CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. -0 134-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 3003

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

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. 3003, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE PHARMACY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

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 is to extend income eligibility for the state pharmacy assistance plan to one hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty level.

This measure will provide prescription assistance to eligible state residents earning up to one hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty level.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the directive for qualification of the State Pharmacy Assistance Program by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services;

(2) Eliminating the requirement for the Department of Human Services to provide enrollment assistance for the Medicare Part D program;

(3) Extending eligibility to State Pharmacy Assistance Program applicants enrolled in another public assistance program that provides pharmacy benefits to include Medicaid recipients;

(4) Reinstating the asset test requirement;

(5) Deleting the provisions relating to payment of enrollee costs required under the federal Medicare Part D program, including deductibles and co-payments;

(6) Amending the funding provisions relating to sufficient rebates received pursuant to section 346-342(g), Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(7) Deleting the provisions of Section 4, relating to the use of moneys in the State Pharmacy Assistance Program Special Fund, and Section 5, relating to the repeal of the definition of "full coverage prescription drug benefit";

(8) Replacing the $1 appropriation with a dollar amount;

(9) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2006, except the effective date for Section 3, regarding funding resources, was changed to July 1, 2007; and

(10) Making technical, non-substantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 3003, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3003, S.D. 2, 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

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Co-Chair

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Co-Chair

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SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Co-Chair