STAND. COM. REP. NO. 419

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1234

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1234 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NATIVE HAWAIIAN HEALTH,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to increase and improve health care for Native Hawaiians by establishing a state designation of Native Hawaiian Health Centers in Hawaii pursuant to the federal Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act.

 

     The measure also appropriates an unspecified amount of general funds to effectuate the state designation of Native Hawaiian Health Centers.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by Papa Ola Lokahi and the Native Hawaiian Healing Center at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Health.

 

     The health status of Native Hawaiians continues to be far below that of the general population of the United States.  There are currently four health care centers in Hawaii that meet the criteria of the federal definition of a Native Hawaiian Health Center under the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act, Title 42 United States Code sections 11701-11714.  These health care centers are located in communities with a large percentage of Hawaiian homestead residents and Native Hawaiians, and serve these communities to address the unmet health needs of the Native Hawaiians.  The federal Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act, which is currently pending reauthorization, recognizes Native Hawaiian Health Centers.  Your Committees find that establishing a corresponding designation under chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, will provide state recognition of Native Hawaiian Health Centers.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the criteria for a Native Hawaiian Health Center and replacing it with criteria from the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act so that the language in federal and state laws will properly coincide with each other;

 

     (2)  Clarifying that the Department of Health will coordinate with the Papa Ola Lokahi to oversee the implantation of state health programs resulting from the designation of Native Hawaiian Health Centers;

 

     (3)  Deleting unnecessary language that directs the Department of Health to follow the criteria established under the federal Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of consistency and style.

 

     Your Committees believe that this measure, as amended, will aid in increasing and improving health care for Native Hawaiians, which fulfills the intent of this measure.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1234, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1234, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Health,

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair