Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 786, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for a statewide dental services program for eligible adults under the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped program.

Your Committee finds that for many individuals who are handicapped because of mental illness, old age, physical infirmities and the like, dental care is the last consideration for a healthy lifestyle. For many reasons, some do not want to seek dental care until they experience severe pain. However, many health care professionals believe that dental care can affect other aspects of a person's health. For example, proper nutrition relies on dentition and dental problems can lead to poor dietary habits, leading to insufficient vitamins, fiber, and minerals being ingested.

Your Committee reviewed other more costly ways to provide dental services to the needy, but due to limited fiscal resources, your Committee wants to see if this program will provide some relief without high costs. This bill is designed to take advantage of donated dental services from dentists willing to donate needed dental care services to individuals who are handicapped in one way or another.

Your Committee has amended this bill by changing the $1 appropriation to $2 in order to promote further discussion of this issue.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 786, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 786, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.