STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1042
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2021
RE: S.B. No. 506
S.D. 2
H.D. 1
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2021
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 506, S.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE REVENUE BONDS TO ASSIST WAHIAWA GENERAL HOSPITAL,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The
purpose of this measure is to
authorize the issuance of special purpose revenue bonds to assist Wahiawa
General Hospital with its long-term debt restructuring.
Your Committee finds that for over
the past fifteen years, Wahiawa General Hospital has experienced severe
financial difficulties, due to the impacts of several factors, including the
reopening of The Queen's Medical Center West Oahu in Ewa, Oahu; reductions in
Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance requirements under the federal
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; the ongoing shortage of physicians
in the State; uncertainty in the availability of federal and state funding
caused by instability in federal health care policy; and an increasing need for
the provision of indigent care, which includes the homeless
population. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated
Wahiawa General Hospital's fiscal challenges.
Your Committee recognizes that
Wahiawa General Hospital is critical to providing a continuum of health care
services in the State. It provides critical
health care service needs to many residents and serves as a major employer in
Wahiawa, Oahu. This measure will enable
Wahiawa General Hospital to restructure its long-term debt and position itself
to continue its mission of serving the health care needs of Central Oahu, North
Shore, and other communities.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Changing the special purpose revenue bond amount to an unspecified amount;
(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and
(3) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 506, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 506, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,
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____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair |