STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1070-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2880

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 Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness, to which was referred S.B. No. 2880 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOME HEALTH CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit any increase in the fees charged for providing home health care services during a state of emergency concerning a public health pandemic on the sole basis that the patient receiving the services requires that the home health care service provider be vaccinated against the underlying disease causing the emergency.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic highlighted the importance of health care providers, especially for our kupuna. Due to the nature of their responsibilities, home health care providers are constantly in close contact with elderly patients, who require their health care providers to be vaccinated due to their compromised health or underlying health conditions. This measure will protect our kupuna during times of an emergency and ensure that home health care providers are fairly charging residents of Hawaii for their services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that any increase in fees charged for providing home health care services shall be prohibited during a local state of emergency, in addition to a state of emergency; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2880, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2880, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness,

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair