Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2936 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide state-funded medical assistance of pregnant legal immigrants whose family income does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level for Hawaii.

Testimony in favor of this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Kokua Council, Na Loio, and an individual.

Your Committee finds that timely and regular prenatal care enhances the birth of a healthy baby, lessens the possibility of a complicated delivery or low birth weight, and prevents additional medical services. The passage of this measure will assist those immigrant mothers who are ineligible for other programs due to their immigrant status.

Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were made to conform to legislative drafting style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2936, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2936, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.