Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 10, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create a temporary interdepartmental working group within the Department of Health to develop a means for statewide dissemination of information on emergency contraception information.

The Department of Health and the Judiciary submitted comments.

The Department of Health testified regarding the existence of an Emergency Contraception Interagency Work Group comprised of members of the public and private sector that has already outlined priorities to promote emergency contraception awareness, increase utilization of emergency contraception, and monitor the impact of the emergency contraception program. Your Committee finds that information about the availability of emergency contraception and where to get it must be disseminated to the public in order for the initiative to be successful.

Your Committee has amended this measure by conforming all of its provisions to the language in S.C.R. No. 111, S.D. 1. The amendment does not include any reference to the convening of a temporary interdepartmental emergency contraception information working group. Instead, it tasks the existing work group to develop a mechanism to disseminate information on the availability of over-the-counter emergency contraception in the State. The Judiciary, at its request, the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, and the American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are not included in the work group.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 10, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 10, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.