STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1118-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.R. No. 72
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.R. No. 72
entitled:

     "HOUSE RESOLUTION RELATING TO ORGAN DONATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this resolution is to increase the number of
individuals donating organs by requesting the Legislative
Reference Bureau (LRB) to conduct a study, in conjunction with
the Organ Donor Center of Hawaii, to:

     (1)  Determine the most efficient way to educate the people
          of Hawaii about organ donation; and

     (2)  Dispel the misconceptions that prevent organ donation.

     The Organ Donor Center of Hawaii, the National Kidney
Foundation of Hawaii, and an individual testified in support of
this measure.  Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Organ Donation
Coalition testified in support of the intent of this measure.
LRB opposed this measure.

     Your Committee finds that in 1998, LRB issued "Heart and
Soul: Anatomical Gifts for Hawaii's Transplant Community," in
which LRB recommended education as a very important component of
increasing the chance of obtaining consent from future organ
donors and expanding the pool of potential organ donors.  The
study also detailed specific areas of public awareness that could

 
 
 
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be targeted, and described other states' efforts at increasing
the visibility of the organ donation situation.

     Your Committee further finds that Act 88, Session Laws of
Hawaii (SLH) 1999, provided a comprehensive framework to increase
the numbers of available organ donors.  The purpose of Act 88,
SLH 1999, is to, among other things:

     (1)  Expand educational efforts across all ethnic,
          religious, and age groups;

     (2)  Increase the supply of organs for wait-listed
          transplant recipients; and

     (3)  Create a special fund to be used to promote public
          education programs on organ, tissue, and eye donation.

     Your Committee recognizes that while this measure is
duplicative of past studies and the provisions of Act 88, SLH
1999, it is important to keep this measure alive so that the
Legislature can direct LRB to conduct a study that would:

     (1)  Build on previous measures;

     (2)  Focus on a continuum of funding and educational
          efforts; and

     (3)  Address misconceptions, cultural and religious
          barriers, and myths of organ donation.

     Your Committee has asked the Hawaii Organ Donor Coalition
and other advocates to determine how this measure could be
amended to address your Committee's intent.  Upon receiving the
suggestions, your Committee will forward the information and
respectfully request the Committee on Finance to consider the
recommendations.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making numerous
technical, nonsubstantive amendments to conform with legislative
drafting style, including:

     (1)  Amending the title to read: "REQUESTING A STUDY TO
          DETERMINE THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE
          OF HAWAII ABOUT ORGAN DONATION AND HOW TO DISPEL THE
          MISCONCEPTIONS THAT PREVENT ORGAN DONATION";


 
 
 
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     (2)  Requesting LRB to submit its findings and
          recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty
          days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of
          2001; and

     (3)  Transmitting certified copies of the Resolution to the
          Acting Director of LRB and the Executive Director of
          the Organ Donor Center of Hawaii.

     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.R. No. 72, as
amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the
Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 72,
H.D. 1.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair