STAND. COM. REP. 2404

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 3089

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3089 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN'S PRODUCT SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit the use of unsafe children's products and prohibit child care facilities from using or having them on the facility's premises.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services, Department of Health, and Kids In Danger.

Your Committee acknowledges that it is unacceptable for any child to die due to lack of information about unsafe, recalled products. The Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC) recalls children's products at a rate of two per week. In 2001, this statistic amounted to over 23 million individual units, not including car seats. Since CPSC relies on the media to inform the public, many people remain unaware of dangerous products. This measure will help to accomplish a sound program of safety for the State.

To address some of the comments of the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health, your Committee has amended this bill by deleting the requirement that the Department of Health maintain a comprehensive list of unsafe children's products. Among other changes, your Committee made further amendments allowing the Department of Human Services to adopt rules regarding unsafe children's products in childcare facilities and publish and distribute a list of unsafe products.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3089, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3089, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair