STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1438

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1138
                                        H.D. 1
                                        S.D. 2




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B.
No. 1138, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EPIDEMIOLOGIC
     INVESTIGATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to authorize the Department of
Health to conduct epidemiological investigations to determine the
nature and extent of diseases and injuries deemed by the
Department to threaten the public health and safety.

     In addition, this bill:

     (1)  Requires every person, health care provider, and
          medical facility to provide specific patient
          information, clinical signs and symptoms, laboratory
          test results, diagnostic interview data, treatment
          provided, and the disposition of the patient for the
          purpose of conducting an epidemiological investigation;

     (2)  Prohibits any person, health care provider, or medical
          facility that provides information for the purpose of
          conducting an epidemiological investigation from being
          held civilly or criminally liable for providing that
          information;

 
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     (3)  Requires all information provided for the purpose of
          conducting an epidemiological investigation to be kept
          strictly confidential, except as the Director of Health
          determines is necessary to protect the public health
          and safety; and

     (4)  Allows the identities of individuals whose medical
          records are investigated to be disclosed only to those
          persons authorized to conduct a specific
          epidemiological investigation or to protect the health
          and safety of the public.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by adding in the
contents of H.B. No. 1663, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, which appropriates $1
out of the environmental response revolving fund for fiscal year
1999-2000, for the Department of Health to conduct soil testing
at Village Park and West Loch Fairways to investigate anecdotal
evidence that contaminated soil may be the cause--or a
contributing cause--of the illnesses, and the physical and
learning disabilities of children and families living in Village
Park and West Loch Fairways.

     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.
1138, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it
pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1138,
H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

                                 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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