STAND. COM. REP. NO. 539

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 118

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 118 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CANCER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a program that addresses the needs of individuals who are diagnosed through the Hawaii Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program. This measure further proposes to fund the treatment costs for those individuals who do not qualify for Medicaid or are uninsured or underinsured with breast and cervical cancer.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Department of Human Services, Department of Health, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, American Cancer Society, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Society of Clinical Oncology, Na Loio-Immigrant Rights and Public Interest Legal Center, Hawaii Women Lawyers, Saint Francis Medical Center, Women's Legislative Coalition, one private physician, and eight private citizens.

Your Committee recognizes this measure is a call to action in response to the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act recently passed by Congress. This program will be funded by the State, and enhanced by the federal government. Your Committee further finds that providing coverage for early treatment will decrease the incident of women seeking treatment of advance stages of cancer, which increases the overall cost of treatment. One and nine Americans will be diagnosed with some type of cancer, and breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women. This measure is needed to further the intent of Congress to better the health of Hawaii's women.

This measure was a work in progress of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Fund Coalition and these amendments were upon recommendation of the Coalition. Your Committee has the amended purpose section, placed the program under the Department of Human Services, and requested a two-year appropriation for the 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. 118, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 118, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

DAVID MATSUURA, Chair