STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1247-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 2133

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 Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2133, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to preserve religious and cultural practices associated with childbirth by allowing hospitals, upon negative findings of infection or hazard, to release the human placenta to the woman from whom it originated.

The Department of Health (DOH), Kaiser Permanente, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, Japanese American Citizens League of Hawaii, Honolulu Chapter, 'Ahahui Siwila Hawaii O Kapolei, and concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.

Your Committee has amended this bill by deleting its substance and inserting provisions that, among other things:

(1) Establish within the Department of Budget and Finance and appropriate funds for a Hawaii Health Authority, responsible for the overall health planning for the state;

(2) Establish and appropriate funds for a Youth Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention Program within DOH;

(3) Limit the use of mercury-containing vaccines, with preference given to children under 12 years of age and pregnant women;

(4) Make the effective date of appropriation sections

July 1, 2006; and

(5) Make technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2133, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2133, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair