STAND. COM. REP. NO.489
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2001
RE: H.B. No. 284
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 284 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health to hire 30 full-time registered nurses.
The Hawaii Nurses Association testified in support of this bill. The Department of Education and the Department of Health (DOH) supported the intent of this bill.
Your Committee finds that there are 80 public health nurses assigned to 36 school complexes to provide health care services. Additionally, these nurses are assigned to other duties within DOH that reduces them to part-time health care workers at these school complexes.
Your Committee further finds that it is important to have registered nurses in each school complex to:
(1) Monitor the work of the health aides;
(2) Develop plans for the care of students with more complex health needs;
(3) Assist with the coordination of health initiatives with teachers and parents; and
(4) Provide primary and preventative health care services.
Your Committee has amended this bill by:
(1) Changing the number of school complexes within the State of Hawaii from 29 to 36;
(2) Changing the appropriation to $1 for the purpose of continued discussion;
(3) Include registered nurses as part of the Comprehensive Student Support System; and
(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 284, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 284, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,
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____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair |