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.R. No. 102 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this resolution is to respond to building evidence that decabromodiphenylether (Deca-BDE) poses serious health risks to people by requesting that the Department of Health (DOH) determine whether there are safer, technically feasible alternatives to the use of Deca-BDE as a fire retardant in household electrical appliances.

DOH and the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii supported this resolution.

Your Committee finds that preliminary studies suggest that exposure to Deca-BDE may pose health risks to people's thyroid, liver, reproductive system, and neurological system. Therefore, it is important to find safer alternatives to use as fire-retardants on products that people are exposed to on a regular basis such as their televisions and computers.

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.R. No. 102 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.