STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1109

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 804

S.D. 1

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. 804 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PALLIATIVE CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase the utilization of palliative care in the State.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes within the Department of Health a culturally competent palliative care program to promote palliative care, gather health care utilization data, and conduct bidding for at least two pilot programs for home or community based palliative care;

(2) Establishes an advisory group to oversee the implementation of the pilot programs; and

(3) Appropriates funds for the palliative care pilot programs.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Kauai Hospice, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Kokua Mau, Community First, Hawaii Care Choices, St. Francis Healthcare System, Hawaii Family Forum, Oahu County Democrats, and numerous individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that numerous studies have shown that palliative care significantly improves the quality of life of patients and their families. Your Committee also finds that palliative care can be offered concurrently with both curative treatments or hospice and end-of-life care.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the chief executive of the hospital in the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation region in which the palliative care pilot program is implemented, or the chief executive's designee, shall be invited to serve on the advisory group;

(2) Providing that the Director of Health shall invite the chief executive of the Maui Health System to serve on the advisory group if the pilot program is implemented in the County of Maui;

(3) Clarifying that the Director of Health shall invite to serve on the advisory group representatives from the John A. Burns School of Medicine, American Cancer Society, Kokua Mau, and a person who is a patient or family member of a patient who previously received palliative care;

(4) Changing the amount appropriated for palliative care pilot programs to an unspecified amount;

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

(6) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and style.

Should this measure pass into law, your Committee notes that the Department of Health will require an appropriation of $350,000 for each fiscal year of the biennium to implement the palliative care pilot program.

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. 804, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 804, S.D. 1.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair