CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 23

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1772

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1772, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYERS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure to require each applicant for medical assistance to identify the employer of the proposed beneficiary of medical assistance. This measure also requires the Department of Human Services to submit an annual report to the Legislature that identifies all employers who employ twenty-five or more beneficiaries of medical assistance programs administered by the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the applicability of confidentiality requirements established under Medicaid regulations as well as the administrative simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 with respect to the nondisclosure of certain identifying information of beneficiaries in the annual report to the Legislature; and

(2) Changing the effective date to make the measure effective upon its approval.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1772, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1772, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________

Alex M. Sonson, Co-Chair

____________________________

Suzanne Chun Oakland, Chair

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Blake K. Oshiro, Co-Chair

____________________________

Shan S. Tsutsui, Co-Chair

____________________________

Dwight Takamine, Co-Chair