STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3331

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 2521
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B.
No. 2521, S.D. 1, entitled:

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL HEALTH REQUIREMENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to clarify school health
requirements. 

     Specifically, the measure requires the Department of
Education to be responsible for providing occupational and
physical therapy services for exceptional children in the public
schools and clarifies documentation required for immunizations,
tuberculosis clearance, and physical examinations.  The bill also
requires the Department of Health to adopt administrative rules
to establish standards for compliance with school health
requirements.

     The current law concerning health requirements to enter
public school is difficult to enforce, resulting in inconvenience
to physicians, students, and their families.  If documentation is
deemed not to meet the standard of physician certification,
immunizations may have to be repeated.

     Your Committee finds that this bill will reduce unnecessary
inconvenience without putting the health of school children or
the public at risk.  By requiring the Department of Health to

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3331
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adopt rules to establish requirements for documentation and
reports required, health requirements can be enforced efficiently
while continuing to protect public health.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
2521, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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