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. 2109 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to improve maternal, child, and family health in Hawaii by appropriating funds to establish a permanent professional fetal alcohol spectrum disorder coordinator position (coordinator position) within the Office of the Lieutenant Governor (LG).

Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii and several concerned individuals supported this bill. The LG supported the intent of this bill. A concerned individual opposed this measure.

Although your Committee recognizes the importance of addressing the problem of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, your Committee finds that the coordinator position may be more appropriately placed in the Department of Health (DOH).

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by placing the coordinator position in the Family Health Services Division of DOH instead of the LG. In addition, your Committee has:

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. 2109, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2109, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.