STAND. COM. REP. NO.  104-14

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2053

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2053 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to address falls and fall-related injuries by elderly persons in the State by:

 

(1)  Establishing a Fall Prevention and Early Detection Coordinator position within the Department of Health Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch to coordinate the provision of public and private fall prevention and early detection services; and

 

(2)  Appropriating $78,555 out of the Trauma System Special Fund to establish and fill this position.  

 

     The ILWU Local 142 and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Executive Office on Aging and the Department of Health commented on this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Deleting the specified amount reflected in the appropriation;

 

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate continued discussion; and

 

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

 

Should the House Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $78,555 for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 out of the Trauma System Special Fund to establish and fill the full-time Fall Prevention and Early Detection Coordinator position.

 

     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 H.B. No. 2053, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2053, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair