STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2399

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2884
                                        S.D. 1




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

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Education
and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 2884 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THERAPY SERVICES FOR
     EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of
Education (DOE) to be responsible for occupational therapy and
physical therapy for the exceptional children needing such
services who attend public school in the State.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this
measure from the Department of Health (DOH), HGEA-AFSCME, and
Hawaii State Teachers Association.  Testimony in opposition was
received from the DOE and two private individuals.

     According to the testimony of the DOH, the school health
occupational and physical therapists provide education-related
services to children with special needs within the public
schools.  This responsibility is consistent with the DOE's
mandate to provide free appropriate public education including
related services for qualifying students with disabilities under
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the
Rehabilitation Act.  The DOH and DOE are working together to
assure a smooth transfer of the occupational and physical therapy
programs to the DOE without jeopardizing the services and needs
of the children and their families.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2399
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     Your Committees have amended this measure by making
technical, nonsubstantive changes to reflect existing statutory
language.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Health and Human Services and Education and
Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are
in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2884, as
amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the
form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2884, S.D. 1, and be referred to
the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Health and Human
                                   Services and Education and
                                   Technology,



____________________________       ______________________________
DAVID Y. IGE, Chair                SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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