STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1011-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 2724

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2724, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to extend the continuum of care for children with developmental delays by providing services from ages three to five by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Health (DOH) to establish a program to meet the needs of these children; and

(2) Appropriating funds for DOH to develop such a program.

Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children testified in support of this bill. DOH supported the intent of this measure. The Department of Education did not support this bill. The Hawaii Early Intervention Coordinating Council offered comments.

Your Committees note that several testifiers recommended the establishment of a task force to provide recommendations for the most effective means of providing services to children ages three to five with developmental delays.

 

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Replacing the directive to DOH to develop a program for children aged three to five with developmental delays and establishing a task force to research, design, and develop an implementation plan;

(2) Appropriating $75,000 for the task force to fulfill its duties; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2724, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2724, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services,

 

____________________________

ALEX M. SONSON, Chair

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair