STAND. COM. REP. NO. 791

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 304

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 304, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the Hawaii Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Review Panel within the Department of Health for administrative purposes to conduct comprehensive, multidisciplinary reviews of maternal deaths in the State to identify factors associated with the deaths and make recommendations for health care system changes.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and five individuals.  Written comments in opposition to this measure were received from one individual.  Written comments on this measure were received from the Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that the establishment of a maternal morbidity and mortality review panel with an appropriation to support its work would provide important data and information that would improve health care for women in the State.  However, your Committee notes that the Department of Health believes that the additional duties placed upon the department under this measure will exceed the funding of $10,000 per year as provided under the measure.  Accordingly, your Committee requests that the Department of Health consider and provide to subsequent Standing Committees that deliberate upon this measure a more accurate estimate of the costs necessary to cover the panel and additional responsibilities imposed upon the Department.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the appropriation figure to an unspecified amount; and

(2)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, style, 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. 304, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 304, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair