STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3081

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2624

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2624, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish and appropriate moneys for telehealth and rural health care pilot projects.

More specifically, the measure establishes and funds:

(1) A telehealth pilot project to evaluate the efficacy of various telehealth delivery models; and

(2) A rural health care pilot project to pay additional fees and expenses for physicians and nurse practitioners who practice in certain medically underserved areas and have medical specialties that are typically difficult for residents in rural areas to access.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health, University of Hawaii, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and one individual.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance, State Council on Mental Health, and Hawaii State Center for Nursing.

Your Committee finds that the pilot projects established and funded by this measure will help improve the quality and availability of health care in the State by offering incentives to doctors to practice in rural areas. Your Committee further finds that this measure will help to provide health care access to residents who are elderly, have transportation barriers, or may otherwise benefit from telehealth.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Health to provide an evaluation report on the outcomes of the rural health care pilot project, within six months of the exhaustion of all project funds;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(3) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 2624, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2624, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair