STAND. COM. REP. NO. 816

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 347

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 347 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

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

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Pacific Health, and Hawaii Youth Services Network.

The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Human Services, and Hawaii Psychological Association submitted written comments on the measure.

     Your Committee finds that many health care providers treat and provide other care to the vulnerable and underserved homeless population, often on an emergency basis.  Mobile clinics would be able to provide timely non-emergency medical care to homeless individuals in the community.  By making basic preventative and primary healthcare services more accessible on a mobile outreach basis, the State could assist with mitigating many homeless individuals' illnesses before they become severe, and thus reduce the high demand for emergency medical services to treat non-emergency conditions.

Your Committee further finds that approximately two-thirds of Hawaii's homeless population relies on the State's MedQuest program to pay for health care services.  Thus, mobile clinics that reduce health care costs would also help to reduce the State's financial burden.

     Your Committee notes that the measure as received appropriated $1,400,000 in general funds for each of fiscal years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019.  Your Committee also notes that the Department of Health is considering developing a community paramedic program similar to the program discontinued by the City and County of Honolulu's Emergency Medical Services Division in 2013.  Your Committee believes that the development of a similar program is a worthy endeavor and respectfully requests that it be given consideration as this measure moves through the legislative process, either by the appropriate subject matter committee or by inclusion in the General Appropriations Act of 2017.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes to section 1 of the measure for purposes of clarity;

(2)  Changing the appropriation from $1,400,000 to an unspecified amount; and

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

     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. 347, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 347, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair