STAND. COM. REP. NO.668

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 118, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CANCER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to improve treatment of breast cancer in Hawaii, particularly among persons with lower incomes.

This bill establishes a breast and cervical cancer treatment program for individuals who are diagnosed by the Hawaii breast and cervical cancer control program and are not eligible to receive Medicaid benefits for treatment and for other underinsured or uninsured individuals with breast or cervical cancer, or both.

The bill also appropriates funds for the breast and cervical cancer treatment programs.

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

 

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 118, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair