Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3053 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create the public health nursing branch program under the Department of Health.

Your Committee received testimony in favor of this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii Nurses' Association, and four individuals. Your Committee received testimony opposing this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that the advent of drug resistant tuberculosis, the concerns about bioterrorism and, in Hawaii, the recent outbreaks of dengue fever should alert us to the need for a strong public health structure. Public health nursing is at the core of this public need.

Your Committee has amended this measure by creating a new section rather than a new part to the Hawaii Revised Statutes, and by making nonsubstantive, technical changes.

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. 3053, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3053, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.