STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1401

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 167

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 167 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY'S EFFORTS TO OBTAIN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GRANTS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to encourage a public-private partnership to support the health care community's efforts to obtain federal funding for health information technology grants.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Health Information Exchange, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Kaiser Permanente, Hawaii Medical Association, and the Hawaii Primary Care Association.

 

     Written testimony presented to your Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committees find that obtaining federal funding for health care technology that includes the health information exchange is vital to the improvement of Hawaii's medical technology infrastructure.  Hawaii's unique geographical location necessitates that cutting edge ideas and technologies are fostered to help overcome issues regarding access to medical care, especially for disadvantaged and disabled populations and those residing in rural areas.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by requesting the Senate and the House of Representatives to convene a task force to develop and implement a partnership plan that includes the Legislature, interested stakeholders, and the appropriate state agency responsible for designating an entity to be considered a "state designated entity" in order to qualify to receive funding under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Economic Development and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 167, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 167, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Economic Development and Technology,

 

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair