STAND. COM. REP. NO. 515

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 695

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 695 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICINE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Hawaii Medical Board to convene a working group to discuss nutrition and lifestyle behavior for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Primary Care Association and five individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Medical Board and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

     Your Committee finds that approximately seventy-five percent of national health expenditures are spent regarding preventable chronic disease.  Your Committee finds that the Legislature would benefit from information reported by a working group tasked to consider the effect of nutrition and lifestyle behavior on the prevention and treatment of chronic disease.

     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 S.B. No. 695 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair