STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2195

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2552

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2552 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NON-GENERAL FUNDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal and abolish certain non-general funds of the Department of Health, as recommended by the Auditor in Report No. 15-17.

     Specifically, this measure repeals or abolishes the:

(1)  Early Intervention Trust Fund;

(2)  Early Childhood Obesity Special Fund;

(3)  Grant for Catholic Charities-Lanakila Senior Center Special Fund;

(4)  Grant for Emergency Room Subsidy at Waianae Coast Clinic Special Fund;

(5)  Grant for Hawaii Primary Care Association Dental Special Fund;

(6)  Hospital-Based Poison Center Special Fund;

(7)  Program for All Inclusive Care for Elderly Special Fund;

(8)  Resources to Nonprofit, Community-Based Health Care Special Fund;

(9)  Subsidy for St. Francis Medical Center-Bone Marrow Special Fund;

(10) Funding for Grant Pursuant to Chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, Special Fund;

(11) Healthy Aging Partnerships Program Special Fund;

(12) Partnership in Community Living Program Special Fund; and

(13) Hilo Shippers' Wharf Committee Charitable Trust Fund.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Auditor.  Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that, in 2015, the Auditor reviewed the non-general funds and accounts of the Department of Health to determine whether each fund or account continues to serve its intended purpose and meet statutory criteria.  Your Committee further finds that the Auditor concluded that the funds repealed and abolished by this measure no longer serve their intended purpose or meet statutorily-established criteria.  Accordingly, your Committee believes that it is appropriate to repeal and abolish these non-general funds and to transfer any remaining unencumbered balances to the general fund, emergency and budget reserve fund, or county of Hawaii, as specified in the measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2552, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2552, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair