CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 156

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2017

RE:    S.B. No. 501

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

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. 501, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO 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 ensure that women in Hawaii have timely and appropriate access to comprehensive reproductive health services by:

     (1)  Requiring limited service pregnancy centers to disseminate a written notice on the availability of and enrollment information for publicly-funded family planning services;

     (2)  Requiring limited service pregnancy centers to adhere to privacy and disclosure requirements for client records; and

     (3)  Establishing civil penalties for noncompliance and authorizing civil actions for enforcement.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that individuals seeking healthcare, including reproductive healthcare, should receive comprehensive, accurate, unbiased information in a confidential setting.  In a reproductive healthcare setting, this includes receiving information about the full range of options, including how to obtain health insurance coverage should a woman be uninsured.  Your Committee on Conference further finds that when women are fully informed, they can make the best decisions for themselves and their health.

     Your Committee on Conference also finds that thousands of women in the State are in need of publicly-funded family planning services, contraception services and education, abortion services, prenatal care, and birth-related services.  In Hawaii, low-income women can receive immediate access to free or low-cost comprehensive family planning services and pregnancy-related care through Med-QUEST and the Department of Health's family planning program.  Your Committee on Conference finds, however, that many women remain unaware of the public programs available to provide them with family planning and pregnancy-related services.  Because family planning decisions are time sensitive and early care in pregnancy is important, the State must make every effort possible to advise women of all available reproductive health programs.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending the definition of limited service pregnancy center to establish that a limited service pregnancy center does not include a health care facility and providing a definition of health care facility;

     (2)  Inserting language to require that the written notice and written pregnancy test result that limited service pregnancy centers are required to provide be provided in English or another language requested by the client or patient;

     (3)  Inserting language to establish that this measure is not intended to require the Department of Health to regulate or oversee limited service pregnancy centers;

     (4)  Making it effective upon its approval; and

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

     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. 501, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 501, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, 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
____________________________ SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO Co-Chair	____________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN Co-Chair
____________________________ BERTRAND KOBAYASHI Co-Chair	____________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA Co-Chair