CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 96-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2008

RE:    H.B. No. 2519

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2519, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE,"

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 bill is to ensure access to health care in rural, medically underserved areas of the state by, among other things:

(1)  Requiring the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) to research the actions, programs, or approaches other jurisdictions have taken to address physician and dentist shortages, including student loan repayment and stipend programs;

(2)  Directing LRB to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009; and

(3)  Creating a pilot project to grant various tax and other benefits for seven years--similar to those provided within enterprise zones under the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT)--to physicians and dentists who agree to work for seven consecutive years within certain areas of the state that are medically underserved or where a health professional shortage exists.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by replacing its contents with provisions that:

(1)  Establish the Hawaii Health Corps Program Working Group (Working Group) to be placed within DBEDT, to develop a plan to create the Hawaii Health Corps Program (HHCP) that will address physician and dentist shortages including student loan repayment and stipend programs;

(2)  Specify specific components the Working Group must incorporate into its plan in developing the HHCP; and

(3)  Require the Working Group to prepare a plan to be fully implemented by January 1, 2010, and submit the plan and any proposed legislation to the Legislature not later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009.

     Technical, nonsubstantive changes were also made 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 H.B. No. 2519, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2519, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair	____________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Co-Chair
____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair	____________________________ JERRY L. CHANG, Co-Chair
	____________________________ MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Co-Chair