STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1111

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 527

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 527, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOBILE CLINICS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for establishing, staffing, and operating two mobile clinics to serve the homeless population.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses, Hawaii Psychological Association, and five individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness and Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that homelessness continues to be one of the State's most significant and challenging social problems.  Homeless persons face a myriad of issues, including general health issues, mental illness, and substance abuse.  Your Committee further finds that mobile clinics are increasing in popularity across the nation as government entities find ways to address the health care needs of the homeless population.  In places such as Denver, Colorado; Seattle, Washington; and San Jose, California, mobile clinics offer a variety of free health care services for local homeless populations, saving significant costs on emergency room visits.  Similarly, in Hawaii, mobile clinics would be able to provide timely non-emergency medical care to homeless individuals in the community.  By making basic preventative and primary healthcare services more accessible on a mobile outreach basis, the State could assist with mitigating many homeless individuals' illnesses before they become severe, and thus reduce the high demand for emergency medical services to treat non-emergency conditions or emergency conditions that could have been prevented.

 

     Your Committee notes that this measure appropriates an unspecified amount in general funds for fiscal years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 and requests that your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Ways and Means consider an appropriation amount of $1,400,000 for the purposes of this measure; provided that the funds may be used for repairing and renovating existing vehicles as mobile clinics.  Your Committee also believes that the development of a mobile clinic pilot project for Hawaii County may be a worthy endeavor for consideration in the future.  Furthermore, your Committee notes that to effectively operate and provide services through mobile clinics, it is critical to include a psychiatrist and pharmacist as members of a mobile clinic staff.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Including a social worker and outreach worker as suggested staff of a mobile clinic;

 

     (2)  Including, as well as defining, street medicine as a service that may be provided by mobile clinics; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 527, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 527, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

________________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair