Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2162 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for early intervention services for special needs infants and toddlers from birth to three years of age.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii Early Intervention Coordinating Council, and the Good Beginnings Alliance. Testimony in opposition to this measure was received from the Department of Health.

Your Committees find that early intervention services are vital to a child's growth and development. The first three years are the most formative and critical to maximizing the child's future potential. Your Committees further find that there is an increase in demand for early intervention services.

Your Committees note that additional data is anticipated from the Department of Health regarding when receipts from Medicaid reimbursement, that may be sufficient to cover the deficit in funding, will be received. Accordingly, your Committees amended this measure to reflect a blank dollar amount, as well as to make technical, non-substantive amendments.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2162, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2162, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.