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. 889 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require premises licensed to sell intoxicating liquor to post warning signs that consumption of alcoholic beverages may impair an individual's ability to drive a car and may cause birth defects.

Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies testified in support of this measure. The Legislative Information Services of Hawaii submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that unintentional alcohol exposure is likely to occur early in pregnancy before a woman knows she is pregnant. Statistics show that each year, more than 40,000 babies are born with some degree of alcohol-related defects.

Your Committee has amended this bill by amending the wording of the sign to include possible penalties of driving while legally intoxicated, and the possibility of birth defects for women who consume alcoholic beverages while pregnant.

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. 889, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 889, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.