House Floor

Will the House come to order? Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.

[Roll Call] Madam Speaker, 48 Members are present. Three are excused.

Okay. Item number two, reading of the Journal. Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, may this matter be deferred?

So ordered. Item number three, messages from the Governor. Mr. Clerk, are there any messages from the Governor?

Madam Speaker, there are none.

Item number four, Senate communications. Mr. Clerk, are there any Senate communications?

Madam Speaker, there are none.

Members, any introductions? Representative Matsumoto.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd just like to introduce my staff who are in the gallery today. We have our ASM, Sharon Claproth. I have my Office Manager. Please rise. And I have my Office Manager, Sanjuana Soriano, and our Legislative Aide, Aiden Waldrep. If we can give them a round of applause and welcome them to their House of Representatives.

Members, any further introductions? Okay. Seeing none, we are going to move on to the order of the day. Item number five, reports of standing committees. Representative Todd.

Madam Speaker, I move to adopt standing committee reports numbers 55 through 150, as listed on pages 1 through 25. And that the accompanying House bills, as may be amended, pass second reading and be referred to their designated committees.

Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

Okay, Members, any discussion on these items beginning with House standing committee report number 55? [Roll Call]

Representative Souza.

Request for a ruling out a potential conflict.

Please state your potential conflict.

My conflict is that my brother is a Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and this bill will appropriate money if passed to create a Native Hawaiian business marketing program.

Recess. Subject to the call the Chair.

Will the House come to order? Representative Souza, on your request for a ruling on a potential conflict, the Chair's ruling that the conflict of interest rules would not raise a conflict here. And so that ruling will remain in effect for the remainder of session.

Thank you.

Thank you. Any further discussion on standing committee report number 64? Okay. Next, standing committee report number 65. Representative Belatti.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. With reservations. Excuse me. Reservation. My reservations is based upon the testimony of the DCCA Insurance Commissioner, which notes in the record, it is unclear whether the amendments in sections one through three of this bill, which, Madam Speaker, is the entire bill.

Would be construed as, quote, in addition to the essential health benefits within the meaning of 45 Code of Federal Regulations, sections 155.170A or subject to defrayment provisions under 45 CFR 155.170, Subsection B, which apply to benefits, quote, in addition to the essential health benefits. Madam Speaker, this speaks to the complexity of state health insurance laws.

The intersection with our Prepaid Health Care Act and with the federal Affordable Care Act. With the chaos that is occurring currently in Congress, I think it's really incumbent upon us to tread softly. Even though this bill does in fact embrace and include more coverage, which I support, it's the underlying threat to potentially our Prepaid Health Care Act. Which is why I believe DCCA put the their testimony forward and why we need to proceed carefully in this area of any more state health insurance mandates. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Any further discussion? [Roll Call]

Representative Matsumoto.

With reservations. Just a brief comment. I appreciate the amendments that they made in Committee, but still concerned about the feasibility of actually using the program. Thank you.

[Roll Call]

Next, standing committee report number 101. Representative Kila.

Mahalo, Madam Speaker. Reservations. Brief comment.

Please proceed.

I support the intent and believed in the same concept that there should be no construction and use of a landfill over an aquifer. But I also acknowledge that, should a measure like this be adopted, it could play into the extension of the Waimanalo Gulch landfill that exists currently in Nānākuli. And I want to cite that the current Mayor of Honolulu has said time and time again that he will not support the extension of a landfill on the communities of West Oahu.

Any further discussion on stand com 101? Okay, we'll go to stand com 102. [Roll Call]

Representative Shimizu.

Thank you, Vice Chair. With reservations, please.

You may address the rostrum as Madam Speaker.

My apologies, Madam Speaker. My apologies. Madam Speaker, please forgive me.

Apology accepted. Thank you, Representative Shimizu. [Roll Call]

Standing committee report 129. Representative Garcia.

In opposition.

Please proceed.

Thank you. I do want to note that the increase, the 1% increase in the TAT would go to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Support DHHL and their mission to clear the wait list, but I don't believe that raising taxes is our solution to fulfill the mandate. Thank you.

[Roll Call]

Okay. Members, we will be taking a voice vote on all of the items we just discussed from pages one through 25. All those in favor, please say aye. All those opposed, say no. The motion is carried. Item number six, introduction of resolutions. Mr. Clerk, are there any resolutions for action?

Madam Speaker, there are no resolutions for action. May all others be referred to print.

So ordered. Item number seven, announcements. Members, are there any announcements? Okay. For the motion to adjourn, Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I move that this House stand adjourned until 12 noon tomorrow.

Oh. Recess. Will the House come to order? For the motion to adjourn, Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I move that this House stand adjourned until 12:00 noon tomorrow.

Representative Garcia.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

All those in favor, please say aye. All those opposed, say no. The motion is carried. The House stands adjourned until 12 noon tomorrow.

Minority Members, please meet in the Caucus Room.