STAND. COM. REP. NO. 424

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1434

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 S.B. No. 1434 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Universal Immunization Funding Program for the purpose of administering immunizations to individuals in the State who are not eligible to receive immunizations at no cost through other programs; and

(2) Establish the Universal Immunization Purchase Special Fund into which fees will be deposited to finance the Universal Immunization Funding Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, American Academy of Pediatrics-Hawaii Chapter, Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and four individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Aloha Freedom Coalition; 3-G International, Inc.; and one hundred seventy-three individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that fourteen states have adopted programs known as "Universal Purchase" or "Universal Select" (collectively, UP) programs, providing state-purchased access to some or all recommended immunizations to children and adults in those states. Your Committee further finds that states with UP programs that allow state health officials to manage the supply of immunizations lowered health care providers' administrative costs and ensured that the states can quickly supply immunizations to vulnerable patient groups during emergencies or immunization shortages. This measure addresses the increasing disparities between publicly and privately insured individuals' access to immunizations and reinforces the State's commitment to preventive health care, cost-effective public-health infrastructure, and data-driven decision-making.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the definition of "immunization" means any preparation of killed microorganisms, living attenuated organisms, living fully virulent organisms, or part thereof, or any other treatment intended to trigger an immune response that is authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration, recommended by the national Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or has been authorized for purchase by the Director of Health for the purposes of producing or increasing immunity to particular diseases, and that "immunization" includes any other substance designated as immunization by order of the Director;

(2) Inserting a new section to establish the Universal Immunization Funding Program;

(3) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

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

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

Your Committee notes that this measure, as amended, 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 $934,000 for startup operations and initial procurements for the Universal Immunization Funding 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 S.B. No. 1434, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1434, 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