STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1693

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 138

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 Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.R. No. 138 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF REQUIRING HEALTH INSURERS TO PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR CLINICAL VICTIM SUPPORT SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND ABUSE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Auditor to assess the social and financial effects of requiring health insurers to provide coverage for clinical victim support services for victims of sexual violence and abuse.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, Ho‘omanapono Political Action Committee, and O‘ahu County Democrats Committee on Legislative Priorities.

Your Committee finds that sexual violence and abuse can have severe and lasting emotional and mental health impacts on victims. Clinical victim support services are a professional intervention conducted by a qualified mental health services provider to identify needs and assist in obtaining coordinated, appropriate services and resources for a victim of sexual violence and abuse in order to curtail or prevent the progression or worsening of mental disorders and associated functional impairments caused, in whole or in part, by sexual violence and abuse. Clinical victim support services are not generally covered by health insurers. This measure therefore requests the Auditor to conduct a statutorily-required impact assessment report on the social and financial effects of the mandated health insurance coverage for clinical victim support services proposed by House Bill No. 484, Regular Session of 2019.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing incorrect references to mandatory coverage beginning on January 1, 2020, as this date does not appear in House Bill No. 484; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 138, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 138, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair