STAND. COM. REP. 1517
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2003
RE: H.C.R. No. 179
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2003
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 179 entitled:
"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO IMPLEMENT AN EPIDEMIC PREVENTION PROGRAM TO PREVENT THE POTENTIAL ENTRY OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE VECTORS THAT MAY CAUSE AN EPIDEMIC IN HAWAII,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the Department of Health (DOH) to implement an epidemic prevention program to prevent and monitor the entry of communicable disease vectors that may cause an epidemic in Hawaii.
DOH opposed this measure.
DOH believes that this measure is unnecessary because an epidemic prevention program already exists. However, your Committee believes that because of recent events including the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and because Hawaii is a gateway city to all corners of the globe, epidemic prevention needs to remain a priority.
Accordingly, your Committee has amended this concurrent resolution by:
(1) Changing its title to read: "REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HAWAII'S U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICE TO FURTHER IMPLEMENT THEIR EPIDEMIC PREVENTION PROGRAM TO PREVENT THE POTENTIAL ENTRY OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE VECTORS THAT MAY CAUSE AN EPIDEMIC IN HAWAII";
(2) Referencing SARS;
(3) Requesting assistance from Hawaii's U.S. Public Health Office;
(4) Deleting the monitoring request;
(5) Deleting the request that DOH adopt rules;
(6) Requesting Congress to provide additional funding for Hawaii's U.S. Public Health Office;
(7) Sending copies of this concurrent resolution to the U.S. Public Health Office and Hawaii's Congressional Delegation; and
(8) 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 179, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 179, H.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,
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____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair |