CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 8-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

RE:    S.B. No. 2540

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2540, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,"

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 expedite the development or expansion of a forensic facility at the Hawaii State Hospital by authorizing the Governor to negotiate directly with any person to construct the facility.  This measure also provides for an extended review and comment period for an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the Department of Health is proposing to undertake the construction of a new building at the Hawaii State Hospital.  The new building is of high priority because of census and health and safety issues at the hospital.  To expedite the development, the Department of Health and Department of Accounting and General Services intend to use the design-build process.  However, the Department of Health and Department of Accounting and General Services may need more flexibility, such as the mechanism proposed by this measure, to allow the Governor to expedite the development of a critically needed building.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by changing the effective date to upon approval.

     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. 2540, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2540, 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	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair
____________________________ SYLVIA LUKE, Co-Chair	____________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Co-Chair