STAND. COM. REP. NO.  358-08

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2286

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2286 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EPILEPSY DISEASE ASSISTANCE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to enhance services for people affected by epilepsy by:

 

(1)  Creating the Epilepsy Treatment and Education Grants-in-aid Fund to help epilepsy victims and families;

 

(2)  Creating an advisory committee to recommend to the Department of Health (DOH) possible treatment and education programs.

 

     The Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Caregivers Institute for Social Responsibility, Queen's Medical Center Epilepsy Center, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Hawaii Centers for Independent Living supported this measure with amendments.  DOH opposed this bill.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Creating an Epilepsy Networking Task Force to establish a program to link networks on epilepsy, provide epilepsy education, awareness, and treatment initiatives designed to address service gaps and treatment needs of the people affected by epilepsy;

 

(2)  Changing the effective date to "upon its approval"; and

 

(3)  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. 2286, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2286, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair