Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2948 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the Public Health Nursing Services Program and set forth the roles and functions of the program in the delivery of direct clinical nursing services.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Health, Hawaii Government Employees Association, American Academy of Pediatrics-Hawaii chapter, Parents and Children Together, Hawaii Early Intervention Coordinating Council, one nurse, and six individuals.

Your Committee finds that public health nurses deliver an array of health services including the prevention of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, immediate response to and mobilization of resources during epidemics and catastrophic disasters, health services in public schools, and care coordination services to the most vulnerable populations. Your Committee further finds that public health nurses provide an invaluable service and deserve to be statutorily established.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments.

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. 2948, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2948, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.