CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 89

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2013

RE:    S.B. No. 1336

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1336, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

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 support access to acute, long-term, and emergency medical care in our State, particularly in rural areas, by temporarily designating Kahuku Medical Center as a rural hospital to enable the Medical Center to maintain its status as a critical access hospital.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that rural hospitals are essential components of the State's health care system.  Maintaining acute, long-term, and emergency services in areas like the North Shore of Oahu is essential to ensure access to health care among community residents and timely access to emergent care for visitors.  The loss of Kahuku Medical Center's designation as a critical access hospital would endanger its ability to provide these services to residents and visitors on the North Shore.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2013; and

     (2)  Inserting a repeal date of June 30, 2023.

     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. 1336, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1336, S.D. 2, 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

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Co-Chair	____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair
____________________________ DEE MORIKAWA, Co-Chair	____________________________ JOSH GREEN, Co-Chair
	____________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Co-Chair