STAND. COM. REP. NO. 883

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1157, S.D. 1, 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 make emergency appropriations to the Department of Health to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

More specifically, this measure appropriates unspecified sums for fiscal year 2020-2021 for:

(1) Statewide medical surge staffing; and

(2) The implementation and administration of vaccine and immunization plans and logistics.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Primary Care Association.

Your Committee finds that the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136, provided federal funds to support state-level COVID-19 relief efforts. With the expiration of these federal moneys, your Committee finds that this measure provides additional funds needed to continue funding critical COVID-19 response programs for the remainder of fiscal year 2020-2021.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1157, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair