STAND. COM. REP. NO. 434-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 3133

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 3133 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to increase and improve health care services for low income and rural communities by establishing the Community Health Center Capital Improvements Revolving Fund (Revolving Fund).

Specifically, this bill will provide low interest loans for maintenance, repair, and construction of nonprofit, federally qualified community health centers (FQHCs) to ensure the continuous provision of services by FQHCs.

The Hawaii Primary Care Association, Kaiser Permanente, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Waikiki Health Center, Kalihi-Palama Health Center, and a concerned individual supported this bill.

Your Committees find that FQHCs provide health care services to:

(1) 25 percent of Hawaii's uninsured;

(2) 17 percent of Medicaid/Quest beneficiaries; and

(3) An estimated one-third of the state's known homeless population.

This bill will maintain the ability of Hawaii's FQHCs to continue their invaluable early treatment and preventive health programs which greatly reduce later and costlier diagnoses and treatments, translating into savings for the State.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Authorizing the Director of Finance to release general obligation bonds for the Revolving Fund;

(2) Providing that the funds deposited into the Revolving Fund be expended by the Department of Human Services for the purposes of this Act;

(3) Inserting an appropriation amount of $1 to encourage further discussion;

(4) Changing the expending agency to the Department of Health; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3133, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3133, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

ALEX M. SONSON, Chair

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair