STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2679

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3128

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3128 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ACT 212, SESSION LAWS OF HAWAII 2021,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal the requirement to transfer the Oahu Regional Health Care System from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to the Department of Health.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and Hawaii Health Systems Corporation Oahu Region.

Your Committee finds that Act 212, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021 (Act 212), mandated the transfer of the Oahu Regional Health Care System from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to the Department of Health, to assist with addressing the gap in the behavioral health care system between acute psychiatric care facilities and low acuity residential treatment. However, the planned transfer of the Oahu Regional Health Care System was estimated at $10.3 million, with an annual post-transition cost of $5 million, creating a high cost to complete the transition and maintain operations with no additional services. Therefore, this measure provides an alternative plan to addressing the goals of Act 212 while ensuring continuity of services for patients utilizing services at the Oahu Regional Health Care System.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending Act 212, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, to repeal part II, which contains language that would have gone into effect on December 31, 2025, regarding the transfer of the Oahu Regional Health Care System to the Department of Health;

(2) Inserting language to require the Oahu Regional Health Care System and the Department of Health to enter into an agreement regarding Oahu Regional Health Care System taking care of low acuity patients in the Department of Health's custody by the end of 2024;

(3) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) 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 and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3128, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3128, 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 and Human Services,

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JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair