STAND. COM. REP. NO.  56

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 379

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 379 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FINANCING FOR A NEW HOSPITAL IN NORTH KONA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to assist with the financing of a new hospital facility for the West Hawaii community by authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds for that purpose and allocating a portion of the Transient Accommodations Tax to offset costs related to the bond issuance, including interest and debt service.

The West Hawaii Regional Board Strategic Planning Committee and two individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Health Systems Corporation testified in support of the intent of this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance and Tax Foundation of Hawaii provided comments.

     Your Committee amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; 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 H.B. No. 379, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 379, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Tourism.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair