STAND. COM. REP. NO. 249

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 716

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 716 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a grant program within the Department of Health, to be administered by the State Health Planning and Development Agency, to support a certified, hosted, and maintained health information technology infrastructure and the implementation of interoperable health information technologies for federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program centers, and Native Hawaiian health centers in Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; State Health Planning and Development Agency; Hawai‘i Pacific Health; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; Ho‘ōla Lāhui Hawai‘i; Waikiki Health; Hawai‘i Primary Care Association; Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center; Hana Health; Waimānalo Health Center; Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center; OCHIN; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Papa Ola Lokahi.

Your Committee finds that federally qualified health centers, rural health centers, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program centers, Native Hawaiian health centers, and some critical access hospitals and rural providers lack the resources to adopt the interoperable health technologies available and in use by the majority of the State's hospitals, clinics, and physician practices. Your Committee further finds the coordination of health information through a certified, hosted, and maintained health information technology infrastructure will enable the State to immediately identify emerging health trends and issues, making it possible to provide timely interventions. Your Committee believes that establishing a grant program to assist qualified health centers in investing in this critical health information infrastructure will ensure all health care providers, regardless of size or location, have the tools needed to deliver care to all patients in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount between $20,000,000 and $25,000,000 for the grant program.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 716, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 716, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair