STAND. COM. REP. NO.748

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.B. No. 790

H.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 790, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE WORKER INJURY PREVENTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to protect nurses and other health care workers from needlestick and other sharps-related injuries by requiring more extensive records to be kept when injuries occur.

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Hawaii Nurses Association, and Hawaii Government Employees Association supported the measure.

The Department of Health submitted comments.

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemology, Inc., opposed the measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Removing the three-year exemption period for pre-filled syringes that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 790, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 790, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair