STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2030

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2700
                                        S.D. 1




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 S.B. No. 2700 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR STATEWIDE
     PRENATAL OUTREACH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to
establish a statewide program coordinator within the department
of health's maternal and child health branch to administer
prenatal outreach programs.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Health (DOH), Hawaii Commission on the
Status of Women, Healthy Babies Healthy Mothers, and March of
Dimes.

     Your Committee believes that there is a need to increase
awareness and counseling on the importance of prenatal care,
particularly in rural areas.  A statewide prenatal educational
awareness program that utilizes volunteers is essential in
reducing the incidence of low birth weight, birth defects, and
infant mortality.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting reference to a coordinator;


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2030
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     (2)  Clarifying that the appropriation be on a matching
          basis with the private sector; and

     (3)  Requiring that the programs be volunteer-based,
          conducted by the private sector in collaboration with
          the DOH, and based on a broad public and private
          partnership.

     Your Committee suggests that the partnership should involve
many agencies, including those which currently include prenatal
outreach in their programs such as MothersCare for Tomorrow's
Children, March of Dimes, Good Beginnings Alliance, Healthy
Start, and Alu Like, as well as those planning a revival of
former programs such as the Kamehameha Schools' early prenatal
and childhood education program.

     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 S.B. No. 2700, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2700,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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