SB75 SD1

Section 1. This Act is recommended by the governor for immediate passage in accordance with section 9 of article VII of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.

SECTION 2. The legislature finds that the virus known as "SARS-CoV-2" causes a disease named "coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19), that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, in January 2020. There is now an international outbreak of this respiratory disease. COVID-19 has now been detected in many locations internationally, including in the United States. In February 2020, the department of health was notified of a Japanese national who developed severe symptoms, sought medical care, and was tested and diagnosed with COVID-19 upon returning home to Japan after a trip to Hawaii that involved travel to both Maui and Oahu.

On January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern." On January 31, 2020, United States Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the nation's healthcare community in responding to COVID-19.

Due to the fast-moving and unpredictable spread of COVID‑19, as well as general public concern, the legislature finds it timely and appropriate to allocate resources to the department of health in support of activities to detect, contain, mitigate, and respond to COVID‑19, including:

(1) Syndromic surveillance to monitor potential COVID-19 encounters and supplement traditional case-finding activities;

(2) Enhanced communication strategies that provide general, high-risk, and vulnerable populations with actionable information for self-protection, including identification of symptoms and clear guidance for seeking treatment;

(3) Intensive source control in the event that local epicenters in Hawaii are identified, including isolation of patients and persons testing positive for COVID-19, contact tracing and health monitoring, strict health facility infection prevention and control, and use of other active public health control interventions with continued active surveillance;

(4) Preparation for health system resilience in the State similar to that performed at the time of seasonal influenza, including anticipation of severe infections and course of disease in older individuals and any other population identified to be at risk of infection;

(5) Mitigation activities in the event that widespread community transmission is established and contact tracing becomes ineffective, overwhelming, or an inefficient use of resources, including: cancellation of public gatherings; school closures; remote working; home isolation; observation of symptomatic individuals via telephonic or online health consultation; or provision of essential life support measures such as oxygen supplies, mechanical ventilators, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation equipment; and

(6) Transportation, storage, distribution, and administration of vaccines and other treatments for populations at risk of COVID-19 infection.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to make an emergency appropriation to the department of health for the purposes of COVID-19 response measures in the State.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $6,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2019-2020 to be used for coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, response; provided that the funds appropriated shall be allocated as follows:

(1) $800,000 for contracted services to provide multi-media public education and awareness campaigns;

(2) $200,000 for quarantine and self-monitoring, including quarantine and self-monitoring of persons:

(A) Who are not residents of the State or who are homeless;

(B) Who are not included in the federal quarantine mandate; or

(C) With confirmed diagnoses of COVID-19 who are hospitalized and discharged prior to the conclusion of a fourteen-day quarantine period but who require options for self-monitoring;

(3) $1,300,000 for laboratory testing, equipment, and supplies, including four additional full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) department of health staff positions;

(4) $2,500,000 for disease outbreak surveillance and response, including:

(A) Personal protective equipment for disease investigators;

(B) Specimen collection kits;

(D) Office supplies for forms relating to health care provider reporting and consent;

(E) Activities, equipment, and supplies related to the administration of vaccines; and

(F) Overtime and contract labor for disease investigation, logistics management, data-entry, and other related activities;

(5) $ for other personnel expenses related to COVID-19 response, including overtime, travel, and supplies;

(6) $200,000 for command supplies and equipment, including the deployment of hand sanitizer stations at critical state facilities and other public areas;

(7) $200,000 for the Kauai district health office for county of Kauai-specific response;

(8) $500,000 allocated to the Hawaii district health office for county of Hawaii-specific response; and

(9) $300,000 allocated to the Maui district health office for county of Maui-specific response.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. All procurements associated with any funds appropriated pursuant to section 3 of this Act shall be exempt form chapters 103D and 103F, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

SECTION 5. The appropriation made for coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, response authorized by this Act shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal biennium for which the appropriation is made; provided that all moneys from the appropriation unencumbered as of June 30, 2022, shall lapse as of that date.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	75
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII