STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1595-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.C.R. No. 9

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 9 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT OF PROPOSED MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct a social and financial assessment of proposed mandatory health insurance coverage for various sexual and reproductive health care services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates - Hawai‘i, Save Medicaid Hawaii, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Hawai‘i State Democratic Women's Caucus, and eleven individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Auditor and Hawaii Association of Health Plans.

Your Committee finds that federal protections for abortion, preventive care, contraceptives, and other sexual and reproductive health care services are consistently threatened. Your Committee further finds that facilitating access to preventive sexual and reproductive health care services and limiting out-of-pocket costs for preventive sexual and reproductive health care services is critical for the health and economic security of all people in Hawaii and will help avoid more costly treatments in the future.

Your Committee notes that comprehensive health insurance coverage for a full range of sexual and reproductive health care services, without cost sharing, is not generally covered by health insurance and would be considered a new mandated benefit. 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 various sexual and reproductive health care services proposed by House Bill No. 249 (Regular Session of 2021).

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Making a technical amendment to its title to clarify the purpose of the impact assessment report; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 9, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 9, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair