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 S.B. No. 740 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to codify the Department of Health's (DOH) Public Health Nursing Services Program (Program) into the Hawaii Revised Statutes, thereby recognizing the Program's roles and functions in the delivery of direct clinical nursing services to the people of Hawaii.

DOH, the Child Welfare Services State Advisory Council, Hawaii Government Employees Association, Parents and Children Together, Hawaii Early Intervention Coordinating Council, Hawaii Nurses' Association, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.

The Program is prominently involved in the provision of services for the prevention and control of communicable diseases, immunization activities, and immediate response to epidemics and other catastrophic disasters and traumatic emergencies in the community. Additionally, your Committee believes that public health nursing should be expanded in the schools to provide services for children and teens.

Your Committee has amended this bill accordingly by:

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 S.B. No. 740, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 740, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.