CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 56

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 1150

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1150, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SKILLED NURSING FACILITY LICENSING,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Department of Health to accept nationally recognized accreditation or certification organizations to demonstrate a skilled facility's compliance with the licensing inspections required by the State.

Your Committee on Conference finds that The Joint Commission and other nationally recognized accrediting agencies have certification standards that are more stringent than those required by state law. Your Committee on Conference further finds that authorizing the Department of Health to recognize these accreditation and certification reviews to establish a skilled nursing facility's compliance with state licensing requirements will allow the Department of Health to better allocate resources to its regulatory oversight responsibilities, while also permitting the Department's Office of Healthcare Assurance to deploy staffing resources to other equally important investigations and surveys.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by changing the effective date to upon its approval.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1150, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1150, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE Co-Chair	____________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE Chair
____________________________ AARON LING JOHANSON Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER Co-Chair