STAND. COM. REP. NO. 220-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 1894

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1894 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide children and adolescents access to quality, affordable health care in a convenient, encouraging environment by, among other things:

(1) Establishing a school-based Student Health Services Program (Program);

(2) Convening a planning committee to plan and coordinate the provisions for the Program to complement the Department of Education's (DOE) Comprehensive School Support Services Program; and

(3) Appropriating funds.

The American Heart Association, Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure. DOE and Planned Parenthood of Hawaii supported the intent of this measure. The Department of Health opposed this measure.

 

Your Committees recognize that a coordinated school health program currently exists. However, most public schools offer care only in emergency situations. Your Committees believe that the establishment of a comprehensive health program in public schools will encourage children, particularly those who do not have access to primary care, to seek medical attention, and potentially save on medical costs in the long-term. Your Committees emphasize that the Program is meant to be supplemental, and not a replacement to primary care, and that seeking the services of a family physician is still encouraged.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Clarifying that the composition of the planning committee include public employee labor unions;

(2) Specifying that medically accurate, factually based sex education is included in the health education component of the Program; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1894, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1894, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Education,

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair