small employer" in the Insurance Code; 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 Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1079, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1079, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair