STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2984

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2880

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2880 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to prohibit any increase in the fees charged for providing home health care services during the pendency of an emergency proclamation or 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 Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the County of Hawai‘i Office of Aging, Kokua Council, and four individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i.

Your Committees find that home health care services are necessary for some people to be able to maintain a comfortable qualify of life. This is especially true for vulnerable kupuna. As seen during the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the elderly often required health care service providers to be vaccinated due to their compromised health or underlying health conditions that placed them at greater risk of experiencing severe and life-threatening symptoms. This measure will prevent health care service providers from increasing their fees during a public health crisis solely on the basis that their client requires them to be vaccinated.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2880 and recommend that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair