STAND. COM. REP. NO.64

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 894

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 894 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OSTEOPOROSIS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish an osteoporosis prevention and treatment education program and an interagency council on osteoporosis, and appropriate funds for the education program.

Testimony supporting this measure was received from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that osteoporosis is a bone-thinning disease that poses a threat to the health and quality of life to approximately twenty-eight million Americans. In addition, the costs associated with providing osteoporosis health, medical, and social services continues to rise as the population ages. Your Committee believes that the education program and interagency collaboration provided by this measure will help to educate the public on how to prevent, reduce, and contend with incidences of this disease.

Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the requirement from section 321-H for a statement indicating that the Department of Health does not license, certify, or approve osteoporosis programs or centers in the State.

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. 894, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 894, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair