STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1118

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 614

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 614, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to reinstate a Hospital-based Screening and Assessment and Intensive Home Visitation Program that targets improved intensive home visiting services to the highest-risk families of newborns in communities across the State, while at the same time offering other families a range of evidence-based home visiting services according to their identified needs.  The intent of this measure is to help equip families with the tools necessary to raise healthy children.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, PACT-Parents and Children Together, Child & Family Service, Consuelo Foundation, Early Learning Council, Hawaii Family Support Institute, One Voice for Hawaii's Children, and twenty-one private citizens.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the American Heart Association and Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii.

 

     Your Committees find that it is prudent to reinstate hospital-based screening and assessment services and intensive home visitation services for families at highest risk, along with referrals of other families to existing home visitation services, in order to continue to promote healthy childhood development.

 

     Your Committees heard testimony expressing concern with the funding provisions of this measure.  Your Committees note that there may be a need to amend or insert language in this measure based on budget provisions and that these funding issues should be further considered by a conference committee. 

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Providing that the Department of Health's Hospital-based Screening and Assessment and Intensive Home Visitation Program may follow the guidelines of the Healthy Start Program;

 

     (2)  Eliminating the language setting out requirements associated with the intensive home visitation services under the Program;

 

     (3)  Amending the required elements of the hospital-based screening and assessment services under the Program;

 

     (4)  Providing that Hospital-based Screening and Assessment and Intensive Home Visitation Program services may be initiated on an incremental basis, with geographic priority to be determined by the Department of Health's needs assessment;

 

     (5)  Adding language requiring that Hospital-based Screening and Assessment and Intensive Home Visitation Program services shall be subject to the availability of funds and shall be implemented as funding becomes available;

 

     (6)  Eliminating the language that would have increased the Hawaii Tobacco Settlement Special Fund appropriation ceiling for fiscal years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013; and

 

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 614, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 614, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair