Bill Text: HI HB1629 | 2020 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Relating To Government Services.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-03-16 - The hearing on this measure has been cancelled until further notice. [HB1629 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2020-HB1629-Amended.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1629

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO GOVERNMENT SERVICES.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that a virus named "SARS-CoV-2" causes a disease named "coronavirus disease 2019", or COVID-19, which since January 2020 has been at the center of an outbreak of respiratory disease first detected in Wuhan city, Hubei Province, China.  The disease has now been detected in many locations internationally, including in the United States.  The department of health was notified in February 2020 of a Japanese national who developed severe symptoms, sought medical care, and was tested and diagnosed with COVID-19 after leaving Hawaii and returning home to Japan.

     On January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern".  On January 31, 2020, United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the nation's health care community in responding to COVID-19.

     Furthermore, COVID-19 may impact Hawaii's economy as countries with high numbers of confirmed cases of infected persons experience negative economic impacts due to visitors' reluctance to visit those countries or restrictions on departures from those countries by individuals who would otherwise be potential visitors to Hawaii.  A recent report from the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization indicated that if the COVID-19 impact on Hawaii is "prolonged or deeper", the state economy could be negatively impacted.

     Due to the fast-moving and unpredictable spread of COVID-19 and subsequent general public concern, the purpose of this Act is to allocate resources to the department of health to support the following activities to detect, contain, mitigate, and respond to COVID-19:

     (1)  Syndromic surveillance to monitor potential COVID-19 encounters and supplement traditional case-finding activities;

     (2)  Enhanced communication strategies that provide general populations and vulnerable populations most at risk with actionable information for self-protection, including identification of symptoms, and clear guidance for seeking treatment;

     (3)  Intensive source control if local epicenters in Hawaii are identified, including isolation of patients and persons testing positive for COVID-19, contact tracing and health monitoring, strict health facility infection prevention and control, and use of other active public health control interventions with continued active surveillance;

     (4)  Preparation for resilience of health systems in the State, as is done at the time of seasonal influenza, anticipating severe infections and course of disease in older people and other populations identified to be at risk of severe disease;

     (5)  If widespread community transmission is established, consideration of a transition to include mitigation activities, especially if contact tracing becomes ineffective or overwhelming and an inefficient use of resources.  Examples of mitigation activities include cancelling public gatherings, school closure, remote working, home isolation, observation of the health of symptomatic individuals supported by telephone or online health consultation, and provision of essential life support such as oxygen supplies, mechanical ventilators, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation equipment; and

     (6)  Transportation, storage, distribution, and administration of vaccines and other treatments for at-risk populations.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 to be allocated as follows and used to support the following activities to detect, contain, mitigate, and respond to COVID-19:

     (1)  $           for contracted services for multi-media public education and awareness campaigns;

     (2)  $           for quarantine and self-monitoring, which may include:

          (A)  Persons who are not residents or do not have a viable home situation;

          (B)  Persons falling outside the federal quarantine mandate, which will no longer be available after March 5, 2020; or

          (C)  Persons with confirmed diagnoses of COVID-19 who are hospitalized, then in less than the fourteen-day quarantine period are discharged before being cleared for release from isolation because they no longer need hospitalization, and who require safe options;

     (3)  $           for laboratory testing, equipment, and supplies, including four additional staff positions;

     (4)  $           for disease outbreak surveillance and response, including but not limited to:

          (A)  Personal protective equipment for disease investigators;

          (B)  Specimen collection kits;

          (C)  Additional computers, telecommunications, and mobile internet connectivity;

          (D)  Office supplies for forms relating to health care provider reporting, consent, etc.;

          (E)  Mass vaccination activities, equipment, and supplies; and

          (F)  Overtime and contract labor for disease investigation, logistics management, data-entry, etc.;

     (5)  $            for other personnel expenses related to overtime, travel, and supplies;

     (6)  $           for incident command supplies and equipment, including but not limited to deployment of hand sanitizer stations at critical state facilities and other public areas;

     (7)  $           allocated to the Kauai district health office for county of Kauai-specific activities;

     (8)  $           allocated to the Hawaii island district health office for county of Hawaii-specific activities; and

     (9)  $           allocated to the Maui district health office for county of Maui-specific activities.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the department of defense for emergency management and response to COVID-19, including but not limited to:

     (1)  Forehead and ear thermometers;

     (2)  Personal protective equipment for responders;

     (3)  Operating and office supplies to assist with field work; and

     (4)  Contract labor for special service planners.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of defense for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2030.

 


 


 

Report Title:

DOD; DOH; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Appropriation

 

Description:

Makes appropriations from the general revenues of the State to support DOH and DOD activities to detect, contain, mitigate, and respond to the coronavirus, or COVID-19.  Effective 7/1/2030.  (HD1)

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

 

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