Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2057 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to honor certain cultural and religious practices by allowing hospitals, after appropriate testing for infections or hazards, to release a placenta to the woman from whom the placenta originated.

The Waikiki Hawaiian Civic Club, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Hawaii Women's Coalition, ACLU of Hawaii, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, Papa Ola Lokahi, and numerous concerned individuals supported this bill. The Department of Health submitted comments.

Your Committee recognizes the value of respecting the diverse cultures and religious practices of the people of our state. Your Committee notes that the release of a placenta is done for religious and cultural reasons. It is the intent of your Committee to allow for the continuation of this practice only for religious and cultural reasons.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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 H.B. No. 2057, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2057, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.