STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2445

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.B. No. 2465

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2465 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE TRANSITIONS CLINIC NETWORK PILOT PROGRAM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Department of Human Services to procure the services of a master contractor to manage subcontracts and expenditures for a transitions clinic network pilot program.

 

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that high incarceration rates cost state government and taxpayers millions of dollars year after year.  In fiscal year 2019, Hawaii had an average combined monthly jail and prison population of 5,217 inmates in both state and private mainland facilities.  Your Committee additionally finds that a large amount of the State's incarcerated population need health care services during and after incarceration, including mental health services.

 

     Your Committee further finds that a transitions clinic network program provides a patient-centered primary care facility for chronically-ill prisoners following release from prison.  The program also addresses the complex barriers that patients and health systems face when trying to improve the health and health care of chronically-ill individuals following incarceration.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to January 1, 2021.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2465, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2465, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

________________________________

RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair