STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1200

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 716

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 716, H.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 the Health Information Technology Infrastructure Grant Program within the Department of Health, to be administered by the State Health Planning and Development Agency, to support health information technology infrastructure and the implementation of interoperable health information technologies in federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program centers, and Native Hawaiian health centers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Department of Health, State Health Planning and Development Agency, OCHIN, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center, Hawaii Medical Association, and Hawaiʻi Pacific Health.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from Waikiki Health.

Your Committee finds that federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, Ryan White HIV/AIDS program centers, and Native Hawaiian health centers are a vital source of health care access and public health for the State's underserved population, serving twenty percent of residents. Your Committee further finds that health information technology infrastructure is an essential component of equitable access to care which equips providers and government agencies with the information necessary to understand their community's needs and craft data-driven policies. This measure provides electronic interoperability for care coordination, administrative and clinical efficiency, and quality improvement for those remaining health care entities in the State that lack sufficient health information technology infrastructure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

Your Committee notes that this measure contains an unspecified appropriation amount. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider inserting an appropriation amount of $25,000,000 for the Health Information Technology Infrastructure Grant Program.

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 H.B. No. 716, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 716, H.D. 1, 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,

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair