STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2823

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 2774
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred H.B. No. 2774 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISCRIMINATION IN PUBLIC
     PLACES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to prohibit discrimination in
public places for a woman who is breastfeeding.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Health, Hawaii State Commission on the
Status of Women, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Kaiser
Permanente, Mothers Care for Tomorrow's Children, Hawaii Women
Lawyers, Papa Ola Lokahi, Hawaii Nurses' Association, Healthy
Mothers Healthy Babies, Kokua Kalihi Valley, Kapiolani Health,
Kapiolani Medical Center, Kauai Medical Clinic, University of
Hawaii at Manoa, American Civil Liberties Union Hawaii, and
thirteen private individuals.  Informational testimony was
received from two private individuals.

     Your Committee finds that women should be allowed to
breastfeed in public places.  Your Committee further finds that
prohibiting breastfeeding in public places is a discriminatory
practice based on sex.

     Breastfeeding has been scientifically proven to be medically
beneficial to the health of the infant and mother.  As more new mothers
are working mothers, this measure is particularly apropos to the

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2823
                                   Page 2


workplace.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends
breastfeeding for at least the first twelve months of a child's
life.  Your Committee believes that breastfeeding should be
encouraged and that this measure is a step in that direction.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 2774 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health and Human
                                   Services,



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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