STAND. COM. REP. NO. 381

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 462
                                     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 Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which
was referred H.B. No. 462 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO A STUDY OF LATEX PRODUCTS IN
     HAWAII BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of
Health (DOH) to conduct a study of the health consequences
associated with the use of latex products in the provision of
health care.  

     Testimony supporting the bill was presented by the Hawaii
Nurses' Association, InCo and Associates, and an interested
individual, all of whom expressed concern for the seriousness of
this growing problem.  The Department of Health testified that it
recognizes the problems caused by latex products, but it does not
have the expertise and resources to conduct such a study.

     Your Committee recognizes that, in order to develop measures
to protect the general public, patients, and workers involved
with health care, we must better understand the nature and extent
of the hazards associated with the use of latex products, and to
determine the costs and benefits of preventive measures and
alternative products. Your Committee concurs with the Hawaii
Nurses' Association that it would be helpful if this study
identified the health care facilities that have implemented, or
are in the process of implementing, safety recommendations of the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 381
                                 Page 2

 
Therefore, your Committee has amended the bill to include that
analysis, and has specified the NIOSH recommendations to be
investigated. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 462, as amended herein, and recommends that
it be referred to the Committee on Finance, in the form attached
hereto as H.B. No. 462, H.D. 1.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Consumer
                                   Protection and Commerce,



                                   ______________________________
                                   RON MENOR, Chair