STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1314

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1434

S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 1434, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO UNIVERSAL IMMUNIZATION FUNDING PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a Universal Immunization Funding Program in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Hawaiʻi Academy of Family Physicians; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; AlohaCare; Hawaii Medical Association; Hawaii Medical Service Association; American Academy of Pediatrics Hawaii Chapter; Hawai‘i Public Health Institute; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Patriot Republicans; Libertarian Party of Hawaii; Biotechnology Innovation Organization; Hawai‘i Christian Coalition; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that "Universal Purchase" programs are programs that enable states to leverage bulk purchasing and federal immunization programs to establish a streamlined procurement, oversight, and distribution system for all recommended vaccines for children and adults. Your Committee further finds that the purchase of immunizations is done by the State and private health care providers or health systems. This practice requires private health care providers to take on considerable costs, as they must pay for their immunizations up front in addition to costs incurred for securing and storing the immunizations. Your Committee believes that establishing a Universal Immunization Funding Program in Hawaii will reduce the financial and administrative burden borne by private health care providers and systems and lower incidences of immunization-preventable diseases by increasing access to immunizations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Placing the new statutory language establishing the Universal Immunization Funding Program in Chapter 325, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to infectious and communicable diseases, rather than Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to health;

(2) Amending the definitions of "assessed entity", "estimated adult immunization cost", and "estimated child immunization cost";

(3) Deleting the definition of "health insurer";

(4) Inserting definitions for "program" and "vaccines for children program";

(5) Expanding the purpose of the Universal Immunization Funding Program to include the provision of immunizations to all individuals in the State, rather than just individuals who are ineligible to receive immunizations at no cost through other programs;

(6) Amending the permissible sources of funding for the Universal Immunization Purchase Special Fund;

(7) Amending the methodology used by the Director of Health to determine immunization assessment rates;

(8) Requiring the Department of Health to audit assessed entities and providers in accordance with the reporting and compliance standards of the Universal Immunization Funding Program;

(9) Clarifying the methodology used by the Department of Health for selecting and purchasing immunizations;

(10) Exempting the Universal Immunization Purchase Special Fund from the transfer of special funds for central service expenses;

(11) Clarifying that the appropriation out of the Universal Immunization Purchase Special Fund includes the purchase of immunizations as well as administrative costs for the Universal Immunization Purchase Program;

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

(13) 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 of $934,000 into the Universal Immunization Purchase Special Fund.

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 S.B. No. 1434, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1434, S.D. 1, 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