STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1483

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 527

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 527, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOBILE CLINICS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for establishing, staffing, and operating two mobile clinics to serve the homeless population.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Psychological Association, The Queen's Health Systems, Hawai‘i Pacific Health, and seven individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness and Department of Human Services.

     Your Committees find that homelessness continues to be one of the State's most urgent and challenging social problems.  Homeless persons face a myriad of issues, including general health issues, mental illness, and substance abuse.  Your Committees further find that mobile clinics are increasing in popularity across the nation as government entities find ways to address the health care needs of the homeless population.  In places such as Denver, Colorado; Seattle, Washington; and San Jose, California; mobile clinics offer a variety of free healthcare services for local homeless populations, saving significant costs on emergency room visits.  Mobile clinics have the potential to similarly provide timely, non-emergency medical care to homeless individuals in Hawaii.  The State can help lessen many homeless individuals' illnesses before they become severe by making basic preventative and primary healthcare services more accessible on a mobile outreach basis.  This type of service would also reduce the high demand by the homeless for emergency medical services to treat non-emergency conditions, or emergency conditions that could have been prevented.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Updating the purpose section;

     (2)  Inserting language to allow the Department of Human Services to procure the mobile clinic services pursuant to chapter 103F, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 527, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 527, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Ways and Means,

________________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair