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. 663 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to establish mandatory hearing impairment screening for newborns.

Testimony in support of the measure was received from the Department of Health, the Queen's Medical Center Rehabilitation Services, the Easter Seals Society, the Hawaii Center for the Deaf and Blind, and various physicians and concerned citizens.

Your Committee recognizes that hearing loss is one of the most common congenital birth defects. Moreover, it has been found that infants who are deaf or hard of hearing who receive intervention before the age of six months maintain language development commensurate with their cognitive abilities through five years of age.

Furthermore, your Committee finds that early detection of hearing loss is not only beneficial to the infant, but also to the family. Many parents and family members have emotional responses to a deaf or hard of hearing child which may affect bonding with the infant and require help working through these responses. Early intervention will help make this transition easier and assist families in dealing with this situation.

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. 663 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.