STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1686

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 1246

S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 1246, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TELEHEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote the adoption of telehealth across the State by:

(1) Establishing a policy of the State to promote telehealth;

(2) Establishing the State Strategic Telehealth Advisory Council (Council) to advise the Governor on a comprehensive plan to establish telehealth as a means of health care access;

(3) Establishing the State Telehealth Coordinator position to support the Council; and

(4) Requiring the Department of Health to establish and convene a Telehealth Administrative Simplification Working Group to research and make recommendations to reduce administrative barriers to telehealth.

The Department of Health, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, Hawaii Medical Service Association, The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Children's Action Network, Early Childhood Action Strategy, and Hawai‘i Psychological Association supported this measure. The Office of Information Practices and Hawai‘i Primary Care Association provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the cap on the number of members of the Council;

(2) Specifying that the Council shall make a good faith effort to comply with the requirements of chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

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 S.B. No. 1246, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1246, S.D. 2, 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