STAND. COM. REP. NO.  484

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 467

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 467, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure to promote children's health by by requiring birthing facilities to screen for critical congenital heart defects in newborns prior to discharge.

 

Specifically, this measure requires birthing facilities to conduct a pulse oximetry test or another medically accepted test that measures blood oxygen saturation.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the American Heart Association, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, the March of Dimes Foundation, and one individual.  Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

 

     Your Committee finds that critical congenital health defects are the most common birth defect in the United States and are the leading killer of infants with birth defects.  Your Committee also finds that pulse oximetry tests are a simple, non-invasive, painless, inexpensive, and fast method of detecting critical congenital health defects in newborns.  Your Committee believes that with mandatory testing of newborns, approximately ten asymptomatic newborns a year could be diagnosed and begin receiving lifesaving treatment.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 467, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair