STAND. COM. REP. NO. 153

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1157

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1157 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RELATING TO COVID-19 EXPENDITURES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide emergency appropriations in fiscal year 2020-2021 to the Department of Health to continue funding for various coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response-related programs and activities.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health and Hawai‘i Primary Care Association.

Your Committee finds that the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and resulting COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to Hawaii's economy. Your Committee further finds that the funds from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Public Law 116-136, which provided federal funds to support the State's COVID-19 relief efforts, have expired. This measure makes appropriations to continue funding critical COVID-19 response programs and activities for the remainder of fiscal year 2020-2021.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a blank appropriation amount;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1157, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1157, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair