STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1519_______

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.C.R. No. 93
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No.
93 entitled: 

     "HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
     TO DEVELOP CLINICALLY SOUND PROTOCOLS AND MANAGEMENT
     STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS LATEX ALLERGIES AND EDUCATE HEALTH
     CARE WORKERS AND PATIENTS ABOUT LATEX ALLERGIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution, as received, is
to urge the Department of Health (DOH) to:

     (1)  Develop clinically sound protocols and management
          strategies to address latex allergies; and

     (2)  Educate health care workers and patients about latex
          allergies.

     The Hawaii Medical Association, Kaiser Permanente, the
Hawaii Nurses' Association (HNA), and Allegiance Healthcare
Corporation testified in support of this measure.  DOH submitted
comments.

     Your Committee understands that DOH does not have the
resources to monitor the use of latex allergy products in the
provision of healthcare in Hawaii.  However, your Committee
believes that a survey of healthcare facilities as to their
policies, procedures, practices, and procurement in relation to
latex products would be beneficial.

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1519_______
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     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its
substance and replacing it with language to convene a working
group to assess latex allergies in Hawaii.  Specifically, this
measure:

     (1)  Amends the title of this concurrent resolution to read:
          "URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, HAWAII NURSES'
          ASSOCIATION, THE HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATION OF HAWAII, AND
          THE HAWAII OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH DIVISION TO
          CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO ASSESS LATEX ALLERGIES IN
          HAWAII;"

     (2)  Requests the Working Group to develop and disseminate a
          survey to determine:

          (A)  The extent to which latex gloves with high levels
               of allergen are being used in healthcare
               facilities;

          (B)  The extent to which Hawaii's healthcare facilities
               have implemented a powder-free or low allergen
               level latex glove policy throughout its
               institutions;

          (C)  The number of healthcare workers who have latex
               allergy signs and symptoms; and

          (D)  The potential cost savings or cost increases of
               implementing a powder-free or low allergen level
               latex glove policy;

     (2)  Urges members of the Working Group to develop an
          educational program that can be systematically provided
          to all healthcare workers about latex allergies and the
          prevention of latex allergies;

     (3)  Requests DOH to submit a progress report to the
          Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the
          convening of the Regular Session of 2000; and

     (4)  Provides for the transmittal of certified copies of
          this concurrent resolution to the Directors of Health
          and Labor and Industrial Relations, the Executive
          Director of HNA, and the President of HAH.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 93,
as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1519_______
                                 Page 3

 
Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No.
93, H.D. 1.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair