STAND. COM. REP. NO. 956

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1121

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1121, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require that the Department of Health establish a working group to evaluate and update its mission and purpose.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires the Department of Health to establish a working group to examine and make recommendations to update the department's statutorily defined powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities, including incorporating certain population-based approaches to public health and prevention;

(2) Authorizes the working group to evaluate the department's health impact assessment tool;

(3) Requires the working group to submit a report to the Legislature; and

(4) Appropriates moneys to the Department of Health to support the activities of the working group.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that evaluating and updating the Department of Health's powers and duties to include population-based approaches to public health and prevention that acknowledge the numerous factors that affect health will increase health equity in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Designating the individuals with the responsibility to appoint or invite certain representatives to be members of the working group;

(2) Deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2020-2021;

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

(4) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 1121, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1121, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair