Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2165 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of Human Services (Department) to implement and operate a statewide program for the treatment of drug affected infants.

Furthermore, this measure requires the Department to seek available federal funds to support the program.

Your Committee finds that recent federal law requires states to enact or operate programs to provide health care to infants born and identified as being affected by illegal substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal drug exposure. This measure codifies provisions from the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, as amended by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, and recognizes the initiatives already taken by the Department to fulfill requirements of federal law.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

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 S.B. No. 2165, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2165, S.D. 1.