STAND. COM. REP. NO. 152

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1139

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1139 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds from the Community Health Centers Special Fund to be used by community health centers in the State to meet critical health care needs of many of Hawaii's residents.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Ho‘ola Lahui Hawai‘i and Papa Ola Lokahi.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

 

     Your Committee finds that community health centers are one of Hawaii's most important health care assets and they have become even more essential to health care delivery in the State during the current hard economic times.  Your Committee also finds that it is essential to the welfare of Hawaii's residents to continue to fund community health centers so that they can continue to provide critical services.

 

     According to the Department of Health, the Department was unable to release cigarette tax revenue collected in fiscal year 2008-2009 to the community health centers because the actual amount of tax revenue collected during that year was significantly less than the $9,000,000 estimate stated in section 1 of this measure.  Your Committee recommends that the information be deleted or amended to accurately reflect these facts as this measure proceeds through the legislative process.  Your Committee also notes that the funds appropriated under this measure should be used only for operational expenses of the community health centers.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1139 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

		____________________________ JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair