STAND. COM. REP. NO. 20-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 2060

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2060 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that only accurate and medically sound information about sex is provided to give them concrete, evidence-based information to protect them from the repercussions of sexual activity such as sexually transmitted disease and unintended pregnancy.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, Hawaii Women's Coalition, Windward branch of the American Association of University Women and several concerned individuals supported this bill. The Department of Health supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee finds that education is the most powerful form of protection to keep our youth safe from the dangers involved in a sexual relationship. Equal in importance to instruction is the provision of accurate information distributed as efficiently and broadly as possible. To ensure a broader distribution of medically accurate sex information, your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Requiring agencies that provide information on sex and that receive federal funding to be responsible for ensuring that the information is medically accurate; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 2060, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2060, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair