STAND. COM. REP. NO. 275

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 1539

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1539 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to dissolve the Oahu regional health care system and integrate its functions and personnel into the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation board.

The O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i testified in support of this measure. The Oahu Region of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation and three individuals testified in opposition to this measure. Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, East Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Hawaii Government Employees Association AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO, and one individual provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion.

Your Committee notes that the Oahu Region of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation has expressed concerns that consolidation of the region's functions into the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation Board will result in a loss of fair and equitable treatment to the patients and communities currently served by the Oahu Region facilities.

Should your Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee on Health respectfully requests that representatives from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation Board, the Oahu Region Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and the Hawaii Government Employees Association meet to discuss what potential impacts to staff and patients would occur should this measure move forward, and to provide a report of those impacts to your Committee on Finance.

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 H.B. No. 1539, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1539, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair