STAND. COM. REP. NO.  246

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 120

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 120 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to enhance public access to information about the quality of care of state-licensed and certain other facilities by requiring the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services to post on their respective websites electronic copies of reports for all inspections they perform of facilities in which violations are discovered.

The State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman, ILWU Local 142, Kokua Council, and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  A concerned individual opposed this bill.  The Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and a concerned individual submitted comments.

     Your Committees note the compelling testimonies from various testifiers who seek greater transparency and access to information about the quality of care and conditions of state-licensed and other facilities in making health care decisions.  While your Committees recognize the public's right to access information about the conditions of these facilities, your Committees believe that the electronic posting of such data must be reliable and accurate and reflect fairness in the information disseminated.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate continued discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 120, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 120, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services,

____________________________ MELE CARROLL, Chair

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair