STAND. COM. REP. NO.61

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1359

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1359 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation for the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC).

Your Committee received testimony supporting this measure from the HHSC, Hilo Medical Center, Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO, and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that HHSC is facing severe budget constraints in meeting its obligations to the Employees' Retirement System and its medical vendors. HHSC's situation was created by an unanticipated increase in benefit payments for HHSC employees in fiscal year 2002-2003. Therefore, your Committee finds that the emergency appropriation requested by this measure is necessary and appropriate to ensure HHSC is able to meet its fiscal responsibilities.

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. 1359 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair